Labelled as misfits, Gavin Ward as Rudolph and Sarah Latimer as Hermey leave Christmas Town, where they encounter the prospector Yukon Cornelius, as portrayed by Dave Townsend.--Submitted Photo
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Medicine Hat Musical Theatre is making a rare foray into family programming with the holiday classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
The hour-long production follows the script and story of the iconic 1964 TV special, bringing the story to the stage in a way that is suitable and accessible for viewers of all ages, including small children.
“The story has really stood the test of time,” said Gavin Ward, who will be taking on the leading role of Rudolph. “It’s a great family affair, though really, I would recommend it to anyone.”
While it has been some time since Ward has done any musical theatre, he expressed confidence they would be ready come opening night on Dec. 5. The cast is digging into the finer details now that they’re fully settled into the Playhouse, including getting acquainted with, in the case of the reindeer, their appropriately fuzzy costumes.
“I do think sometimes we worry, if we’re going to be good enough and if we’re going to do this story the justice it deserves,” said Sam the Snowman, better known outside the play as Jason Thompson. “Maybe you could call it a little bit of a Christmas miracle. There’s a lot of excitement here.”
Thompson says they are working hard to capture the nostalgic element for those who remember the original special, who may be sharing the story with their children and grandchildren for the first time. For him, that means taking on a very different role from other recent performances such as Robert in MHMT’s Play That Goes Wrong.
“Sam is much more laid back, he’s telling us and remembering the story about who Rudolph is and how that legend came to be,” said Thompson. “Getting used to that, just to kind of calm things down a little bit more, to have that presence as we go through his story, it’s been fun.”
With the holidays fast approaching after what, for some, has been a difficult few months, says Ward, MHMT is excited to put on a performance that can be part of the Christmas season for everyone.
“It’s a great way to spend the holidays for anybody. There’s so many things that people will do for Christmas here and I think this one is right up there with all of those. I think it’s just going to be an incredible show,” said Ward.
The performance is both not as long as other shows within the MHMT season and available at a lower price point, to make it more accessible for those who may with to bring the whole family or small children to see Rudolph live on stage.
Tickets are still currently available at mhmtheatre.com, for $30 per adult and $15 for children aged 12 and under.
“We’ve been having a lot of fun as a cast being able to put together something that brings joy and laughter,” said Thompson. “To be able to be a part of this classic story is always going to be an honour and it’s just such a privilege, to be able to keep working with the wonderful people here at the theatre.”
