Singing “Where Is My Star?”, Aurora flies to find and fix the fading beacon, riding on the cloudy billows of Cool ‘n’ Breezy, a Dizzy Gillespie-like North Wind humming a soft jazz tune.  Not far behind follows an ominous Dark Shadow, its purpose unknown.

And in Clauseville, though Christmas Eve creeps closer and closer, Santa sleeps, waiting for the brightness of the Star to signal his ride.  Eego, an ambitious young elf, sees this as an opportunity to take over Santa’s job, but staunch Santa-supporter Jack Elf thinks the Star might be repaired.  No sooner said than Jack finds himself pushed by his elders to get the deed done - by Christmas Eve!

A disappointed and frustrated Eego is transformed by the Dark Shadow into an even more selfish-self.  Taking off in Santa’s sleigh, now blood-red and drawn by eight reindragons, Eego sets out to guarantee Jack’s failure.  He is accompanied by a reluctant Lemmie, a lemming whose predisposition to follow a leader has gotten her deeper into the fray than she wanted to be.

Serendipitously, Jack and Aurora meet and join forces, directed toward the Star by a signpost whose international directional pointers can’t stop arguing about which direction is which, even after Aurora points out that all directions are South from the North Pole.

Augie the Auk, a traveling music hall performer trying to find his way back to New Zealand, joins them on their quest and cheers them with his songs.  After a very close call trying to cross a Troll Bridge over a gaping ice chasm, guarded by the ugliest troll in Trolldom - a close call manufactured by Eego - our trio stops to reconsider its situation.  Though momentarily cowed by the sight of a malevolent Eego (and the Dark Shadow) riding bloodthirsty reindragons across the night sky toward the Star, they remember the stakes at stake and, more determined than ever, bravely press on.

Lighthouse Sally, a cross between Ma Kettle and Long John Silver, sits glumly in a much-mended old rowboat (sky-boat) hovering above an ocean of thick fog.  On the hook of her fishing line sits a very cold, but devoted bit of bait named Wormy who just happens to fish up our trio.  At first cheered that the Star they seek is there, affixed to Sally’s lighthouse in the clouds, the trio’s elation fades with Sally’s news that the Star cannot be repaired.  It has no light of its own, but merely reflects the light in people’s hearts for one another.  No matter how much Sally polishes, the Star just keeps getting dimmer because, she figures, “people don’t care much about anyone but themselves these days.”  Overhearing Sally’s news, Eego sees victory within his grasp and, encouraged by the Shadow, gleefully tosses his cape over the Star, blocking its light entirely.  He has won!  Or has he?

Suddenly, all over the world, stars shining atop Christmas Trees go dark and people turn puzzled and anxious eyes toward each other. Tears begin to appear in the eyes of little children - and the not so young as well.  Hands reach out to clasp other hands, and arms reach around shoulders as people try to comfort one another.  Dogs and cats snuggle together to seek comfort.

Now, a new light of caring begins to glow up from the Earth, rising toward the Star.  The very opportunity our trio needs!  In a series of death-defying and suspenseful struggles, our heroes fight to free the cape-covered Star so it can catch the rising glow.  They try to row Sally’s sky-boat up to the Star, but Eego sinks their boat.  Augie tries to fly up to remove the cape, but remembers he is a flightless bird and falls.  Wormy, riding the fishing line cast by Jack, hooks the cape but Eego holds it fast with his taloned claws.  Lemmie, awakened from her trance by the rising glow, realizes even a devout follower has a right to choose her leader, but what to do?  Then she remembers one of Eego’s weaknesses and starts tickling him.  Eego, laughing, claws desperately at the cape, tearing it to shreds.  Just as the last shred falls from the Star, the glow strikes it and the Star blazes brilliantly as never before!

Struck by the Starlight, Santa bolts from his bed and readies to ride.  Eego, freed from the Shadow of Doubt, which, according to Old Sally, appears when people lose faith in themselves, is persuaded to stay behind and help keep the Star shining.  Triumphant, our heroes bid their good-byes.  Augie resumes his world tour with his new partner, Lemmie.  Jack will return to help Santa. Then, with a light kiss on Jack’s cheek, Aurora departs for home, snuggled in the billowy breezes of jazz humming Cool ‘n’ Windy.

The billowy breezes morph into a puffy pillow and Aurora is back home in bed - was she ever really gone?  In the other room, we hear Aurora’s parents - voices very much like those she heard at the beginning of our story - discussing the miraculous return of the light of the star on the top of their tree.  Of course, as adults they assume it was something wrong in some connection or other, not even knowing how right they are.  Beneath the beautifully decorated and lighted tree we can see dolls that look very much like Jack, Augie, Old Sally, Wormy, Lemmie, and even Eego.

The sound of distant sleigh bells carries our view to the sky where, through a veil of light snow, we can see a tiny sleigh drawn by eight tiny reindeer.  The voice of Cool ‘n’ Windy serenades us with, “Have a Merry!”, a cool jazz Christmas carol, as the scene Fades Out.

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By Ed Schultz, Don Connors, & Mick Posch    © 1994-2009 DCP Communications Group, Ltd. and Don Connors Productions.
All rights reserved worldwide.