“RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL” was performed live on-stage at C.Y. Stephens Auditorium Thursday night, and was a perfect rendition of a classic stop-motion picture.

The classic tale, one that is mostly remembered as being a stop-motion picture from 164, involves a reindeer, named Rudolph, who is exiled from his home because of his red, shining nose and sets out on a journey that takes many turns.

Sam the Snowman, played by Ryan Coon, introduced himself and the story by telling the audience all about one horrid storm that almost caused Christmas to not happen.

The stage was set with cartoon-like trees, and ice caps throughout the show’s entirety. Little critters were able to scamper around the stage throughout the musical due to crewmembers wearing shoes with wheels on the heel, allowing them to enter and exit stage quickly.

A frame around the stage allowed for a projector to illuminate effects onto the screen. This allowed for more realistic weather during scenes, as when it would snow, the frame would display snowflakes drifting down.

Just as in the film, the first act in the musical featured the classic songs, such as “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “There’s Always Tomorrow” and “We Are Santa’s Elves.”

Santa Claus, played by Andrew Wade, performed “Jingle Jingle Jingle” with Donner, played by Edred Utomi. While Santa sang of his magic reindeer sleigh and how he is “the King of jingling,” reindeer frolicked around stage and baby Rudolph, a puppet maneuvered by Mrs. Donner, nodded his head in-sync with the song.

Rudolph, played by Sarah Miller-Crews, was a hit with every member of the audience. His loveable, bashful personality came across strong, especially during scenes in which Clarice, played by Audrey Curd, would interact with him. The audience enjoyed every instance that Rudolph was on stage, and was stunned when Rudolph’s nose was able to glow with the same, iconic high-pitched hum heard on television.

After declaring to become a dentist, instead of a toymaker, Hermey the Elf, played by Nick Ley, joined Rudolph in the song, “We’re a Couple of Misfits” and ventured off to seek, what they called “independence.”

Finally, at the end of the first act, the audience-favorite Yukon Cornelius, played by Timothy Joshua Hearl, was introduced. Cornelius executed his famous licking-of-the-icepick—each time triggering a roar of laughter from the crowd. Yukon Cornelius’ obnoxious and thick personality gave way to the show, making his appearances a hilarious treat.

The second act was a major hit, in every respect. Characters, such as Rudolph and Yukon Cornelius, begin to take their shape during these last scenes, as Rudolph, Hermey and Yukon Cornelius discover the renowned, Island of Misfit Toys. Large, puppet replicas were controlled by crewmembers to perform the song, “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year (The Island of Misfit Toys),” where each toy introduced how they are an oddity.

The toys featured on “RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL’s” Island of Misfit Toys were: Charlie In The Box, the airplane who can’t take off, the bird who can swim, a choo-choo with square wheels, the dolly and the polka-dotted elephant. The king of the Island of Misfit Toys, King Moonracer, voiced by Edred Utomi, was on-stage as a large puppet replica of the same winged-lion as the old show’s.

As the musical began to reach its end, the Abominable Snowmonster, or “Bumble,” played by Andreas De Rond and Derek Leo Miller was introduced. The huge, inflatable beast began to humor the children in the audience after Hermey the Elf retracts one of “Bumble’s” teeth in order to save Clarice and Mr. and Mrs. Donner.

The show ended gleefully, as Rudolph saved the night with his nose by shining his nose to steer Santa’s sleigh through the foggy storm. The audience cheered as Rudolph was lifted into the air by pulleys and ropes. Soon, every audience member was shouting the lyrics to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” as lyrics appeared on the framed screen surrounding the stage. The entire audience began to sway in unison, while chanting the final ballad.

Every nuance in “RUDOLPH” aligned seamlessly with the film. Characters’ costumes were real-life versions of what has been seen in the 1964 film. Each song was sung in the same tune, had the same length, and every character’s tone of voice was in-sync. The script also remained true to the film, making it a treat for the audience fans of the classic picture. The timeless, holiday classic musical was a crowd-pleaser, to say the least.