European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse The rockette get a leg up on the holidays with we need a Little Christmas the opening number of the radio City Christmas spectacular in new York City still gets a kick from Rockett Esby Sid Schapiro radio City a precision dancing High kicking rockette Are decking the music Hall in new York City and its looking a lot like Christmas. For six decades the rockette have been the Linchpin of a 90-minute yuletide extravaganza a sporting Zippy Santa inspired costumes. Since 1933, another ageless source of Christmas show lore the living nativity finale has witnessed All manner of onstage animal High Jinks from Puppy whelping to Camel spitting. The Christmas spectacular As the pageantry is billed is off on a 179-performance run that is expected to pull a million people into the 6,000-seat music Hall before it ends Jan. 6. Driven by Energy and verve the spectacular is a mad dash through the Holiday season. It tosses together everything from a readers digest enactment of Dickens a Christmas Carol to an abbreviated version of Tchaikovsky a the Nutcracker. The Tchaikovsky number is performed by humans costumed As bears plus the rockette who give new meaning to the word precision with a show stopping March through the Parade of the wooden soldiers. Not to be overlooked Are romantic evocations of new York City from the Deco tip of the Chrysler building to prometheus and the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center to the skating Ponds of Central Park and the scores of carols and hymns and pealing Bells. Of course there Are the rockette dancing and playing xylophones attached to the backs of one another a costumes the huge orchestra delivering the essence of the season As its pit glides up Down and behind the stage a new number Santa a toy factory which features assorted elves Santa and the rockette disguised As Orange haired rag dolls and the nativity scene that brings the show to its reverent Climax amid sheep camels donkeys Wise men dramatic lighting and gleaming stars Over the holy land of Long ago. As enamoured As radio City music Hall is of tradition marking its 60th edition of the Christmas spectacular the Art Deco venue also is trying to keep up with the times. Aside from the scenes handful of rap lines Santa a toy factory really targets Young audiences through its presentation. Taking a Cue from Nintendo visual bombardment is the Rule. On a screen the Width and height of the stage the audience Peers Over Reindeer Heads watching the sled Glide Over the statue of Liberty under the Brooklyn Bridge and a inexplicably a behind the Essex House to finally alight atop the music Hall. Santa then emerges from behind a curtain of steam along with a coterie of rocket and skateboard Riding elves for a choreographed number that uses All the stages elevators and turntables. It culminates in a chorus line of rag doll rockette and a laser beam Christmas tree. Rapping santas and Wannabe elves notwithstanding the real reason the music Hall has managed to pack them in for decades it be radio City without the rockette who were actually born in 1925 when 16 precision dancers debuted in St. Louis As the a Missouri they became the a prox Yetter Quot and finally the rockette a 36 pretty maids All in a Row. A girls that precision was off wrong girls you re late with your kicks a Bellows Violet Holmes who has been with the rockette for 47 years first As a dancer and now As senior choreographer. Holding a microphone Holmes strides Back and Forth across the Broad stage Barking reprimands and demonstrating Steps to dancers dressed in sweat shirts and leggings. They must learn a Complex series of dance routines and kicks with military like precision and perform them in up to five 90-Minutc shows a Day. As the decades passed a radio City spokesman said a the music Hall was affected by the changing Economy Competition from other Heaters from to from the proliferation of suburban in 1978, the City s leadership decided to demolish the great theater and turn it into office space. But there was such a Public outcry that the music Hall was Given landmark status and saved from extinction. Still changes had to be in the showplace a a operation to keep it going. And so in 1979, radio City music Hall productions was formed a and helped change the direction of the famous showplace. Concerts were booked Frank Sinatra Stevie wonder the who Liza Minnelli and Eddie Murphy were among the stars who worked the big stage. Except for special events films were no longer shown. The company produced shows for the 100th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower the 50th anniversary of mount Rushmore the super bowl halftime show in 1988 with 88 grand pianos the rockette and a cast of 2,500. The next super bowl show will Star Michael Jackson. The unusual mix at the Hall has included the Moscow circus management conferences the grammy awards ceremony shareholder meetings graduation exercises medical conventions and David Letterman to specials. And even a in the grand foyer a a wedding with the couples name on the marquee. The Centrepieces continue to be the big shows with their spectacular dance numbers featuring the rockette. The music Hall itself has become a must see attraction a 275 million visitors so far. Sid Schapiro is a stars and St pos no York Bureau Ruti Roo december 6, 1992 sunday a Page 7
