Andrews – It was a wild undertaking. With 17 musical numbers, a cast of 35 mostly young actors and an historic stage where set pieces must remain mobile, the play Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Jr. looked nearly impossible to produce locally.
However, Lori Coffey is no ordinary producer. Her theatre roots started backstage more than 20 years ago, when her daughter wanted to act. From there, she fought to reclaim the dormant Valleytown Cultural Arts Center stage in 2009 and has directed and produced plays ever since.
This production was special to Coffey.
“It has given me the opportunity to introduce theater to a new crop of theater lovers,” she said.
At the same time, the two-month-long rehearsal schedule was grueling.
“At times, I wanted to pull my hair out,” Coffey said with a laugh. “But when the last dress rehearsal happens and you sit in the empty theater the night before opening, you remember why you do it.”
Her cast, made up both of veterans and newbies, brought an intense, playful energy to the theater. Just before the production on Nov. 19, the cast members ran up and down the backstage stairs from the dressing rooms to the green room, often singing songs from the show as they skipped along the dark passages of the winding building. They maintained that spirited verve from the opening scene to the closing curtain call.
The story was a familiar one, basically following the television classic with a few twists. Among them was the addition of Sam (Abigail Farner), the play’s narrator. In her full-skirted white dress, a nod to the snowman of the original production, Sam provided a steady voice through the misadventures of Rudolph with his gang of misfits. The play was a powerhouse of constant, well-orchestrated movement thanks to outstanding choreography by assistant director Haley Culpepper and cast members Azlyn DeHart, Sophie Roberts and Kyia Zane.
Dentist want-to-be Hermey (Kyia Zane) was properly brow-beaten by the brilliant performance of the Azlyn DeHart (Boss Elf) who reminded the audience of every bad boss they’ve ever had. In one particularly scathing scene, Hermey admits her poor performance is because “I’m not happy in my work, I guess.” To which the Boss Elf convincingly fires him.
The play’s bullies were mainly confined to authority roles like the Boss Elf and Coach Comet (Lilly Graham), the latter of which browbeats Rudolph during the reindeer games with such vehemence, a few small children in the audience were distressed. Rising singing star Alani Davis (Clarice) brilliantly cut the tension as she comforted Rudolph and the entire house with a smooth and warming performance of “There’s Always Tomorrow.”
Another standout was Sawyer Bradley, sharply playing Yukon Cornelius, a get-rich-quick guy with just enough humanity to assist runaways Hermey and Rudolph. Bradley, always confident, showed his mastery as he commanded the stage in every scene he entered.
The elves, as a unit, joyfully inhabited the stage, each time charming the audience with their mischief but for one haunting scene where they decorate a Christmas tree singing “Silver and Gold” with such yearning and innocence, the house fell somber in its ache.
The backstage crew matched the talent of the cast with authentic costuming, the misfit toys’ costumes come to mind, and a transforming set where Christmas trees, when shifted and placed on their sides, transform into realistic icebergs. The delightful production thrilled the packed house and spread a bit of Christmas magic in the Andrews Valley.