All American Reindeer
photo by Ginni McNamara
I'm stilt-walking up gentle hills behind an oom-pah marching band in downtown Hampton, NH. It's windy, so I've set my six foot legs in brisk time with the band to keep warm. The road flattens and the band strikes up Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Parade watchers in puffy coats and head-hugging hats point at me excitedly, recognizing Rudolph, the horse-turned-reindeer I'm "riding." As the song builds, the crowd quiets, softening into the romance of Christmastime. Charmed adults become both parents and children again, and some begin to sing with their kids. I love to pass onlookers who find my costume as amusing as I do. I listen for the belly laughs and wink and wave!
Praise for Yankee & Rudy:
"Barbara did a phenomenal job at the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce 2005 YANKEE DOODLE DANDY Children's Christmas parade. She entertained the crowd with her fun-loving personality and wowed them with her creative costume. Barbara Michaels is a first rate performer!"
- Ginni McNamara, Parade Chairwoman, Hampton, NH