Search

The New York Spring Spectacular: High Kicks, High Tech

It’s early spring and the audience filling the 6,000 seats in Radio City is an eclectic one: parents with kids; young couples; matinee ladies; seniors...all settled into their seats with 3-D glasses and (in some cases), blink-ready bracelets. Cue the Easter Bunny—bopping his way to the stage to the delight of the smallest of the small. But his is a fleeting guest appearance.

Within minutes the New York Spring Spectacular takes off and we’re in heaven (literally) with Whoopi Goldberg’s familiar voice channeling God in a theatrical homage to It’s a Wonderful Life. Only here, there’s no angel named Clarence trying to restore Jimmy Stewart’s optimism. In this version the angel anxious to land his wings is Dancing with the Stars’ Derek Hough—a handsome celestial dude named Jack whose earthly target is the beautiful—albeit overly ambitious— techie Jenna (Tony winner Laura Benanti). Jack’s assignment is to convince Jenna that Bernie’s (Lennie Wolpe) old-fashioned tours of the Big Apple shouldn’t be jettisoned in favor of a virtual version.

While Jenna’s sidekick Marshall (Jared Grimes) does his best to support and encourage his Type-A boss, Jack’s cohorts are The Rockettes, whose dancing skills shine in multiple genres throughout the show. Score: Marshall-1; Rockettes-40.

To convince Jenna that virtual reality doesn’t hold a candle to “real” reality, Jack and Bernie take her on a tour of Manhattan’s most iconic attractions, each enhanced by a dance number choreographed by director Warren Carlyle—as well as voice-overs and videos featuring New York-centric celebs.

“The show is a celebration of New York and what it has to offer,” says Wolpe who has appeared in a number of Broadway productions. “I’ve heard people who have seen the show comment that this might be as good as, or even better than, the Christmas show,” he continues adding that the choreography allows the Rockettes to be seen in a whole new way.

The show’s myriad backdrops highlight key sights—from the Metropolitan Museum of Art where Degas ballerinas step out of their painting, to Central Park where break dancers rule.

These Manhattan marvels help seal the deal in favor of Bernie’s tours vs. Jenna’s cyber-sightseeing. Of the many stops along the way, a few crowd pleasers stand out: the New York Public Library’s two leonine sentries, Patience and Fortitude, rendered in faux stone and voiced by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler; the mind-blowing light shows with their complimentary costumes; and the exhilarating “Singing in the Rain” number with a realistic rainfall effect simulated via more than 500 gallons of water pumped through 26 nozzles hung above the stage.

One of the longest portions of the show, the rain number boasts includes a quintessential Rockettes extravaganza featuring bright yellow slickers, striped umbrellas, and all kinds of primo precision dance moves. Derek Hough gets to show off his physical prowess by flawlessly blending Gene Kelly with seriously rad footwork and some impressive puddle tap dancing with Grimes who has his own show-stopping tap moment before the stage magically dries off.

In addition to the rain and the animatronics, the technology incorporated into the production is phenomenal. According to the show info “... a stateof- the-art control system allows for total control of all of the production’s technical elements.” The end result, to quote one young lady in the audience, is “Way awesome!”

Not surprisingly, the killer finale involves the highest of kicks, the biggest of smiles and a final wave of techno magic. “For anyone new to the city wondering what to squeeze into their schedule, this should be it,” says Wolpe, who sees the Spectacular as a sort of NYC primer. “It’s really is the most wonderful way to get a taste of NYC and its attractions,” he adds.

The New York Spring Spectacular is playing at Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas at W. 50th St. through May 7th. For tickets and playing schedule call 866-858-0007 or visit rockettes.com/spring. Also, check out the Radio City Stage Door Tour, your chance to to explore America's most legendary theater. Get an insider's look at the landmark interior, meet a Rockette® and more!

About the Author

City Guide Theatre Editor Griffin Miller moved to New York to pursue an acting/writing career in the 1980s after graduating magna cum laude from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Since then, she has written for The New York Times, For the Bride, Hotels, and a number of other publications, mostly in the areas of travel and performance arts. An active member of The New York Travel Writers Association, she is also a playwright and award-winning collage artist. In addition, she sits on the board of The Lewis Carroll Society of North America. Griffin is married to Richard Sandomir, a reporter for The New York Times.

Bringing a group to NYC? Free planning services

Let us know what you are looking for and we will try to connect you directly and get discounts.

Enter the code: 3972

More Articles