Photos: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER At Casa Mañana

Casa Mañana has released new production photos for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, which will run November 22 through December 23 and is presented by Texas Bank with sponsorship from Frank Kent Cadillac. Tickets are available now, and the production is open to all audiences.

The stage adaptation brings Rudolph, Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius, and the Abominable Snow Monster to Casa Mañana Theatre, incorporating songs including “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “The Island of Misfit Toys,” “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” The story follows Rudolph and his companions in a narrative centered on belonging, problem-solving, and self-recognition.

The cast features Simon Kowalski as Rudolph, David Allsup as Hermey, Braxton O. Johnson as Sam, Zak Reynolds as Yukon Cornelius, and Addisen Bairrington as Clarice. The ensemble includes Lillian Bicheno, Patrick Bilbow, Allison Bridgeman, Isabella Green, Hunter Hall, Dylan Markey, Giancarlo Marrero, Nathan Middleton, Grace Moore, Dominic Pecikonis, Ally Kay Ramsey, Gabrielle Rollins, Kristal Seid, Maximilian Swenson, and Phillip Taylor.

BJ Cleveland directs the production, with choreography by Laura West Strawser and music direction by Matthew Stern. The design team includes Samuel Rushen as lighting designer, Kimberly V. Powers as scenic designer, Allan Branson as sound designer, Tammy Spencer as costume designer, and Catherine Petty-Rogers as hair, wig and makeup designer.

Cleveland’s work spans more than five decades under Casa Mañana’s Dome. His directing credits at the theatre include Mary Poppins Jr., The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Beauty and the Beast, and A Tuna Christmas. His performance credits include Cinderella, Grease, and Matilda. He has directed at WaterTower Theatre, Dallas Contemporary Theatre, Theatre Three, and Dallas Children’s Theater, served as Artistic Director at Theatre Arlington for 16 years, and taught as an adjunct professor at UTA. Cleveland’s additional credits include Guys and Dolls for Lyric Stage and roles in regional premieres of The Prom, The Producers, and Silver Foxes, as well as appearances on The Facts of Life, BJ & Lester, The Disney Afternoon, and the Discovery Channel’s Route 66. He is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Live Theatre League of Tarrant County and the DFW Critics Circle.

Choreographer Laura West Strawser has created choreography for Will Rogers Follies, The Producers, The Wedding Singer, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Footloose, Once on This Island, and Rent at Casa Mañana, as well as for West Virginia Public Theatre and Arts Council of Coastal Carolina. Her performance credits include national tours of Hello, Dolly!, Crazy For You, Funny Girl, and Copacabana, in addition to regional productions of West Side Story, Gypsy, Anything Goes, South Pacific, Oklahoma!, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. She teaches at TCU in Dance and Theatre and owns Fort Worth Classical Pilates.

Music Director Matthew Stern is an award-winning music director and pianist whose work includes Off-Broadway productions such as Smile and Skyscraper, and regional work including Come From Away at Engeman Theatre. His previous Casa Mañana credits include The Lightning Thief, Cats, The Little Mermaid Jr., ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, Cinderella, Pippin, Grease, Seussical, Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and Christmas in the Movies. Stern’s additional credits include Wizard of Oz at North Shore, Evita at Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sing Street and Merrily We Roll Along at Huntington, and multiple productions at Lyric Stage Company of Boston. He has served on the musical theatre faculties of the New York Film Academy, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Boston University, and Emerson College. He holds an MFA in Musical Theater Studies from Boston University.

Tickets start at $19 and may be purchased online at casamanana.org or in person at the Casa Mañana Theatre Box Office at 3101 West Lancaster Avenue in Fort Worth.

Photo Credit: Nicki Behm
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Casa Mañana