Da da da da da Da da da da da Da da da da da da! “Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today…” New York, New York!
It’s a song that I’ve pretended for years to know every word to, but like the audience at “The Rockettes New York Spring Spectacular” I was lost during the group sing-a-long until the lyrics were posted up on the big screen. But oh what fun it was to smile, cheer, and laugh along with every fumble we collectively made.
The show that got dumped on in the NY Times review (“...this numbingly overblown 90-minute infomercial for the city that never sleeps threatened to send me into a waking coma…) is a show I quite enjoyed. It’s an advertisement for New York City in the most cliche way, yet as soon as we bought the tickets to the show we knew we were setting ourselves up for a cheesy, over the top phenomenon. If you know me you know that I’m a sucker for phenomenons, especially pop culture ones. There was glitz, there was glam, there was a humbling, albeit pretty ridiculous, plot line, great dancing, good singing, and of course, some high kicking.
This was my first time at Radio City Music Hall. What a magnificently huge theater. I saw the show with my brother and two close friends of mine who were visiting NYC for the first time. The theme of the show was quite appropriate for our group. I had been playing tour guide all weekend and got to take a break for Bernie (the character who’s NY sightseeing company was being threatened by digital takeover) to show us around. And I was thrilled to do so.
I actually found an important message in the midst of the stupidity of this all. Laura Benanti’s character, Jenna, is a big time CEO and entrepreneur. Jenna has plans to buy out Bernie’s tour bus company and virtualize the whole New York City experience. Derek Hough, an Angel named Jack sent by God aka Whoopi Goldberg’s voice (cue protest poster from “Hair” that reads: I saw God and she’s Black) to intervene and save the bus company. If he succeeds he will be rewarded with wings. High stakes job, Whoopi Godberg.
The show exists for tourists and more importantly, children. There’s no question that virtual experiences have taken over. In fact, I wonder how many of the children in the audience have had more memorable digital experiences than real life ones. In the Spring Spectacular Bernie has to prove to Jenna and the audience there there is nothing that compares to the “real thing”. What we see and get out of technology can’t be shared in the same ways of what we see by doing. Some may argue that by going to this show, with large technological elements and sets of New York City landmarks, I was doing the opposite of the “real thing”. But I say I was seeing a theatrical work in the greatest city of all that inspired me to feel giddy and youthful and send me away with a takeaway. Put your phone down and do something with real people!!!
The show’s big opener is set to “Welcome to New York” by Taylor Swift (BTW if you don’t listen to 1989 at least five times a week you’re doing something wrong) . The Rockettes danced and sang inside Grand Central Station as Jack arrived in the Big A. It was a wonderfully exciting. Surrounded by cuties and adorable families I couldn’t help but clap along in wonderment.
The show relied heavily on audience engagement. Where the tour guide went, we went too. In 90 minutes I got to see Central Park, The Empire State Building, The NY Public Library, The Met, attend Fashion Week, and go to a game for every major New York sports team. At The Met, which I had been to just the day before, we watched Jenna reflect on her desire to be a dancer as she sang “I Could Have Danced All Night” with Edgar Degas’ famous ballerinas. In Central Park, where I had also been just the day before, we watched The Rockettes tap dance in the rain and saw The Alice and Wonderland statue come alive (Amy Olson, how come there’s no statue picture there yet??). During Fashion Week I was entertained by the glitz and glam and also by two of The Rockettes malfunctioning light up blazers (lol). At The Library Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (my heros please I just really want to be both of you at the same time) voiced Patience and Fortitude, the lions standing guard. And at The Empire State Building I tried to ignore the script and songs, it got super cheesy and totally bad, but did enjoy the dancers on wires who were flipping around as Jack and Jenna began to fall for each other as he sang “The Way You Look Tonight”.
There’s no need to be a critic for a show thats only goal is for fun and entertainment (and is obviously a cash cow). At the show I had a lot of fun and was incredibly entertained. The show allowed me to share an experience with my friends where we were all doing something in New York City for the first time. This isn’t a show to go to if you have nothing better to do with your night. It’s a show to go to to smile, sing a long, and have a great time!
I also confirmed at the show that in order to be a Rockette you must be between 5’6’’ and 5’10’’ ½ . I make the cut! I’ll see you next season future audience members at my Radio City Music Hall debut. This year as an audience member, next year as a Rockette.
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