Radio City Christmas Spectacular - One-of-a-Kind X-Mas Experience
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular has been entertaining kids and kids-at-heart annually for over 7 decades now. With production values lavish enough to make the grandest mega-musical look skimpy, this annual extravaganza scoffs at the notion that less is more. From the opening 3-D movie to the closing tableaux with live camels and sheep, the appropriately named ‘Spectacular’ succeeds through excess. The Rockettes stage a mass attack on your senses as synchronized wooden soldiers.
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is annually held at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. Held during the Christmas season, the show is seen by more than a million visitors a year. The show uses over 140 performers, lavish costumes and an original musical score and 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 6 weeks from November 9 to December 30.
Evolution of the Christmas Spectacular
Since its inception in 1933, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular has evolved a lot, each passing year giving it a more lavish and grand status. It began as a show between movie screenings. 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 Markeit. 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 90 minutes to accommodate a number of additional acts. Other acts have been added to the show since. Modern machinery has made possible many of the special effects as well as the show’s opening 3-D movie.
An overview of the show
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular begins with a 3-D movie where Santa Claus flies to New York City from the North Pole in his magic sleigh. 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. Santa than announces the act called ‘Every little girl’s dream’, which is a scene from ‘The Nutcracker’. Next is one of the show’s original acts from 1933, ‘The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers’, again performed by the Rockettes. The next dance number starts with Santa reading a letter from one of the children who wants to know how Santa can deliver so many presents all over the world in one night and a musical explanation follows.
The next act is called ‘Dance of the Snowflakes’, which celebrates the wonders and beauties of a snowy New York Christmas season. The scene uses a Fifth Avenue store window recreated for the show, dancing snow flakes and live ice skaters. The next two acts are humorous tours of Santa’s toy delivery operation and his workshop. We get to meet Mrs. Claus and all of Santa’s elves. The couple shows off their use of mobile phones and fax machines. Santa ends the act by adding that an old fashioned letter is still the best way to talk to him.
The final act is the ‘Living Nativity’, one of the shows original acts. Special effects are used to dramatize the birth of Christ. Voice-over narration describes his life and the effect that he has had on history. The act is also called ‘One Solitary Life’.
In a nut shell, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular has something for everyone. Looking for high tech? You have an ice-skating rink that floats up from the orchestra pit. Looking for dark undertones? A chorus of midgets surrounding Mrs. Claus while singing ‘You’ll get yours’ delivers it. Looking for religion? A posed reenactment of the Nativity with a grandiose voice-over that sounds like the voice of God is there. Looking for seasonal cheer? Be at the Radio City Christmas Spectacular!
Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets at TICKETFINDER.com™
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is truly a must see for everyone. No holiday season is complete without taking the family to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Grab all the Christmas cheer here and turn your holiday into an unforgettable experience. TICKETFINDER.com™ brings you exclusive Radio City Christmas Spectacular tickets which come with free shipping and lowest price guarantee options.
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