DANCE Spectacular Rockettes deliver a stunning show

This is the one show that will razzle-dazzle you this holiday season.
By CYNTHIA RICKARD
VINDICATOR REGIONAL EDITOR
PITTSBURGH -- "They're so happy," my friend remarked about halfway through Pennsylvania's debut of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
It was the world-renowned New York City Rockettes she was talking about. And her words came spilling out just as I was thinking the same thing.
Oh, and also, that they're (1) tall; (2) beautiful; (3) lithe; and (4) very flexible.
I'm sure we weren't alone in the packed audience in this city's opulent Benedum Center. The oohs and aahs and spontaneous bursts of applause were testament to the extraordinary quality of this show.
So here's my advice: If you have time or cash for only one performance this holiday season, make it this one -- you won't be disappointed. It's Big Apple Broadway all the way, from the dazzling costumes and sets to the level of dancing, acting and singing. You'll rarely see this caliber of staging or performance -- even in the Big Apple itself.
Think Vegas; think Ziegfeld Follies; think Hollywood musicals, for an inkling of what's in store for you during this two-hour extravaganza.
The precision dance line's first high kicks come in rich brown, leg-hugging velvet reindeer costumes, as the audience begins its imaginary journey from the North Pole to Pittsburgh, with twinkling antlers leading St. Nick and his sleigh across a dark sky.
Shimmering snow-laden trees in cool shades of green and blue provide the backdrop for a festive holiday party featuring the production's ensemble singer-dancers, and some amazingly fast set transformations reveal oversized ornaments, snowflakes and a huge wrapped gift box.
Highlights
Each successive scene provides some type of surprise or laughter. Some highlights:
Scene 5: Fans of Tchaikovsky's beloved "Nutcracker" will experience more than a few chuckles at this comic rendition that puts a variety of bear species in toe shoes, behind Arabian veils, and in Chinese jackets and features only one human dancer among them, in the part of Clara.
Scene 6: The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, a Rockette favorite, that gives you a sense of watching a troupe of wind-up dolls. The dark, starry sky backdrop keeps your eyes focused on the dancers right to their slowpoke domino-like fall that you have to see to appreciate the athletic strength required.
Scene 7: A mini-film transports the audience, behind Santa and his sleigh, on a side trip to Manhattan's hectic holiday shopping season, where -- through the wonders of staging -- all the Rockettes emerge from a single NYC yellow cab to perform their high kicks in their red Santa-like finery.
Scene 12: Surely the most dramatic and elaborate depiction of the story of the birth of Christ that you'll ever see. Untold yards of gold-crusted brocade went into these costumes. The haunting, narrated scene alone is worth the price of the ticket.
Close encounters
This show is a holiday feast for the senses. More than once you will feel as if you've stepped into a live cartoon. If you're on the ground floor, no matter where you sit, you'll get a few close encounters with these famous dancers. And if you're lucky enough to be in the first few rows, you may take home a surprise souvenir of the show.
And in case you're still not convinced this is the show to razzle-dazzle you this holiday season, here's one more reason to go:"They're soooo happy!"