Yesterday afternoon I went with a group of eight women to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes at the Wang Center downtown. I have warm, wonderful memories of going to the Wang as a kid. My mother took us to countless musicals and we always loved getting dressed up and riding the green line T into the city.
I had never seen the Rockettes before but it seemed like a happy, fun, uplifting way to celebrate the holiday season. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and I started to get nervous when most of the people filing into the theater were families with very young children.
The show kicked off (pun intended) with a great dance number where the ladies were dressed as reindeer (in very impressive costumes). The first number was whimsical and energized the audience for the next few numbers. Over the course of the first act the dances got increasingly more energetic and the costumes seemed to get exponentially more sparkly!
The show was so enchanting and I wish I could have taken video to share with you! The kick lines were magnificent. Such well practiced, precise dancing. The dance of the toy soldiers was a major highlight. The skill to move in tight, locked, unison like that - wow!
I also loved the abridged version of the nutcracker that the dancers performed. If you haven't seen the Nutcracker you might not have understood the humor in the number, but it was hysterical.
There were also some fantastic costumes, most notably the poinsettia and rag doll costumes. Its amazing how much weight those ladies can balance on their heads!
The show is two hours, start to finish, with a fifteen minute intermission. It is such a pleasure to watch that the performance flies by. If you have a young niece or a nephew, this is the perfect holiday gift. I guarantee they will fall in love with this show.
One caveat, the final number in the show is a re-enactment of the nativity. If for any reason you are offended by a blatant religious push, you may want to stay away, or at least close your eyes and cover your ears. After such a light hearted show I wasn't expecting such a serious, preaching end note.
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is playing through December 29th at the Wang Center. Buy your tickets here.
