Christmastown, located at the North Pole

RUDOLPH
A young buck. Youthful, physically agile, winning performer, vulnerable but strong. Was born with a red glowing nose and was casted out by the other Reindeer.

CLARICE
An acquaintance of Rudolph who meets him at the Reindeer games. Grows a bond with Rudolph and cares about him no matter what.

HERMEY
A shy, meek elf who dreams of becoming a dentist. Is an outcast like Rudolph. While running away from Christmastown, he finds Rudolph and the two become friends.

YUKON CORNELIUS
A boisterous prospector whose goal is to find silver and gold and to get rich quick. Helps protect Rudolph and Hermey as they venture out of Christmastown.

SANTA CLAUS
Larger-than-life personality; cheerful but distracted.

SAM
A snowman. A warm, middle-aged man with a relaxed demeanor. A powerful storyteller who never gets in the way of the story he’s telling. A knowing sense of humor; an appealing, warm singing voice.

THE MISFIT TOYS
Inhabitants of the Island of Misfit Toys, where toys go that are unconventional or flawed.

Origins

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared in 1939 when Montgomery Ward department store asked one of its copywriters, 34-year-old Robert L. May, to create a Christmas story the store could give away to shoppers as a promotional gimmick.

The retailer had been buying and giving away coloring books for Christmas every year; and it was decided that creating its own book would save money. In the first year of publication, 2.4 million copies of Rudolph’s story were distributed by Montgomery Ward.

May’s brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marks, decided to adapt the story of Rudolph into song. Marks’ musical version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949

Television Special

The classic stop motion animated version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first aired December 6, 1964, on the NBC television network in the United States and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour, originally produced by Videocraft International, Ltd. The special was based on the 1949 Johnny Marks song “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” which was itself based on the poem of the same name written in 1939 by Marks’s brother-in-law, Robert L. May. The concept was developed in New York City, the animation was done in Japan, the music was recorded in England, and most of the voice actors were from Canada. The production was completed in 18 months.

NBC began airing the special annually again in 2024, having previously done so from 1964 to 1971. From 1972 to 2023, the special aired on CBS, which unveiled a high-definition, digitally remastered version of the program in 2005, re-scanned frame-by-frame from the original 35 mm film elements. As with A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer no longer airs merely once annually, but several times during the Christmas and holiday season. It has been telecast every year since 1964, making it the longest continuously running Christmas TV special in the United States.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was initially met with a positive reception among critics, who praised the voice acting, soundtrack, animation style, characters, and sets. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is often regarded as one of the best Christmas films ever made, being featured on numerous “top ten” lists. It has become widely popular among both young children and adults familiar with the Christmas season, and has garnered a large cult following since its initial debut.

Screen to Stage

Rudolph and his friends were brought to the stage fairly recently, with this production being available to license from Music Theatre International (MTI) since 2020. Since then, there have been tours that have shared the magic of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer across the country. And now, Rudolph and his friends return to Spokane after their visit last year to spread more holiday cheer!