Radio City Music Hall Xmas Spectacular- Live or Canned?

[BroadwayBaby6]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 1:57pm

I'm thinking of going to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show but I recall hearing that the music is now canned instead of live. Can someone confirm? I don't want to pay top dollar for a show with canned music.

Thanks!

[Enjolras77]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:03pm

This is probably no help whatsoever, but I managed the box office for one of the road companies of the RCCS last year and the music was definitely canned. It may be live in NYC but definitely pre-recorded on the road.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:22pm

It's live at Radio City - with a huge orchestra on a floating bandshell.

[stephen3]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 2:41pm

The music is live in New York and via electronics on the road. Last year there was a disasterous happening with the New York local musicians union (802) when the musicians walked off the job because of stalled negotiations and when one thing led to another Radio city "locked out" the orchestra and began using "canned" music for a time. Eventually the musicians union agreed to Radio City contract terms and the musicians returned to the show.

[winston89]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 3:28pm

I don't think the orchestra that does the radio city show is part of the union. I think they are privetly owned by cablevision ( which owns the ny knicks, madison square garden and raido city music hall) and they had a problem with their contract. Therefor, they had to use canned music. But, this year the strike is done and the orchestra is back. If it was the local 802 then it would have ffected all broadway shows and not just raido city. However, that is not the case. So, it was just between cablevision and the orchestra.

[steel84]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 3:37pm

Here is some general info on the radio city show in NYC including orch. size.

Two casts usually comprise a full day of Xmas Spectacular performances.
Show requires 60 dressers on the deck plus additional wiggists, hat people, shoe people and general maintenance (stitchers, etc.).
350-400 total crew + cast to do the show
120 deck crew @ performance
NEVER the same crew members in the same track, performance to performance. A particular person might repeat a track or shift to a different track or just be at a different theatre.
36 orchestra members plus two Wurlitzer organists.

[jess20882]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 3:42pm

i worked on the show three years ago. there is a huge live orchestra.
enjoy!

[stephen3]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 4:50pm

Winston, as a member of local 802 myself, I can assure you without hesitation that the Radio City orchestra members are members of local 802. You are confusing the musicans local with individual producers contracts with the musicians union. The "league" handles the Broadway contracts via 802 and Radio City entertainment handles their musicians contracts via 802 for events at Radio City and Madison Square Garden, et al.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 4:54pm

The Rockettes singing is canned but the show is still a fun way to celebrate the holidays.
Updated On: 12/4/06 at 04:54 PM

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 5:37pm

that's odd. the singing is canned??? those poor girls can't sing? I never knew that...

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 5:48pm

They are to busy working their butts off dancing (brilliantly I might add) to worry about singing

Hard to believe the whole thing started as the Missouri Rockets at the Missouri Theater in St Louis eons ago. They moved to the Roxy where they performed until RCMH opened & they moved there

[Scarywarhol]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 9:06pm

I never knew this show HAD a tour...when do they do that?

[winston89]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 10:54pm

I found at checked back the site with the audition info for the christmas show. For both the rocketts and the ensamble it talks about how if you can sing its a plus but its not requierd.

[alterego]

Posted: 12/4/06 at 11:19pm

I thought there were three casts, morning, afternoon and evening. Is it true that if you are Rockette as long as you can do the steps and want to do the show you have a job? A friend who worked on the show as a Rockette a few years back told me that one of the girls was 54. Aside from Christmas and Easter she works in a bookshop.