Holidailies 29

Boy, they really go all out in New York! The Christmas Spectacular is very aptly named -- from the amazing stage, sets, and costumes, to the onstage ice-skating and camels, I've never seen anything like it.

Of course, the stars of the show are the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. They appeared as toy soldiers, Santa Clauses, lingerie models, reindeer, and Christmas ladies in green velvet dresses. They kicked up high and got the crowd cheering every time. My favorite parts were the dance of the many Santas, and the reindeer number (which also featured guys in Lederhosen, lounging around in the background!).

Almost the entire show was about Santa, and Christmas in New York, but at the end they constructed a living nativity tableau onstage, with real live animals (sheep, ponies, and camels). Strangely enough, what it reminded me of most was the Krippen in the Bavarian National Museum.

I find Radio City to be one of the most beautiful theaters I've seen, with its art deco interiors (even down to the bathrooms). The lighting there is so beautiful that even though some of my pictures turned out blurry, I'm going to share them below.

1. Ice skaters in Rockefeller Center, before the show.
2. Radio City by day, with the "toy soldiers" falling down on the marquee.
3. Big balls across the street from Radio City Music Hall.
4. The orchestra traveled the stage thanks to a special moving platform.
5. How does Santa deliver all those toys at once? He gets a little help... from himself.
6. More dancing Santas.
7. The living Nativity.
8. After the show.
9. I had a very good time. (And yes, I'm holding two of those bags for someone else!)

We finished up the evening with dinner at Victor's Cafe, a Cuban restaurant. What a fun day!