Radio City Music Hall

Ida Taylor,

You might be able to get a commerially recorded CD of the “Old Girl” of Christmas music. Look for CBS Special Products #A19990, titled The Organ PLays Music for A Merry Christmas. You might be able to find it with the seasonal Christmas CD’s amd cassettes. The CD features Dick Leibert at the RCMH Grande Organ and Reginald Dixon at the Tower Ballroom’s Wurlitzer in Blackpool, England. The Leibert numbers are classic Leibert, but the Dixon numbers are clearly Christmas music, set to dance rhythm, typical of Dixon and the Tower Ballroom.

Denpiano, we’ll keep our fingers crossed down here. It would be marvellous to have a current recording of the Old Girl. The last recording I have of her is a private recording by made in 1979 Ray Bohr, including his signature piece, The Song is Ended. I digitized Ray’s tape to CD so it won’t be lost.

It was sheer joy to find this page today. I had been listening to my 1958 RCA LP #LOP 1010 purchased at the Music Hall the year I was married. (I was born in 1936 on Long Island and lived there till my marriage in 1958 when we settled in Buffalo. Christmas in NY was my wedding gift to my wife.) For years the Music Hall had been the only place my parents allowed my sister and me to see movies. “If the Music Hall shows it, it must be OK.” They were OK, and impressive as well; unlike the modern mulptiplex theaters whose screens, relative to one’s distance from them are little more than big screen TV’s, the RCM screen defined “larger than life” no matter where you sat.

My love was the Grand Organ, with or without the orchestra. A low pedal rumbled the theater and our seats, and like a wizard from Oz, the magician of the keyboard appeared from behind the curtains at our left. Sometimes he introduced a film with a medley; sometimes it seemed as if he joined the soundtrack at beginning or end. I still remember the bouncing pedal of “Once in Love with Amy” as Ray Bolger came from the left of the screen along an English field dike. Too bad the film is lost to posterity. Nothing set moods for stage show or film like the Grand Organ.

The concert nature of the Grand Organ came through at the holidays, Christmas and Easter. It was superior to many church organs for religious music. And the pedal on Rubinstein’s “Kammennoi Ostrow” coupled with the orchestra as the altar of a large cathedral appeared in the Easter show was thrilling!

Numerous times we traveled from Buffalo with our 4 kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa and have Christmas in New York. Three times the kids got to experience Radio City’s Christmas Show. Though I would like my 14 grandkids to have the experience of the Music Hall Christmas show, it is far beyond the scope of my retirement income and no great-grandparents are alive to house us to soften the expense.

I listen to my LP recording and I imagine the show. I think I can hear the organ in the Nativity, but that may be wishful thinking. In the Grand Organ section, I know it is the voice of the RCM Wurlizer. I purchased a Radio City Music Hall Christmas CD several years ago only to be disappointed. It was recorded in Europe; it lacked the organ, a full orchestra, and the acoustics of the RCM. A keyboard is a poor substitute for a great organ.

Thirty or so years ago HBO did a presentation of the Radio City Christmas show. Joel Grey was narrator and told how, though he was Jewish, he grew up loving this spectacular; his enthusiasm appeared in his narration. If a DVD of the show were available,it would have a market and a purpose. It would allow all of those who will never be able to afford the show to see it and hear it, or at least a shadow of it. It might even encourage others to make an effort to find the dollars to see it.

Also needed a CD set of the Grand Organ with some of the stage show music from the Christmas and Easter shows as well as some of medley arrangements used in the past. While a few RCM organ LP’s were made and I have most, a new digital recording of the restored intstument would sell. I have no idea where to promote these ideas, but I hope someone out there has the connections to get both going.

ldtaylor

Organized
Santa’s arrival is greated by the 32’s and Diaphone low “D” and also the beautiful Contrabass in the Great division 50th street side.
Concerning Ray Bohr, I’ve been told by RCB that Ray was quite a technician and helped Ron Sr. many times on repairs. Also,a little known item that much of the music was written in Key of “D” when the organ is included because the building acts as a soundboard for the low “D” Diaphone! Its really an amazing effect, like a tuning fork.

It is a real treat to find this forum in which to participate. I worked at the Music Hall for a year in 1979 after the conversion to an all-live format. In fact, the 1979 Christmas Show’s dubious distinction was that it did not feature a Rockette kick line. The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers was the only Rockette number in that year’s show.

It’s nice to see Robert Enders posting here. I met him on a few occasions and he is a lovely man as well as one of the best projectionists ever. In reference to an earlier post of his, the other organist in 1979 was David Messineo.

I saw the Christmas Show this week and share many of the concerns addressed by other posters. However, I will address them to the appropriate parties. I agree with Denpiano and I am thrilled that the Music Hall is still open and the Rockettes are still kicking. I also agree with Will Dunklin and I believe that one day there will be a showman (maybe one of us) with the foresight to restore some of the “showmanship” to Radio City. I don’t think it is there with the current management, although I am not “in their shoes.” I’d like to believe that they are doing the best they can.

I’m much more curious about another point. From the first time I went to Radio City in 1964, that place has been “under my skin.” I’ve heard many people say that “you never forget your first time at the Music Hall.” What is it about that place that affects us so? I’m actually spending a little time exploring my own answers to that question. I’d like to know what some of your thoughts are.

Vincent
Perhaps we were young and those first impressions stay with us, good or bad. Think about it, todays young people will probably be upset in the future if the “Idiot Speakers” are removed, “ Hey, wheres the speakers??”
Yes, the Leonidoff Nativity was Beautiful, thank God we were able to experience it! I won’t speculate as to why it was replaced and have heard some rediculus reasons by those who “know something”. The Music Hall is in business to make money, they are very effective at new ideas to do just that!

