Before I stumbled across the Rockettes on the Internet, I had never really given them much thought. Like most people, I had a fuzzy mental image of a chorus line high-kicking on-stage. But a clip of their Christmas Spectacular show on Radio City Music Hall’s Web site sold me immediately. Dancing Santa Clauses, a full-on Nativity scene with the Jesus clan and live camels, and 36 sparkly-costumed women spun into one heartwarming family production? Christmas doesn’t get any better than this.

I decided to go during my trip to New York not only because I delight in holiday kitsch, but because I wanted to see Radio City Music Hall itself. The Rockettes have been performing their Christmas Spectacular here for over 75 years. Since the theatre opened in 1932 in the midst of the Great Depression, 65 million people have seen the show.

In today’s economic climate, the theatre’s resilience resonates more than ever. It’s part of the Rockefeller Center complex, developed by John D. Rockefeller Jr. After the stock market crashed in 1929 and his original opera-house project fell through, Rockefeller went against pessimistic real-estate predictions and forged ahead on his own dime. The 19-building complex now covers almost nine hectares of midtown Manhattan.

Radio City debuted in hard times, and was almost shuttered in 1978 because of renewed financial hardship. But at the last minute, it was saved by being awarded official landmark status by the city. Completely restored in 1999, it still represents the ultimate in entertainment glamour—and that goes doubly when the Rockettes are on-stage.

When I arrive in New York just before American Thanksgiving, the city is in full holiday swing. Shops on Fifth Avenue are lit up like Times Square, with twinkling bulbs framing Tiffany’s, dripping from Cartier, and shimmering over Saks. It shouldn’t be such a surprise that the city is so spirited. New York at Christmas is as iconic as the Rockettes, and together they have been courting tourists with up to five shows a day since early November.

The afternoon of the show, I go on a Stage Door Tour to learn more about the theatre. Our guide, Eric, explains that Radio City is one of the largest theatres in the world and seats up to 6,000 people. (Great, I think. My ticket is for the third-to-last row.) He assures us that although there are three mezzanines, due to its gently curving design there’s not a bad seat in the house. In fact, he says, the cheapest seats have the advantage of a great overview of the whole theatre, which is designed to mimic the sun setting over an ocean liner. (Great! My ticket is for the third-to-last row!)

Walking through a labyrinth of hallways backstage, we pass concert posters and celebrity portraits of famous Radio City performers like Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett. More current faces include Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder, and Billy Crystal. The images span decades, right up to Céline Dion, Oasis, k.d. lang, Jessica Simpson, and Josh Groban.

After peeking into a room where costumers make the Rockettes’ outfits, we enter a spacious art deco suite with cherrywood walls and a 20-foot-high gold-leaf ceiling. Eric explains that it was built for Samuel L. “Roxy” Rothafel, the music hall’s original producer, but performers have always used it as a greenroom and reception area. “If you name a celebrity from 1933 to today, they’ve been in here,” Eric says, rattling off stars like Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Elton John, Janet Jackson, and Beyoncé as examples. If these walls could talk, indeed.

But what about the real stars? Originally the Missouri Rockets, the group was renamed the Roxyettes and finally the Rockettes in 1934. Eric tells us that there are actually two casts of 36 Rockettes that perform at Radio City today: one for morning shows, one for evening. Touring casts visit other American cities, but those boast just 18 to 20 dancers. Only Radio City’s stage—at 44 metres, as long as a city block—can accommodate the full contingent.

He then herds us into a small room, ensuring that we stand well back from a closed door, for the “highlight” of the tour. On cue, out walks a Rockette, who introduces herself as Melissa. Dressed in a high-necked, puffy-sleeved green velvet body suit with a huge silver Christmas ball tucked behind her ear, she looks more Santa’s elf than icon. But she’s got a dazzling smile and that Rockette pep down pat. In a short, very practised address, she tells us that Rockettes are trained in jazz, tap, and ballet. They must stand between five-foot-six and five-foot-ten-and-a-half-inches tall. To create the illusion of identical height, the tallest woman is placed in the middle, and the rest are arranged on either side of her in descending order of height. Before the season starts, they rehearse for four to six weeks, six days a week, for seven hours a day. Each woman dances 16 shows per week, averaging two or three shows a day.

I’m impressed by the gruelling schedule and want to learn more, but the questions are cut short by a quick photo op, and then we’re back in the stairwell again, heading down to the lobby.

The grand entrance hall is unabashedly retro, and charms with its elegance. Interior designer Donald Deskey’s art deco influence is everywhere, in the curved edges, geometric touches, and use of glass, aluminum, and chrome. Even the restrooms are fabulous, Eric says, advising us to check out as many as we can.

When the tour is over, I head to the loo. Entering the “Ladies Lounge”, I find myself in a 1930s time warp. There’s a gracious sitting area with period armchairs, and circular mirrors hang above rows of makeup tables. I apply lipstick in front of one and think of the generations of women who have primped here. Before moving on, I dry my hands on a pedal-pump hand dryer that still works, albeit not very efficiently.

That night, I’m as impressed by the show as I am by the theatre. Although I was initially attracted to the cheesy nature of the production, I’m quickly dazzled by it. In 90 minutes, the Rockettes dance as reindeer, Santa Clauses, and rag dolls. Dressed as toy soldiers, they fall back on one another domino-style. In silver costumes beaded with Swarovski crystals, they are every bit as glamorous as their billing, and it’s thrilling to watch them spanning the stage in one long line, executing their eye-high kicks so absolutely in sync.

A spirited chorus and orchestra punch up the show, and a movie-screen backdrop adds even more action. In the Nativity scene, donkeys and sheep—and yes, even live camels—parade on-stage. In a Central Park tableau, ice dancers spin on a small skating rink lifted into place by a unique hydraulic system. The show is, as advertised, spectacular.

To be sure, there’s a lot of Santa schlock. But I’m as excited as the kid in front of me when the man in red instructs the audience to put on our 3-D glasses and then flies around the streets of New York, above the buildings I passed on my way to the theatre.

By the time the Rockettes throw up their arms in a triumphant finale, I want to hug the strangers next to me. The show’s positive energy is utterly infectious, which is probably why it’s still popular after all these years. Just like in the Dirty Thirties, sometimes we need a little Christmas—and the more spectacular, the better.

Access: The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular runs at Radio City Music Hall until December 30. Tickets start at US$42. The theatre is located on Sixth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets. One-hour Stage Door Tours run year-round from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and cost US$17 for adults and US$10 for kids 12 and under.

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