There will be a new finale at this year’s Radio City Rockettes 2018 Christmas Spectacular and rehearsals are currently underway in New York.
“Christmas Lights,” the new scene will combine technology and art.
“It’s going to focus in on the North Star and fragments are going to pull away. Aerialists are actually going to be performing and then 100 drones are going to be out over the stage forming different patterns, shapes, colors and then they’re going to be surrounding Santa and then before you know it, the Rockettes will appear,” said dancer Corey Whalen. “And we have a brand new finale number with all new choreography, costumes performing alongside these drones and it’s going to be unlike anything that has ever done at this scale in live theater with drones before so we’re really excited about it,” added Whalen.
Digital projections will transport audiences from their seats to the center of the action—from the North Pole to Central Park, to a manger in Bethlehem. Design studio Obscura Digital created all-new projections for “The 12 Days of Christmas,” “Nutcracker” and “Here Comes Santa Claus,” as well as the new finale.
Karen Keeler, Director of Rockettes Creative, said the rehearsal process is her favorite part: “I love being in the studio with these women. I love working. It’s truly an honor to take my choreography and to put it on them and to watch them bring their magic and their light and their ability and their talent and their individuality to it. It’s like I just start with the base and I hand it over to them and they bring the magic to it and it truly is. It’s the best job in the world.”
It’s not an easy job, however. “We rehearse six hours a day six days a week. So it’s a very rigorous process so we can do up to four shows in a day so we have to be really well rehearsed,” explained Rockette Jessica Davison.
The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes will run from Nov. 9—Jan. 1, 2019, at Radio City Music Hall.
