'Radio City Christmas Spectacular' brings Rockettes' signature dancing and familiar holiday fare to Fox

The Fox Theater celebrated the holiday season with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, featuring the Rockettes, the precision-dancing showgirl troupe that actually began in St. Louis in the early twentieth century. While the show and the Rockettes' Broadway showgirl style is inherently nostalgic, the smiling dancers' skill at precisely-coordinated tap and chorus line of mirror-like high kicks in high heels, which create a percussive sound like rockets going off, is still impressive to watch first-hand.

The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular was exactly as advertised, a old-fashioned, classic Broadway spectacular, with sequined costumes, glittering sets, old-style big production numbers and the famous high-kicking dance troupe, all hosted by a singing, dancing Santa. The show's theme is family-friendly, albeit with those showgirl legs and some mild PG sexiness, mixed with lightly comedy and playful routines about Christmas traditions. Many routines are perennial favorites that have been with the show year after year. The production was presented by Dance St. Louis, with sponsorship by Ameren UE.

Not surprisingly, the audience in the packed theater was mostly older but a fair sprinkling of young children showed it was a favorite grandma-and-grandkids outing. Nostalgia was the show's strong point, with the most modern dance routines and music harkening back to the rock and roll '50s.

There are twelve scenes in all in the Christmas Spectacular. The show features a mix of Rockettes favorites, like the militarily-precise "Parade Of The Wooden Soldiers," and newer pieces, like "Santa's Workshop," with the Rockettes as dancing Ragged Anne dolls. The latter was a special delight, featuring the comic touch of with those signature high kicks by dancers clad in red striped stockings and puffy little girl dresses, with clown painted faces.

The show turns more reverent for the final scene. Those of other faith traditions might want to note that this is specifically a Christmas show rather than the common more general holiday show. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular caps the evening with The Living Nativity, which has been part of the Christmas Spectacular since it began in 1933.

The dance routines feature scenes of Christmas season, like shopping trips, winter wonderland, Santa's workshop, the twelve days of Christmas, Christmas in New York and finally the Nativity scene. One of the more enjoyable scenes was a comic, abbreviated version of the Nutcracker, with dancers costumed as various dancing teddy bears, including polar bear soldiers and a giant grizzly bear ballerina with long lashes and blue eye shadow. A little blonde-haired girl plucked from the audience becomes a surprising part of the scene.

Another wining production number that leaned to the comic was the opener for the second act, "I'm There," when the stage was filled with an ever increasingly number of Santas. A song and dance number for Mrs. Santa and helpers, "Everyone is Waiting For The Man With The Bag," also had its charm.

The nativity scene was the most elaborate and clearly expensive to mount. The pieces offered living tableau of the trip to Bethlehem, the baby in the manger and the visits of shepherds and the Three Kings. Richly colored sets and costumes abounded but the realism of the various tableau were made more impressive by the addition of live animals, a real donkey, camels and sheep, on stage.

To accomplish that precision dancing, the Rockettes have some exacting requirements for joining the troupe, including a narrow height range. Would-be dancers must be proficient in several dance styles but also be able to project radiant stage presence. Dazzling smiles and beauty are what you see. The idea is that the dancers all appear to move as one.

The Rockettes were not the only dancers in the show. Their routines alternated with song and dance numbers by fresh-faced male and female dancers, straight out of a 1950s musical, and song numbers by Santa, aided by elves and other helpers. By long tradition, the elves are played by Little People but there are a few children in the cast as well.

For those who want to capture some Christmas nostalgia, mid-twentieth century, or just catch a glimpse of some remarkably timed dancing, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular is just the ticket. The show runs through December 28 and tickets are available at the Fox and through Metrotix.