By Sofie Chan
Cover Editor
Vibrant spotlights illuminated the misfit Christmas toys, Rudolph, Hermey and Yukon Cornelius, as they faced
the Abominable Snow Monster during the fall musical, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on Nov. 19, 20 and
21 in Room 601.
As a part of the Fall Musical Theater Program, co-directors Matt Byers and Suzy Takeda collaborated to form the musical
stage adaptation of the 1964 television special, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Among many characters, eighth grader Ryan Lin starred as Rudolph, freshman Tyler Jorgensen played Hermey the Elf, senior Timothy Williams performed as Yukon Cornelius and freshman Joshua Perez narrated the musical as Sam the Snowman.
“From 1987 until 2020, I enjoyed directing and producing the Temple City High School spring musicals,” Byers said. “It was always a dream of mine to produce holiday-themed shows to get everyone ready for the holiday season, which I love!”
With the sponsorship of the Temple City Schools Foundation, students from elementary, middle and high school were able to participate, resulting in a total of 62 cast members. Over the first three rehearsals, students watched the original television special, read character parts, sang in small groups and learned the beginning choreography. Based on their performance, they were selected for the most appropriate roles.
The original 55-minute television special tells the story of Rudolph, a reindeer outcast for his red nose. Facing exclusion, he runs away and meets other misfits, who, together, have to face the Abominable Snow Monster and discover their roles in saving Christmas from being cancelled.
Participants had to pay a $125 class fee for a spot in the musical, with TCSF promoting the theatre program as an opportunity for students to develop their singing, dancing, acting and stagecraft production skills. This was the production’s first time at the high school.