#4: See the Rockettes

#4 of 25, check!

Every year Radio City Music Hall puts on the Christmas Spectacular featuring The Rockettes! I had yet to experience this rockin' event, so I made sure to put it on my 25 Things list. Fellow first timer Heidi came along, too. It was the perfect way to get into full blown holiday mode and finish up our last week in NYC for 2009. OH. MY. GOSH. It was the BEST. The perfect precision of those dancers had me awe struck. They are incredible! I didn't know you could take pictures so I hadn't charged my camera battery and it died within the first fifteen minutes of frenzied snap shots. Thank goodness for iPhones!

First we listened to twin pipe organs play prelude music as everyone took their seats (all 5, 933 of them) inside the landmark. The dome doesn't have any interior pillars, which means everyone has a clear and unobstructed view. That's what I'm talking about!

Of course Santa was there with his Rockette Reindeer.

My favorite part was when the soldiers fell back onto each other. It's jaw-dropping. Heidi and I were literally on the edge of our seats grabbing each other and chanting "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" I'd YouTube it for ya, but that doesn't even do it justice. You need to see it Live! Because they don't just all fall over, they do it in slow motion. So the whole process takes a good five minutes watching them fall but not actually seeing it, just seeing them start to pile up and "feeling" the weight as the next person has to catch all those people in front of them! It's so intense.

Lets take a moment for the two real camels and a donkey that went bee boppin across the stage at the end as part of the Nativity Story. It was really touching to have the show end with the story of Christ's birth. Especially in a time and place where there are so many different opinions and beliefs and so much negativity towards publicly expressing them. The true spirit of Christmas was beautifully portrayed and strongly felt.
Merry Christmas!