Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Radio City Christmas Spectacular
Company	MSG Entertainment
Genre	Musical
Show type	Annual holiday production
Date of premiere	December 21, 1933
Location	New York City Touring
Creative team
Director and Choreographer	Linda Haberman
Writer and Lyricist	Mark Waldrop
Composers	Gary Adler Mark Hummel Michael Patrick Walker
Set Designer	Patrick Fahey
Costume Designer	Frank Krenz
Sound Designer	Dan Gerhard
Lighting Designer	David Agress
Musical Director	Gary Adler
Official website

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is an annual musical holiday stage show presented at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The show features over 140 performers, lavish sets and costumes and an original musical score. The 90 minute revue combines singing, dancing and humor with traditional scenes in spectacular stage settings. The star performers are the women's precision dance troupe known as the Rockettes. Since the first version was presented in 1933, the show has become a New York Christmas tradition seen by more than a million visitors a year.

In 2011, the show ran from November 11 until January 2, 2012. Titled The Rockettes Magical Journey, the show incorporated into the production new production numbers including a new 3D Live scene as well as new scenes and songs.

History

The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show began in 1933 when the Music Hall presented lavish live stage shows along with the latest Hollywood feature films. The first Christmas show was produced December 21, 1933, along with the RKO musical movie Flying Down to Rio and The Night Before Christmas, a Walt Disney Silly Symphony, and ran for two weeks. This was just one year after the opening of the Music Hall in 1932. The show was created by the Music Hall's stage producer Leon Leonidoff and designer Vincente Minnelli. It consisted of an overture with Erno Rapee and the Radio City Symphony; a solo on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ; a performance by Jan Peerce; a Toy Shop Ballet; The Rockettes' performance of "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers", choreographed by their founder, Russell Markert; and "The Living Nativity". These last two scenes have continued in every edition of the annual show up to the present day. The Christmas show, like all the Radio City stage shows, continued to be produced and choreographed by Leonidoff and Markert through the early decades of the Music Hall's history. Later, Peter Gennaro and others produced the annual show.

In 1979, after the Music Hall ceased showing feature films, the Christmas show was transformed from a 30-minute stage feature into a stand-alone 90-minute show. It incorporated many new scenes and additional acts have since been regularly added. Technology that did not exist in 1933 has been incorporated to bring the show up to date with many special effects, including the 3-D film which now opens the show.

A corresponding Spring show, the Radio City Spring Spectacular, replacing the annual Radio City Easter show, was produced from 1979 to 1997. It included the popular traditional "Easter Parade" number with the Rockettes.

In addition to the Christmas show's annual production at Radio City, road companies have presented a touring version in theaters throughout the United States. The first Christmas Spectacular outside of Radio City was presented in Branson, Missouri at the Grand Palace Theatre in 1994. The Rockettes, having been originally founded in St. Louis (where they were called the Missouri Rockets), literally returned home for the extravaganza. The successful show launched a national tour the following year. The original touring show was presented in conjunction with Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation and ran from 1994 to 2003. In 2008, a new tour consisting of the 2007 edition was launched, playing at selected theaters and arena venues around the country.

In 2007, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Christmas show, an entirely new edition of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular was updated, designed and choreographed under the direction of Linda Haberman. For a brief time it was one of the few shows playing in New York in December, 2007, during a strike which closed most Broadway theaters. This edition of the show was filmed and has been released on DVD (see below).

The Show

A packed Radio City Music Hall before the show starts

The Rockettes

Synopsis

"The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers"

"New York at Christmas"

"Let Christmas Shine"

The 2011 program is titled The Rockettes Magical Journey!, and includes an updated 3DLIVE scene, new musical numbers and well-known scenes such as the Parade of Wooden Soldiers and the Living Nativity. The program's story focuses on the Rockettes as they enter the Northern Forest to the castle of the Humbug King who has stolen toys from Santa Claus’ workshop.

Musical Numbers

"The Living Nativity"

• "Sleigh Ride" - Through the snowy mist of a magical Northern Forest, the Rockettes are revealed as Santa’s reindeer, intent on flying to New York City
• "Santa Flies to New York" - A 3-D animated scene involving Santa’s sleigh ride eventually arrives at the Radio City Music Hall.
• "The Twelve Days of Christmas" - Santa brings up the Music hall curtain on a rhythmic, rousing version of the beloved carol.
• "The Nutcracker" - A sparkling new look at the Christmas classic – a cherished story of childhood dreams coming true.
• "The Parade of Wooden Soldiers" - An updated version of the original parade.
• "New York at Christmas" - The Rockettes board a customized double-decker bus for a whirlwind holiday tour of Manhattan.
• "Department Store" - Santa meets a young girl and her mother who are searching for a certain hard-to-find gift.
• "Here Comes Santa Claus" - How does Santa do it year after year? He can be everywhere.
• "Closer Than You Know" - The girl and her mother visit the North Pole, the home of Santa’s busy workshop and find the gift.
• "Santa's Video Game" - Humbugs have kidnapped the toys from Santa’s workshop. The Rockettes embark on a journey to save Christmas.
• "Closer Than I Knew" - The Mom is reminded that sometimes the best gift of all is right there all along.
• "Let Christmas Shine" - The true lights of Christmas come from within. The Rockettes are joined by the entire company in a message of hope and love.
• "The Living Nativity" - The final part of the musical about the birth of Jesus Christ.
• "Joy To The World" - Lend your voice as we celebrate the arrival of this happiest of seasons.

Curtain call

Recordings

Video

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular Starring the Rockettes

Released by Time Life Entertainment on November 4, 2008, the DVD features the complete 75th Celebration edition of the show, filmed in 2007. A two disc version also includes a behind-the-scenes documentary called Diamond at the Rock. A 30 minute special version premiered on NBC December 1, 2007, hosted by Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira.

Christmas at Radio City Music Hall

Produced by HBO in 1986, the show was at the time titled "The Magnificent Christmas Spectacular". The special was hosted by Joel Grey and included highlights of the Christmas show along with special performances from Leslie Uggams, Peggy Fleming and Robin Cousins. The special has never been released to the public commercially, but clips of it can be viewed on YouTube.

Audio

The Radio City Rockettes Sing Your Christmas Favorites (Mega Media, 2008)

Produced by Grammy award winner John Porter.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Sony, 2000)

A cast recording of the music from the 1999 and 2000 shows, recorded in 2000.

Track listing
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Overture"	3:05
2.	"Santa's Gonna Rock and Roll"	2:43
3.	"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"	2:53
4.	"First Letter/Parade of the Wooden Soldiers"	5:07
5.	"Second Letter/Here Comes Santa Claus"	5:27
6.	"Third Letter/White Christmas in New York"	14:32
7.	"The Man With the Bag"	1:56
8.	"Toyland Ball"	3:15
9.	"Welcome Christmas"	2:22
10.	"Jing-A-Ling/The Reindeer Dance/The Fly-Away"	5:28
11.	"The Living Nativity"	9:56

Radio City Music Hall Presents Songs of Christmas (Sony, 1991)

The 1990 edition of the show.

Christmas Holidays at Radio City Music Hall (CCD, 1958, out of print)

Featuring: Raymond Paige and the Radio City Music Hall Symphony, Richard Leibert at the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, and the Radio City Music Hall Choral Ensemble.

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

External links

Media related to Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Wikimedia Commons

• Radio City Christmas Spectacular website
• The Radio City Christmas Spectacular 2008 DVD release information on Amazon.com