Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular

        I know what you're thinking. Christmas was over a month ago. You are correct, it was, and The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is long gone. As I explained in my last blog, I took about two months off from writing so I have a lot of shows to catch up on. One of them the Christmas show.

       The first time I saw The Radio City Christmas Spectacular I was 10 years old. It was December of 1994. The show was a full two act, nearly two hour and forty five minute extravaganza. My memories of that first encounter are quite grand. This year, I wanted to experience that thrill of Christmas again so I took (dragged) my husband to this years show.

       Some things never change. The Radio City Christmas show isn't one of them. This years show (the show changes roughly every four years) is both high tech and nostalgic. The Rockettes are truly a sight to behold. Their synchronicity is astounding. No matter how many times you may have seen the Toy Soldier routine on TV it's utterly remarkable live on stage. The Living Nativity is also a very powerful moment in the show.

        To appeal to a new younger generation, the newest incarnation features moments in 3D where the audience is required to put on glasses. One of these moments is a sequence called Santa's video game, which actually isn't as bad as I had thought that it would be. Over all the 3D cheapens the show. Isn't live theater supposed to be in 3D anyhow?

        Overall I'm glad that we went to see the show because it was a fun way to get into the Christmas spirit. In addition to being more "hi tech" this version of the show is a lean 90 minutes or so without any intermission. I wouldn't see the show every year, but I'm sure some time in the next decade I'll get a whiff of nostalgia again and beg my husband to take me back to see The Radio City Christmas Show.

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