Let Christmas Shine

On Tuesday night, gendance was lucky enough to feel the magic of the holiday classic, Radio City Christmas Spectacular. We saw the Rockettes perform dressed as reindeer and rag dolls, and of course in their signature Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. New this year, we took a 3-D sleigh ride with Santa from the North Pole to the doors of Radio City Music Hall. From the tour of Manhattan on the double-decker bus to the beautiful live version of the Christmas story, it's clear that the Radio City Christmas Spectacular has kept the tradition of Christmas alive while adding a contemporary twist with new technological advances.



Here are some fun facts you may not know about this world-renowned Christmas tradition:

- More than 1,200 colorful costumes are worn in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Each of the Radio City Rockettes must change costumes eight times during each show and in a few of the changeovers, they have as little as 78 seconds in which to change their costumes.

- The double-decker bus seen in the brand new scene "New York at Christmas" weighs an astounding 7 tons and is 34 feet long, 12 feet high. In the course of the 8 week run, it will travel approximately 37 miles onstage. Off-stage, the bus hangs 23 feet in the air at stage left for storage!

- 1400 pairs of pantyhose adorn The Rockettes' world-famous legs during the 8-week run.

- During the 8-week run, the animals drink 450 bottles of water and eat 340 bales of hay and 560 loaves of 7-grain bread.

- Wardrobe goes through over 30,000 red dots pre season to brighten the cheeks of the Rockettes during the "Rag Doll" and "Wooden Soldier" numbers.

- Among the Rockettes, chorus and Santa, more than 1,200 pairs of shoes are worn per show.

- Two of the most cherished scenes in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular are the "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" and the "Living Nativity"- both of which have been part of Radio City's holiday tradition since they were first performed on the Great Stage in 1933.

To the next generation: We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year!