A special guest post by Role Mommy Writer’s Network contributor Kimberly Vetrano, founder of She Scribes
Whether you are a native New Yorker or someone who enjoys visiting the “Big Apple,” it’s hard to deny that New York City is the place to be during the holiday season. From the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade to New Year’s Eve in Times Square, New York City is the place to be.
If you find yourself in New York City during the holidays you should take time to visit and enjoy many of the popular destinations like the holiday tree and ice skaters in Rockefeller Center, the holiday widow displays on 5th Avenue and stopping by Santaland at Macy’s to tell Santa Claus what you want for Christmas.
Another thing you should do while in New York City is pick up tickets for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. It’s truly amazing to see. Even if you saw the Christmas Spectacular years ago you should go again. My family and I were fortunate to see the Christmas Spectacular five years ago. We recently saw it again and noticed many differences than the last time we saw it.
We recently went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I felt like a little kid anxiously waiting for Christmas morning as I counted down the days until we went to see the show. Even my hard to impress teenagers were looking forward to seeing the show.
The theater was packed as you could imagine. We saw people of all ages. The beauty of this show is that people both young and old will find something about the Christmas Spectacular that resonates with them. The little ones go crazy when Santa appears on stage. Others might find the Nativity scene especially moving and powerful. I know I do.
There is a lot to see in the theater’s lobby. If you go I hope you’ll take some time to check out the beautiful architecture and the jaw dropping chandelier that hangs high in the center of the lobby.
There are plenty of souvenirs and snacks available both on the main lobby and downstairs.
The restrooms are located downstairs. The line can be VERY long, especially after the show is over, but it moves very quickly. There are attendants in the ladies room who keep things moving along.
I would suggest a meeting place should you have several people in your group so you know where to find everyone when you are done using the facilities.
When you are ready to take your seat in the theater there are plenty of people to help you find your seat. The seats are comfortable to sit in too.
I love the theater. It’s HUGE! Not only that it would appear that most seats in the theater are considered “good seats”. We’ve had the chance to sit both upfront and towards the middle of the theater further back and we could see everything just fine.
The spectacular started off with the orchestra playing some holiday music and giant snowflakes dancing across the theater ceiling and walls.
When the big man himself, Santa, makes his appearance the audience goes crazy – especially the little children. We were seated by little kids and they all started to shout Santa! Santa! with HUGE smiles on their faces when they saw Santa walk on to the stage. I think plenty of grown-ups were equally as excited (I know I was).
Santa welcomes everyone to Radio City then introduces the world famous Radio City Rockettes.
If you have never seen the Rockettes perform you are in for a treat. They are so in tune with each other and their precision is spot on. It blows my mind how they can do that. Not one of them is ever out of step.
What follows is a series of holiday themed vignettes performed by the Rockettes and other dancers.
My husband asked me which is my favorite. It’s so hard to narrow it down. The Nativity is breathtaking with the angel flying in the sky the parade of travelers heading off to Jerusalem to see the newborn king. There are even REAL camels and sheep on stage.
I also LOVE when the Rockettes travel around popular spots in New York City on a bus, even stopping by Central Park where the audience gets to watch a couple skate on real ice right there on the stage.
I also love their portrayal of the Nutcracker. The teddy bear with the big pink lips cracks me up. In addition nothing is more amazing than watching the Rockettes do their impression of wooden soldiers.
There is also a 3D element to the show. In the very beginning, Santa takes the audience on a sleigh ride with him into New York City. Each person is given 3D glasses to enjoy this segment. It’s fun to see things coming at you like presents and geese.
I cannot rave about the Christmas Spectacular enough. Young and old alike can delight in this experience. And it’s truly that – an experience. You just don’t sit there and watch performers. You are immersed in the entire show. You feel like you are a part of it.
When the show is over it’s just a brief walk over to Rockefeller Center to see the world famous Christmas Tree and take in the sights and sounds of the New York City at Christmas time.
If you live in the New York City area, or are planning a trip there, there are still tickets available for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.RadioCityChristmas.com. You can also check out the Christmas Spectacular on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Have you seen the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City?
Role Mommy 3.0