Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
116 people
favorited this theater
Showing 826 - 850 of 3,322 comments
Ray Bohr did a great solo organist job&Dick Liebert also did a great job in the days of using a single organist,ahh the good old days!!!
Looking at those choices, 1948 must have been the only year when my parents didn’t take me to RCMH or any of the other biggies over the holidays. I would assume, however, that we did get in to see the tree and the holiday windows. Now only Lord and Taylor has animated windows.
We attended the Christmas Show two weeks ago, and the organ was played before, during, and after the show. The two organists are forced to play a prearranged medley, and this limits what they can do. Dick Leibert was the best!
HenryABax
NewYorker64, I’m glad you found your way here. It’s the best website on the Internet.
new yorker- good to hear the Wurli is in good orderas one of its former technicians,but I know the Bishops always do an extraordinary job to keep the OldGirl in tip top shape,I sure miss her,especially the building rockers, which are on yor left side faceing the stage
they are my loves theDiaphoneswhich are right next to theRockettes dressing room,good luck checking out the many wonders of the city!!
Hi, Den & Vito. Thanks for the welcome. I saw the Christmas show earlier in the month (as I have every year since 1979) and I can report it is as shiny last year, and tweaked just a little bit, in a hardly noticeable way but someone is watching details, which is good to know. I’ll always be a purest and prefer the magic of many physical set changes over a LED screen, but I suppose change is inevitable. For those concerned about Wurlitzer magic, not to worry, it’s there. A short pre-show concert, a send off after the curtain comes down, and if you’re paying attention, you’ll notice rumble of some pedal occasionally throughout the show as a sweetener to give the orchestration some gravitas.
A BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON TO ALL ON the RCMH page , hope you’ll all be able to get in to see the Christmas Spectacular, wish I could but my Doctors say no, too much excitement!! New Yorker 64,try to get to see it
Welcome NewYorker64 have fun perusing in here I am sure you will find it informative snd entertaning. Have fun!
Wow, what an extraordinary blog. I was recently searching for a review of an old RCMH show from the eighties and found you all. I came to NYC in 1982 and started by indoctrination to NYC by guiding tours at the Music Hall.
I"m working my way through all the comments from the beginning and while it’s likely I’ll be able to add anything that hasn’t already been covered… who knows!
i do not work there
old joe you seem to have a handle on whats going on atRCMH, whats your position if any there?
6 shows added to schedule – 1 november , 5 december
I used to get home sometimes4-5A.M&it cracked me up to have an emergency call on voicemail,had to turn around &go back to the Hall to see what was going on, mostly a cypher nothing more&I only went when my boss was unavailable, the Wurlitzer is an instrument that was like a girlfriend, you never say no to its many needs
The 2011 show will be updated. Creative team already working on it. The show has been updated since 2001 Justin. In 2008 3 new numbers were added for 75th anniversay of the Christmas Show.
none that I know of,the organ gets quite a workout pre show&at the end of the Show, however I’ve been away 5 years now since my stroke&things can change,i’ve not heard of any changes, I really got a blast in our shop which is right next to the orchestral division when they were playing
How much is the organ used during the Christmas show now? From the various youtube videos, it appears only to be used before the show starts, but no longer during the Nativity scene. Any intermissions between set and scene changes or the exit music?
Any new changes to the xmas show from last year? I haven’t been to it since 2001-2002.
I also have confidence in Ron Bishop. Most people have no idea how many things can go wrong with a pipe organ. The 4/58 has over 4,000 pipes. Not counting all the toys it has. Most of the time you would find a small problem, like one or two pipes not speaking. But, for the entire instrument not to play (I can only guess) it was probably a main electrical problem. Then getting the part or parts and installing them. At least those things can be got at a supply house near-by.
I spoke with my boss Ron Bishop today who assured me the organ is in good shape& will be part of the Christmas spectacular right thru Dec.30th, I have total confidence in my old bosses the Bishops, they really love that old Wurlitzer possibly more than I do, I hate it that i’m not able to get back to work therebut, I totally have confidence in my old boss!!!
Robert, We were refering to the last holiday show
“Caravans” was not the last stage and screen show it was “The Promise”
Sad time Tinseltoes, here is the original ad from that last stage/screen presentation.
View link
While the Beacon is an excellent alternative to Radio City for the Tony’s I can’t help but be disappointed that they didn’t follow through with the original plan to host the Tony’s at the Loew’s 175th Street Theatre.
While the Beacon is an excellent alternative to Radio City for the Tony’s I can’t help but be disappointed that they didn’t follow through with the original plan to host the Tony’s at the Loew’s 175th Street Theatre.
There is a maintenence contract with Bishop Pipe Organ that is renewed every year for upkeep on the Organ. In addition to the annual maintenence contract, there was a large “update” done in March of this year. The contract is not cheap, the Bishops do a great job and the organ has not been and never will be neglected.
It is one organ – two consoles
The cirque show , unnamed until this week – Zarkana, is suypposed be a 1930’s circus theme" but no one is sure what that means.