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Arrival: Departure: Category: All Activities Auditions Awards Shows/Banquets Cabaret Charity Events Comedy Cultural Arts Film Food and Drink Fun for Kids Galleries Holiday Celebrations Lectures/Debates Literary Marathon Museums Music Nature/Outdoors Parades Scavenger Hunts Shopping Signings/Appearances Sports Street Fairs Theater Tours Trade Shows   Related Articles This Week's Off-Broadway Openings: February 8th-February 14th This Week's Off-Broadway Openings: February 1st-February 7th This Week's Off-Broadway Openings: January 25th-January 31st Most Popular Articles on CGNY Valentine's Day in New York City: The Big Apple's Most Romantic Restaurants How to Spend Valentine's Day 2010 in New York City Celebrate Black History Month in Harlem As a kid growing up in Cleveland, the highlight of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was always the Radio City Rockettes, no doubt because my native New Yorker mother was their biggest cheerleader. All through the annual broadcast my mom’s banter kept returning to her idea of the ultimate holiday pleasure: seeing the Rockettes perform live at Radio City.     It wasn’t until I was 20-something, however, that I finally made it to the Christmas Spectacular, only to be totally swept up in its non-stop holiday music, breathtaking costumes, precision dance numbers and super-sized holiday surprises -- all those things that make Radio City’s annual Christmas Spectacular so, well, spectacular. Since that first viewing, I’ve returned to the world-celebrated production many times over (I’ve even made the acquaintance a few Rockettes along the way), but my greatest joy is always sharing the experience with family and friends, and most of all, sneaking a peek at the faces of children who are taking in this magical event for the first time.     “As we embark on another glorious year of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, we are saluting one of the most beloved entertainment institutions,” says Jonathan Hochwald, Executive Vice President of Productions for MSG Entertainment, which manages the annual blockbuster. “We want the experience to begin for our patrons the moment they walk through the doors at Radio City -- from the interior of the Music Hall to the performance on stage.”     To achieve this effect, the lobby of the Radio City Music Hall is currently home to the ultimate holiday decoration: a Swarovski Crystal Christmas tree worth over one million dollars. Suspended overhead, the tree – with its 10,000 individual handcrafted Swarovski ornaments -- lights up the Grand Lobby as never before. And this is only a visual prelude to the theatrical wonders waiting on the other side of the Music Hall’s famous art deco doors. The 2008 edition of the Christmas Spectacular is nothing if not a brilliant mix of the new and the classic. One of the most recent additions is a dazzler of a dance extravaganza during which the Rockettes board a genuine double-decker tour bus, visit a number of Manhattan landmarks, and disembark in “Times Square” where  their precision dance moves against the New York skyline are lavishly amplified by a breathtaking display of onstage fireworks.     Of the show’s more traditional offerings, the most treasured remain the Rockettes signature “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and the striking “Living Nativity,” both of which have been part of the show since 1933. And, of course, Santa is on hand to take audiences on a colorful journey from the Big Apple to the North Pole where a they’re introduced not only to a fantastical toy workshop, but also to the high-energy Rockettes-as-rag-dolls show-stopper.     And the icing, or should I say “crystal” atop this delicious holiday cake, is the eye-popping production number “Let Christmas Shine,” featuring the Rockettes in stunning Swarvoski costumes (each bejeweled with over 3,000 crystals), posed on a glittering staircase in a formation that suggests a giant Christmas tree.     But when it comes to The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, words can never do justice to the real deal, so don’t waste a minute: get your tickets, gather your loved ones, and welcome the season the with music, smiles and laughter. This is, after all, New York City’s holiday show of shows! The Radio City Christmas Spectacular has been seen by over 65 million people since its inception in 1933, when it was originally performed as a holiday “gift” between movie screenings. And while the spirit of the original – as well as many of the legendary numbers -- has been kept alive for over 75 years, state-of-the-art technology ensures that it will always be fresh, exciting and timely for each new generation experiencing this awesome holiday treasure.   The Radio City Christmas Spectacular runs from November 7, 2008 through December 30th. Tickets are available online at www.radiocitychristmas.com or at the Radio City Box Office (50th Street and Avenue of the Americas). 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