who played rudolph the red-nosed reindeer

The original animated TV special was released in 1964 and starred Burl Ives as the narrator. It was later adapted into a musical stage play in 1968 and has been performed by various theater groups around the world ever since. There have also been several direct-to-video sequels and spin-offs over the years, but the original remains the most iconic and beloved version of the story.