Nostalgia lights up ‘Rudolph’ despite cutbacks [Video]

Bringing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to the stage was a great idea. Like Santa, however, it just needed a little beefing up.

At the Orpheum Theatre Thursday night, the almost 90-minute show (based on the iconic TV special) could have used a little more backstory.

Rudolph (nicely played by Callahan Gillispie) got a good thread (more taunts, however, were warranted) but his friends Hermey (Raleigh Tyler) and Yukon Cornelius (Ceron Jones) were cast adrift and should have been introduced earlier with their own origins woes. Too much depended on the big “guide my sleigh” twist.

Part of that could be due to Robert Penola’s adaptation. Clinging to the original, it dragged when Sam the Snowman (Trevin Goin) had to make like Burl Ives and get his own spotlight songs.

Goin, hindered by a big snowman costume, didn’t get much opportunity to interact with the others (no reindeer games for him) …