Organ-ized, Sorry for the givaway! just want our out of town friends to get the feel for the show, I hope they can come in and see it. The OLD GIRL is just great! In fine Tune..
CConnolly, yes the Bizarre voice over is still intact and yes the 70’s version was nicer in some ways. However, in this day I’m thrilled its still open and showing this performance as it is! Better it remains open and functioning, I’d love to see the old format too, ITS NOT GONNA HAPPEN..period . Remember, as long as people pay the price and fill the space, it will stay the same..

Does the show still have that bizarre and alienating voice over/scroll at the end of the Nativity? That element (among others) got my blood boiling when I saw the show last year. I had taken my 8 year old daughter to see it remember how amazing it was back in the 70s and frankly, I was appalled at how lame the show was in comparison. And it ain’t cheap.

Go back to last years posts here and you’ll see the discussion.

Vito, the High Def screen is used extensively during the new opening number and is quite effective! It is used as backdrop effects for the Rockettes during their new number. New music, new costumes, and even the steam curtain is used!!Snow flakes fall from “D"cove and dissipate before they hit the seats( Thats a new one). Santa enters the show via a large snowflake being lowered centerstage. The 3D ride in the beginning is still intact. By the way, as Santa is lowered, you can feel the organs big Diaphones shake the place up. The rest of the show is pretty much intact from years past except the effect of Santa leaving to deliver his packages is produced very nicely by the High Def screen.

Hi Vito, You were not too far off describing my being “chained” to the organ. Everything feels NORMAL again!! Everyone should come to the show, its really nice! New opening number and effects including a new 53,000 lb. high definition screen at the rear of the stage!
It really lights the place up and there are some nice effects used during the show. I haven’t had a chance to discuss terms of the contract yet because I’ve been “hidden” in the organ chambers doing various work during the shows, gotta take care of the OLD GIRL 1st!

Well it’s about time! Radio City Entertainment and the union representing musicians reached a tentative deal Thursday in a labor dispute, agreeing to use a live orchestra instead of canned music, both sides said. The parties had been working with a mediator.
As Denpiano (see I told you to hang in there) metioned, Radio City said Thursday that the orchestra would play for today’s (Friday)afternoon show.
“Our people are out of work, and now they’re going back to work, and that’s what it’s about,” union negotiator John A. Babich said.
Indead John, but it’s much more, because the theatre going public has missed the thrill of hearing the orchestra played live, and now people from around the world can enjoy the magic and splender of the Radio City orchestra. Now, myself and all the friends I have discouraged from attending, can go to see the Christmas show.

He declined to discuss the terms of the deal.

In a statement, James L. Dolan, president of Cablevision Systems Corp., which owns Radio City, thanked Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg for providing a forum and a mediator.

“We are very pleased to reach an agreement,” the statement said.

Vincent, During the 1999 renovation, I mentioned that the cove color was way too light and was told it had gotten really dark due to the incorrect use of color during the ‘79 renovation. I laughed as I was told that information, I am convinced it is the way it is to show up better on TV. When it was done, I looked closely at it and it almost looked Creme in color! Also, the cove lighting was changed, especially the deep blue color is nowhere the way it was. Progress??
Your guess is as good as mine! By the way, the same patrons that take the kids to see Barney are going to the Christmas show, hence the lack of caring about an orchestra!

Vincent – The Hall would very much like to have played “That’s Entertainment” and indeed, we ran a trailer for it at one point (years later I used bits from that trailer in a film effect for one of Bob Jani’s shows until MGM refused us the rights to use the material). I think they may have even booked other MGM films just to get a crack at “Entertainment” but it was MGM’s decision. Perhaps they could squeeze an extra performance a day at the Ziegfeld without having to work around the stage show.
You’re probably right about the film being the attraction in the ‘30’s when other venues also had stage shows, but by the time we worked there I think the production staff took a rather snobbish attitude toward films.
The first show without the ballet company was pretty grim, but don’t blame Peter Gennaro. The company was pulled giving him very little time to do anything. The issue was the mandatory hiring of a whole company. If the company was eliminated, the Hall could hire ballet company members as needed rather than as a whole. Thus the show with no ballet at all.
I can’t help but compare the Music Hall’s position in getting films to that of the Ziegfeld today. Comments on that site have decried the pictures that theatre is forced to play, and the situation is somewhat analogous to that of the Hall in the '70’s. Even though the Ziegfeld is part of a circuit, the booking power is always in the hands of the larger circuits such as AMC, Loews and Regal. The Hall was part of the RKO circuit when it started showing films, and later its size and tourist status gave it clout as a prestiege venue, but ultimately it was the boxoffice that counted to the distributors as the urban centers faded. At one point Rock Center tried to get Disney to take over the Hall, but Disney couldn’t understand how a place with so little parking could ever be profitable. In a sense they did give the operation to Disney when they hired Bob Jani, a Disney alumnus, to rejuvenate the place in '79.

Denpiano! Great to hear from you! It would be great to come back for another visit next year. Speaking of Uncle Ray, I gave a concert on a 4 manual Allen George Wright digital theater organ and included several arrangements of Ray’s. My former Music Hall organist friend thought he was back at the Hall hearing Ray play. Glad you are doing the same … even if it is in the middle of the morning … but it’s at the place it should be. Nice clarification on the additional tabs on the Prompt console. I remembered the MIDI tabs now. Hopefully my wife and I will hear her on December 9th, if the musician’s conflict is resolved. Tell the Bishops hello for me.