Upon hearing that there were changes in the new edition of the “Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” a friend shrieked, “They’d better not have cut the ice rink!”
No worries: The ice rink and its slightly dorky skaters are still part of the spruced-up “New York at Christmas” scene. With the Rockettes traveling the city on a double-decker bus in fetching new coats and white, fur-trimmed headbands, that sequence remains among the evening’s highlights.
On the other hand, it’s RIP for the number in which our favorite precision dancers, dressed as rag dolls, did the cancan, then spelled “Merry Christmas Happy New Year” with letter cubes.
Some of us miss it.
Over the past few years, director-choreographer Linda Haberman has been tinkering with the beloved local tradition that is the “Spectacular.”
Mostly, she’s succeeded in rejuvenating it while respecting its old-school spirit. Her biggest coup is that she’s turned the Rockettes from Santa’s little showgirls to the evening’s heart, soul and, well, legs.
This year’s edition, “The Rockettes’ Magical Journey,” introduces some major retooling in both flow and content.
In years past, the large orchestra would pop up on a rising platform and ease us into the proceedings with some holiday tunes. Now we jump straight into Christmas madness with the “Sleigh Ride” segment, in which reindeer Rockettes pull Santa’s ride. It’s a fab routine, but starting with it is like going from zero to 60 in three seconds: too fast.
Story-wise, the two young brothers — one of whom dared question Santa Claus’ existence — have been replaced by a mother scrambling to get the season’s hot toy for her young daughter.
They meet Santa in a department store, and he takes them to his renovated workshop at the North Pole. Elaborate projections that cover a good portion of Radio City’s ceiling are appropriately eye-popping.
Less awe-inspiring is a new number in which the Rockettes become part of a video game and fight animated, 3-D gremlins and nasty elves — the effect is strangely flat.
Happily, “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” is still there, immutable. Nobody in her right mind would dare mess with that one.