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Fox Associates gives St. Louis a real
Christmas present—Radio City show
enchants with color, magic

 by Daniel Hines
Publisher
TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com

If anyone ever doubted that the Christmas season truly is a magical time of the year, they should make sure that they see the sparkling, energetic, colorful magic of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, featuring the world famous Rockettes, at the Fabulous Fox Theater in St. Louis, playing through December 31.

The show is a bit of Americana that reminds us of what we sometimes lose in the bustle and scurrying about in which commercialization, noise and parties that have sadly increasingly defined Christmas. 

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular blends the elements of the fun and color of Christmas with an appropriate touch of the spiritual basis for the observance in the first place—the incarnation of a creator God who loved us enough to become one of us. 

This is a show that has a score of talented performers, but each becomes such a part of the show and the production, that they seamlessly integrate and relate to each other that one can suspend belief, knowing that it really is Santa performing and kicking up his feet, and that the Rockettes really are wooden soldiers, or Raggedy Ann-type dolls. 

Scott Willis as Santa, would be perfect in any remake of ‘Miracle on 34^th Street’.  He really is a jolly old elf, who has all the charm—and a good voice—that make his Santa the one that you hope will come to your house. 

What can we say about The Rockettes?  Beautiful, talented, hard working, their dancing on The Twelve Days of Christmas  was spectacular, exemplifying the versatility (they do more than just kick their legs), discipline and extraordinary dancing skills. 

Throughout the evening, they appeared at just the right moment with their furious tap dancing and synchronization, and each time, the audience that jam-packed the Fox, awaited The Rockettes famous chorus line kicks with an anticipation one could almost feel. 

One of our favorite numbers was when Santa comes into the audience to ‘select’ a little girl who wants to understand how Christmas dreams come true.  Santa asks the children in the audience to raise their hands to be considered for selection, and the children eagerly respond, unaware that the little girl selected—in this instance, 11-year-old Makensie Howe of St. Louis, is really a highly skilled dancer.  Her transformation from little girl to prime ballerina is exquisite, as is her dancing. 

There are dancers and singers other than The Rockettes, and it was this talented group that provided another highlight of the evening with it presentation of Christmas Dreams.  This beautifully staged, exquisitely lighted production sequence was beautifully done, featuring the dancing and signing of the performers with a mystical quality. 

That was followed by the famous Living Nativity scene and the reading of One Solitary Life, again the reason for the season in the first place. 

While the politically correct might wince as being reminded that Christmas really is the celebration of the birth of a real child that lived, died and lives again.

 The Radio City Christmas Spectacular  offers us the opportunity once a year to get a peek of the beauty, grace and joy of Christmas…a wonderful gift to us made possible by The Fabulous Fox.