The Radio City
Christmas Spectacular
Written by Linda Haberman
Directed by Julie Branam
Akoo Theatre, 5400 N. River Road (map)
thru Dec 30 | tickets: $30-$89 | more info
High-kicking showbiz schmaltz!
MSG Entertainment presents
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular
Review by Lawrence Bommer
When this blast from the past arrived here in 1994, it seemed strange to have to head out to Rosemont in order to pretend you were really in uptown Manhattan. It seems less so now, if only because the lavish make-believe behind this perfectly preserved cloning of a Radio City holiday spectacle scants on nothing. It also helps that the town of Rosemont has decorated practically every tree in a half-mile radius with the most eye-popping colored lights your retina ever experienced. (No cool white lights a la Magnificent Mile for this burg…)
Without visiting Rockefeller Center, this is your Chicago chance to see this vintage 90-minute extravaganza, America’s equivalent of British panto. Decorated to the max from the Akoo Theatre marquee covered with a holiday display to make Commonwealth Edison delirious with joy through the vast lobby, the show begins before you enter the auditorium.
Emceed by Santa himself, the scenes depict his toyshop, this time minus the merry elves who were previously (and with no p.c. whatsoever) played by six "little people." There’s a tiny replica of the Woolman skating rink with actual ice skaters. Superb video from a 50-foot LED screen depict Santa and his reindeer careening over New York skyscrapers or a double-decker bus taking us on a breathtaking tour of Gotham’s Christmas wonders. There’s an addle-pated "Nutcracker" medley performed by bears from around the world and another elaborate sequence in which two brothers visit the North Pole to discover that the present they seek for their sister will find them, not they it.
In “The Twelve Days of Christmas” the Rockettes, in perfect close-order drill, tap dance a jazz medley that goes right to the heart, while their “Let Christmas Shine” finale features costumes with over 3,000 crystals. “Here Comes Santa Claus” has the entire cast dressed up as Father Christmas, backed up by a huge receding mob of similar Kris Kringles stretching to infinity.
A continuing delight is the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,” at the end of which an intricate march by the Rockettes manages to collectively faint into one big red pillow. A new addition, a newsreel pays homage to 85 years of Rockette history from the Depression to the Recession (including the near demise of the seasonal spectaculars in 1978).
Most remarkable (but much shorter and less riddled with religiosity in this 2012 edition) is "The Living Nativity." A Radio City fixture since 1934, it’s far more costly than the original Nativity. This life-size manger used to include sheep and two camels (but that too proved politically incorrect.). Now it’s reduced to a virtual herd of Magi with their retinue sporting elaborate medieval garments as traditional carols thunder home the good news. You’ll either be deeply moved by this expensive piety or disgusted by its irrelevant splendor.
Rating: ★★★★
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular continues through December 30th at the Akoo Theatre, 5400 N. River Road, Rosemont (map). Tickets are $30-$89, and are available by phone (800-745-3000) or online through Ticketmaster.com (check for half-price tickets at Goldstar.com). More information at RosemontTheatre.com. (Running time: 2 hours, includes an intermission)
Photos by Paul Kolnik
