First Stage’s Jeff Frank reshapes Rudolph for the stage

First Stage Children’s Theater is ready to kick off the most wonderful time of the year with a stage adaptation of the beloved stop-motion animated classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

While turning an animated film into a live-action may sound tricky, it’s no Christmas miracle. It’s impossible to capture the look of stop-motion on a live stage, but artistic director Jeff Frank has successfully translated animated magic before. It was, in fact, during one of the those shows where he thought up the idea for how to make “Rudolph” a stage production.

“We had just finished ‘Peter Pan and Wendy‘ [when he pitched “Rudolph” to Character Arts, LLC, which licenses the characters] where we used kokens, which are people dressed entirely in black with hoods, to move furniture and pieces around and to lift people and practically fly them in our space,” Frank said. He will use a similar approach for “Rudolph,” except instead of kokens there’ll be “snowkens,” white-dressed crew members to blend into the all-white winter wonderland. “My hope is to really create a living environment where the trees and the pieces shift and we puppeteer the Island of Misfit Toys and Rudolph is literally lifted by the snowkens when he flies,” Frank adds.

Those various pieces include gleaming white mountains, eight tiny reindeer puppets and a life-sized Sam the Snowman, all currently laying about First Stage’s practice space. The puppets and the set pieces have all been designed in-house by production designer Brandon Kirkham as well as by neighborhood friends of the theater. “We’ve created something that feels like the handcrafted, homespun nature of the original TV special,” Frank says. “We’re one of only two theaters at this point who are putting on a rendition of the show.”

“Rudolph” features a cast of nineteen children and teens – many alumni of First Stage’s theater academy – and eight adult actors. Many are venerable veterans of the Milwaukee stage: Robert Spencer will bring life to Sam the Snowman (he’s been cultivating a perfectly white bushy beard just for the role), Karen Estrada plays Mrs. Claus, and Matt Daniels takes charge as the Boss Elf.

One can’t help but smile in the presence of all things “Rudolph.” Frank is eager to point out that the rehearsals have been joyful and that none of the cast members seem to be tired of repeatedly singing the classic songs.

“The songs are great. People forget that ‘Holly Jolly Christmas’ and ‘The Most Wonderful Day of the Year’ came from the original TV special,” Frank said. “We’re just having a lot of fun bringing that to life in a new form. The way that the story comes alive is really going to be pretty incredible.”

He also said the core message of “Rudolph” – that we’re all misfits in our own way, but that’s OK – is important for kids to learn and for families to talk about after the play. “So often we judge people by a singular aspect,” Frank said. “If you take time to really truly know and understand the complete person, there’s so much more.”

Frank said he knows First Stage has been entrusted with bringing a true Christmas gem to life, and the weight of responsibility that brings: “We are the first theater experience for so many people and we have a huge responsibility to make sure it’s incredible.”

First Stage’s production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer opens November 23 and runs through December 30. Tickets start at $14 and can be purchased at (414) 273-7206 or First Stage’s online box office. 

Looking for something to do this Thanksgiving weekend? Check out Danielle McClune’s On Stage column, published every Tuesday, for the latest shows and events.