When Wall Street crashed and the 10-year Great Depression began in 1929, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was bold enough to begin his big project - building a Metropolitan Opera House. It was part of John’s plan to have a Metropolitan Opera House in order to gentrify the neighborhood. Together with RCA and Samuel Roxy Rothafel, they decided to build a unique theatre which was the first completed project of the complex – the Radio City Music Hall. The Radio City Music Hall was designed by architect Edward Durell Stone and interior designer Donald Deskey in the Art Deco style. The Radio City Music Hall reopened after an extensive restoration on October 4, 1999.
The Music Hall was used as a film-plus-stage-spectacle theatre until 1979. When talking about Radio City, we have to mention The Rockettes - the precision dancers that have been performing at Radio City since 1935. Other than being a good dancer, certain criteria must be met to be a Rockettes dancer. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is a popular holiday tradition in New York. It lasts for 8 weeks and attracts over one million people every year. Today, Radio City is used mostly for concerts and live stage shows.
The Radio City Stage Door Tour is a one-hour walking tour costing $19.95 for an adult. It opens daily from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. We had a chance to admire the beautiful decorations and explore the stage and many rooms for varies functions. We also saw a still functioning mechanical hand dryer in a lavatory. The impressive stage hydraulics were incorporated in constructing World War II aircraft carriers by US Navy. We learned so much about the history and secrets of the Rockettes, and a face-to-face with the famous Radio City Rockettes concluded the tour. We were also invited to have a photo opportunity with the dancers. We shall watch the Radio City Christmas Spectacular during our next New York City visit.
The Music Hall was used as a film-plus-stage-spectacle theatre until 1979. When talking about Radio City, we have to mention The Rockettes - the precision dancers that have been performing at Radio City since 1935. Other than being a good dancer, certain criteria must be met to be a Rockettes dancer. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is a popular holiday tradition in New York. It lasts for 8 weeks and attracts over one million people every year. Today, Radio City is used mostly for concerts and live stage shows.
The Radio City Stage Door Tour is a one-hour walking tour costing $19.95 for an adult. It opens daily from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. We had a chance to admire the beautiful decorations and explore the stage and many rooms for varies functions. We also saw a still functioning mechanical hand dryer in a lavatory. The impressive stage hydraulics were incorporated in constructing World War II aircraft carriers by US Navy. We learned so much about the history and secrets of the Rockettes, and a face-to-face with the famous Radio City Rockettes concluded the tour. We were also invited to have a photo opportunity with the dancers. We shall watch the Radio City Christmas Spectacular during our next New York City visit.
More photos please click the photo below for larger picture
James Huang - All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment