I just want to get them back to the public. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at Center for Puppetry Arts. "I feel like I've let the world down," he told the New York Times at the time. When Kriess learned that a private individual gave the highest bid at his auction, he worried that he had shut the figures away, like the collectibles in "Toy Story 2." Schiavo said Rudolph and Santa need a little more conservation work, and that the center hasn't determined when the figures will go on display. Instead, the puppets will be on display in the center's Worlds of Puppetry Museum, along with puppets from a 1970s Jim Henson production, "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas." This would have been the 10th anniversary of the "Rudolph" puppet show at the Center for Puppetry Arts, but the coronavirus intervened. solely dedicated to the art of puppetry." In a statement, the donor said "These were beloved characters of my childhood and I can think of no better place for them to 'retire' than in the trusted care of the Center for Puppetry Arts, the first and largest nonprofit organization in the U.S. "The way that the center has kept the spirit of the (show) and the look of the puppets, it's delightful to have both the originals and also the live theater puppets there." Henson is the president of the Jim Henson Foundation, and the daughter of the late Jim Henson.
The center's yearly performance of "Rudolph," through an exclusive arrangement with the licensing company Character Arts, is always its most popular show.īoard member Cheryl Henson said the figures have come to the right place. Atlanta's puppet builders viewed the film, frame-by-frame, to recreate scrupulously accurate puppet versions of the figures.
In 2010 the center debuted a puppet show based on the Rankin/Smith film.
It’s the kind of star treatment one would expect for King Tut’s tomb, reflecting how beloved the puppets are and perhaps also how valuable. The Midtown puppetry center is a logical home for Rudolph and Santa. The 6-inch-tall Rudolph and 11-inch-tall Santa, handmade creations of Japanese puppet-maker Ichiro Komuro, command the entire gallery, set off by a backdrop painted with snowy trees. Come on!" But the donor stayed with the bidding, buying the pair for $368,000. She knew that a certain Atlanta individual had an eye on the puppets, with the goal of lending them to the center.īids rose above $300,000, and Schiavo thought, "There's no way our donor will go that far. PRICES VARY ACCORDING TO DAY AND DATE.Beth Schiavo, executive director of the Center for Puppetry Arts, got updates from the auction, as the bids went up. I can assure you that after one visit, seeing Rudolph at the Center for Puppetry Arts will become an annual tradition for you and the kids. Based on the beloved 1964 stop-motion animated special, you won’t want to miss it! Rudolph and his friends Hermey the Elf and Yukon Cornelius brave the Abominable Snow Monster and the even more daunting fear of not fitting in before discovering that it’s okay to be just the way they are! With fun holiday music, finely crafted puppets and an important prosocial message, Rudolph is sure to warm hearts even on the most blustery winter day. I can assure you that after one visit, seeing Rudolph at the Center for Puppetry Arts will become an annual tradition for you and the kids. Rudolph soars back into town for this faithful adaptation that speaks to the misfit in all of us.
From the venue: PUPPET SHOWS | ALL AGES | CENTER A Holiday Classic Returns to the Stage Based on the classic television special Adapted by Jon Ludwig directed by Tim Sweeney Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all elements © and ™ under license to Character Arts, LLC.