Radio City Christmas Spectacular

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The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is an annual show that is held at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. The show is held during the Christmas season. It is seen by more than a million visitors a year. The show uses over 140 performers, lavish costumes and an original musical score. It presents a combination of special effects, music and dance during various acts. Much of the dancing is done by the dance group known as the Rockettes. The show runs for six weeks from November 9 to December 30 and has, over the many years since it was first presented, become an annual tradition in New York at Christmas time.

The Christmas show has grown and changed over the years. It began in 1933 as a show between movie screenings. This was just one year after the opening of the music hall in 1932. The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers and the living Nativity were the show's only acts. Both scenes were developed and choreographed by the Rockettes' founder Russell Markert. In the early years of the play, the acts were directed by him as well.

It was in 1979 that the Christmas show was expanded to ninety minutes to accommodate a number of additional acts. The tradition of the play being a show between movie screenings was dropped. Other acts have been added to the show since. Technology that did not exist in 1933 has also expanded it. Modern machinery has made possible many of the special effects as well as the show's opening 3-D movie.

The show is now presented throughout the United States in cities such as Chicago, IL, Des Moines, IA, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Tampa, FL, Phoenix, AZ and Costa Mesa, CA. The Christmas Spectacular “Tour” started in Branson, Missouri. The Rockettes, originally named the Missouri Rockets literally returned home for the extravaganza. The beautiful 4,000 seat Grand Palace Theatre hosted the event in 1994 and was so successful it launched the tour in other cities. The show was in conjunction with Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation and lasted from 1994-2003

Contents

[edit] Outline

Note: This outline is for the 2007 75th Celebration show only. Another out line of the 2008 show is coming soon!

The Christmas Spectacular begins with a performance from the Radio City Rockettes performing the new opening number called "Ring Out Those Bells". Before the song is over, Santa appears on stage and they have lift off. Once they lift off it is time for the 3-D movie where the audience sees Santa Claus flying to New York City from the North Pole in his magic sleigh. Once he arrives there, we see him flying in his sleigh around some of New York City's landmarks. The sights include the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. We see Santa heading towards the Radio City Music Hall, for his annual visit. When watching this film, it is important to wear the 3-D glasses that the Music Hall gives to its patrons.

Once Santa arrives at the Music Hall, the movie ends and the show really begins. Santa appears on stage and acts as host. His first act as host is to introduce the Rockettes. The dance group then performs their recently added opening number "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (Rock and Dance Version).

Santa than announces the act called "Every little girl's dream", which is a scene from The Nutcracker. The scene involves a little girl dreaming about opening her presents on Christmas Day, and dancing with the six-foot tall toy bears and rabbits that she finds in the unwrapped boxes.

Next is one of the show's original acts from 1933, "The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers", again performed by the Rockettes. The toy soldier costumes worn in the act are the same design as the original 1933 performance, although each costume is made for the individual dancer.

The next dance number starts with The Rockettes out in front of Radio City with a big double decker tour bus. They go all over New York on the bus singing the new number "New York at Christmas". The bus arrives at Times Square where the Rockettes finish off their dance with on-stage fireworks.

The next act is where Santa is on a street corner where two boys, Ben and Patrick, come up to Santa. Ben asks Santa for help to find a present for their sister. Patrick claims that it isn't Santa. But Santa influences Patrick that it is the real deal wit the number "I See Santas' Everywhere". Then they take off on a blizzard to the North Pole.

At the North Pole, Santa arrives with Ben and Patrick. Santa says for them to find a gift in the warehouse. He says "When it is really the right gift, you don't find the gift... the gift finds you.". Then the Rockettes perform the number "The Ragdolls".

It is time for liftoff. Santa and his reindeer (Rockettes) take off on Christmas Eve to deliver the presents. Ben and Patrick magically return home.

The final act is the "Living Nativity", one of the shows original acts. Special effects are used to dramatise the birth of Christ. This has a whole new narration from Ben and Patrick reading to their sister. The act is also called "One Solitary Life".

The show ends with a show stopping number called "Let Christmas Shine" where everything is silver. The audience is asked to turn on the lights, to light up the theatre, that the theatre employees gave them on their way to their seat.

[edit] Sherman Brothers/Lawrence Welk connection

In the mid 1980s, the Sherman Brothers song, "Christmas In Los Angeles" was added to the classic revue. The song, published by Lawrence Welk was first commissioned by Welk for his 1980 Christmas TV special.

[edit] Sources

  • Sherman, Robert B. (1998). Walt's Time: From Before to Beyond. Santa Clarita, Calif.: Camphor Tree. ISBN 0-9646059-3-7. 
  • Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes program guide
  • The Radio City Rockettes: A dance through time. Published by Msg entertainment 2006
  • Christmas in New York:A Pop-Up Book By Chuck Fischer. Published by Bullfinch Press

[edit] External links