Raio City Music hall - Spring Spectacular

[edjames]

Friends insisted I join them for the spring show at the venerable Radio City Music Call, starring Derek Hough, Laura Benanti and the high kicking precision of the Rockettes.

Much to my surprise the show has some great moments. Derek and Laura and both very good and who knew Derek could sing? He's every bit as cute and talented as he is on DWTS. (Damn that TRO! Still in effect for another 3 years!!! LOL...)

The Rockettes are always amazing and prove why they are a NYC institution.

The animated graphics, lighting and costumes are great.

This is a homage to NYC and it's great to see The NY Public Library on Fifth Avenue's lions come to life, same too for the paintings at The Met, Central Park's Alice and Wonderland statue, and other NY tourist spots like Grand Central and the Empire State Building.

The show runs a brisk 90 minutes and is full of wonderful song and dance. The Radio City Orchestra lead by Patrick Vaccariello is wonderful.

The downside is that it is full of tourists who talk throughout, snap photos and take videos throughout (doesn't anyone listen to the announcement???) and is FULL of KIDS. I'm not talking 7 or 8 year olds, I'm talking babies, some of who wailed their little heads off. Why, or why do you take an infant to the theater? The remainder of the audience were those with oversized backpacks and shopping bags, and of course, my fave were the ladies from places like Texas who brought out the bling, the shoes and the cocktail dresses for their day out.

If your a tourist, this is a must see event while visiting the city. Show ends May 3rd at which time Derek will be exhausted from his double duty flying across the country for this show and DWTS.

 

Derek returns to RC July 9 in the Move on Tour stage production.

[skynyc]

Ed has really nailed it. I saw this on Easter...which was a lot of fun, since the Easter bunny is prevalent in the show. I went on a lark since it was on tdf. And we all loved it. The script is very hokey, but in a word...the title got it right...show is spectacular.

 

What they do with lights and screens and technology is amazing...and (SPOILERS) the whole premise of the show is the advantages of live action vs. digital entertainment. Salute to sports is a brilliant nod to all the dads/husbands/boyfriends who have been dragged to the show, and salute to fashion has one of the most extraordinary costume effects I have ever seen. My friend leaned over and said...there's my ticket price, right there.

 

Derek Hough and Laura Benanti and the whole cast are great, but it really is ALL ABOUT the Rockettes!!!! The opening segment in Grand Centra is beautiful, and looks just like the real thing. The Ellis Island segment and the New York on film segments both put lumps in my throat. (Note: if you're going specifically for Mr. Hough, he is contractually out some days....)

 

Particulars: I got my ticket on tdf for $45 and was in the last row of the orchestra, but in the center, on the aisle. Seats were actually pretty great because it allowed us to enjoy the scope of the show. I spoke with an usher about the folks with cameras, and was told the announcement does only specifically request no "FLASH" photography, but that they cannot stop folks from video-ing. She actually said: "It's good publicity."

Runs through 5/3 and ticket prices are all over the places...as are discounts. There are between 8 and 14 shows a week...at varying hours.

Who's it for? EVERY tourist, or tourist at heart. Every person who has a soft spot for our great city, and has ever watched the Thanksgiving Day parade, or seen the city from the Empire State Building, or met someone at the Alice in Wonderland statue in Central Park.

And I will probably go again before it closes on May 3rd.

[edjames]

And, a word of advice...if you are planning on a discounted seat that is in rear orchestra or upstairs, for goodness sakes, please being a pair of binoculars! LOL

 

ED

[foxy]

Saw this last night. Wound up in 4th row, first mezzanine for $47. I really loved the show. Okay I could have done without the Easter bunny but they are appealing to families with kids. Still there was plenty of stage magic that kept things rolling. The light up bracelets that everyone is given were pretty terrific. I don't know why I returned mine. The audience was well behaved. Derek is really, really good. I figured he was lip synching but after the Singing in the Rain number he was a bit out of breath so he was singing live. I remember seeing a similar routine many years ago when they had a rain storm on the stage and I was impressed all over again. It is amazing what they can do with that place. Seeing the orchestra roll across the stage and descend into the pit knocks me out. Still it's the Rockettes which is what it's all about as skynyc says. I'd really like to see it again also and would definitely recommend it. Lots of fun. Plus the theater itself is an Art Deco jewel and we don't have too many of those around. I wish they would have played something on the organ that always made the place shake.

[edjames]

BEWARE!

Derek is OUT of the show (temporarily?)

 

 

Derek Hough is temporarily out at “Spring Spectacular” at Radio City after suffering an injury rehearsing for the “Dancing With the Stars” anniversary show Monday in LA.

 

“Performing 10 shows a week at Radio City while rehearsing with Nastia [Liukin] for ‘DWTS,’ I’ve never felt more healthy, strong and fit,” he wrote on Instagram Wednesday. “Then a fluke accident happened that involved a light and some stairs . . . I’m doing everything I possibly can to have a quick recovery.”

 

A rep for Hough confirms he suffered a broken toe, sprains to his left ankle and a bone bruise.

 

He’ll be in rehab in LA this week, with an understudy filling in for him at Radio City. It’s “unclear” if he’ll appear on the “DWTS” anniversary.

[foxy]

I'm glad I got to see Derek perform just in the nick of time. But I think about understudies who are usually as talented as the stars but lack the big name and perform to a disappointed or exiting audience. But that's show biz.