Will Santa Claus make it to your house this year? Not unless the
reindeer can make enough money to...well, it's like this: Blitzen, the wackiest of
Santa's reindeer, found a job in a pizzeria. But Blitzen is clumsy—extra clumsy—and it
didn't take her long to wreck the place and she has to pay for the damage.
The time is the late 1950's. The place is Santa's workshop at the North Pole. Like all the
teen-age humans of the time, Santa's eight tiny reindeer are caught up in the new music—rock
'n' roll. And like many young people of the era (and most other eras), the reindeer would
rather play than work. And like many parents and other adults of the 1950's and '60's, Santa
hates rock music—or at least, he says he does.
A villainous elf named Herman, who serves as Santa's business manager and thinks that a
workshop is a place for all work and no play, fires the reindeer. Their efforts to find other jobs
turn into disaster. Instead of making money, the reindeer find themselves heavily in debt, primarily
because of the antics (comic to the audience but tragic for the reindeer) of the bungling Blitzen.
So—what to do? Organize a rock band and make bundles of money! Maybe—but they need
a famous lead singer. How about that well-known reindeer with the red nose? Will he help them? Will
they pay off their debts? Will Santa forgive them and let them pull his sleigh on Christmas Eve?
Several thousand little children screamed with happiness (you can hear them on the video tape
available from I. E. Clark) at the world premiere by the University of South Alabama. This 60- to
90-minute play is a delight for children and a wonderful bit of nostalgia for adults.
Two acts; Unit set, Santa's workshop and various locales; Time, late 1950's; Typical costumes for
each character.
"Thank you so much for all of your help with our Christmas musical [Rock 'n' Roll Santa].
It went wonderfully. My friends and I just loved performing the show. The audience really loved it;
we may do it again next year!!"—St. Bonaventure Church, Grampion, Pa.
Other Jackson original musicals: Christmas with the Three Bears,
Hippie!
See also: Christmas Musicals