18 Days of Christmas 2011: Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Did you know that the Rockettes wear special tap shoes with microphones in the heels? Did you know that they store the shoes in a special case that charges up the batteries? I didn’t know this and found it pretty interesting. After all, inquiring minds should know trivia such as how a Rockette charges her tap shoes.

Image via Facebook.com

I was pretty disappointed to find out that the Radio City Christmas Spectacular was not touring to Chicago this year. It’s going to Durham, North Carolina, Nashville, Tennessee, and Boston, Massachusetts. I was seriously interested in buying tickets but I’m not leaving Chicago. I’m hoping for snow, and I don’t travel in snow.

Image via nytix.com

I can remember the year that my kids’ Grandpa and Grandma took us to Radio City on one of our Christmas pilgrimages to the holy grail of holiday homecomings, New York City. I couldn’t get enough of The Big Apple, and still feel blessed that we had a number of years of visiting NRB’s parents with our children at Christmas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Christmas Tree and the Christmas tree and ice skating at Rockefeller Center were annual treats.

Image via essential-new-york-city-guide.com

New York was a wonderful place to spend Christmas. The retirement home in Arizona — not so much.

Since the Rockettes weren’t coming to Chicago, I had to settle for the HGTV Radio City Holiday special where Thom Filicia decorates Radio City for the holidays. I do love my holiday decorating shows… You can see this show on HGTV; it’s running one more time on December 13. That’s next Monday, if you want to set your recording devices.

I’ve always been interested in the whole Rockettes mythology, and then someone I almost knew became a Rockette! Heather Lang was the captain of our local high school’s award-winning dance team and as Homecoming Queen in 1999, chose to be unescorted. I loved the thought of that then and I still love the idea of her courage. I don’t actually know her, but I know people who do.

So what does one do after having been the star of the show in high school? One goes to New York and becomes a commercial dancer. Here’s Heather Lang in an interview, talking about her life as a dancer in New York. It brings the whole Rockette mythology down to one person. I loved the intimacy of this interview.

Hopefully you’re still reading both this year’s and last year’s posts. Although I did an 18 Days post last year, it was pretty much the same as this year’s post about our band, and the link isn’t working anymore. Don’t bother, but keep reading this year’s countdown. And COMMENT! There’s no Christmas present like a comment on one’s writing. If you’re reading this via a Facebook link, please press that magic button. I “like” you, too.

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6 thoughts on “18 Days of Christmas 2011: Radio City Christmas Spectacular

  1. Hi Jennie! I’m so sorry I’ve been MIA lately – the last two weeks have done run me over, but I’m loving your countdown. I love every single one of your posts, and hope that you know even if I don’t comment, you are a Christmas gift to me. And every other holiday gift and just regular day gifts, too. 😉

    I didn’t know that (A) The Rockettes have microphones in their shoes! and (B) that they are coming to my North Carolina! Must see about getting tickets.

    I am halfway through Louisa May Alcott, The Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen. Swooning over every page. You didn’t tell me she was related to John and Sam Adams!!

    Forgive me?

    xoxo michele

    • I’m so glad you are reading, but I’m also glad that we’re not trying to talk about Louisa until January. I finished my biography this weekend and I’m eager to start reading Little Women again! I hope you get to see the Rockettes.

  2. That is so interesting about the microphone in their shoes! I have always loved when lots of people can do the same thing at the same time … I would be a horrible Rockette but I admire them.

  3. What I found most fascinating about the Rockettes (we saw them in Seattle with the Parsons and both Melissas a couple of years ago now) is that when they do the high kicks in the long line, they are not touching one another. Each throws her arms behind the Rockettes next to her, but they are not touching. If they did, they would throw one another off balance.

    Who knew?

  4. Pingback: Writer’s Workshop: 2011 in Review « Got My Reservations

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