Radio City Music Hall
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
1260 6th Avenue,
New York,
NY
10020
118 people
favorited this theater
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As mentioned by Vito, the show did go on today and unfortunately
most culturally challenged show goers did not care about the live
music. What do you expect?? this is ths I-Pod generation. Download
free music, blow your ears out with constant headphone use! I'll
bet 99.9% never played a real instrument or care about how difficult
it is to perform. It is a sad day for me. I work hard to keep the
organ in tip top shape and now can’t realize the fruits of my labor.
The organists are out as well and the kids won’t see a one of a kind
instrument. The band car rising and crossing the stage as they
introduce the Nativity. What else can I say?
To BOB
Speaking of Conrad Ludlow another Balanchine dancer Melissa Hayden was featured in the previous stage show with Prince and the Showgirl. Did you see it?
Thanks Patsy, for the informative post.
Well the shows did go on. However when musicians president, David Lennon and the rest of the orchestra arrived in good fath to begin work for the 11AM show, they were greeted by security guards and told they were locked out. The guards looked like night club bouncers which made the whole experience more difficult. Mikyl Cordova, spokesman for for the hall, came out and explained the position that untill a signed contract was in place, the musicians were considered on strike and would not be allowed to work. The musicians remained outside the stage door, a couple of them playing Christnas music. The 3PM show was a repeat of the earlier show with musicians not permitted to enter the hall. As the parons exited what looked like a sold out 11AM performance, some said the show was “fantastic” and that they did not mind the pre recorded music while others said they felt cheated and it just was not the same.
Most agreed however, that the show would have been better with the live orchestra. I wish the other unions could have gone out as well, but they all have a no strike clause in their contracts and had to work. My hope is that this will all be settled for tommorrow’s 2PM show, there is no performance tonight. Mayor Bloomberg has asked both sides to get together and come to terms. I hope music hall management will allow all those talented, hard working musicians back to work, they are willing and ready to play even without a contract. Radio City should be ashamed of themselves for locking out the musicians and charging top broadway ticket prices for canned music. Cablevision, shame on you!
It has been all over the news here today about the canned music. What a sad sad day.
Regarding calling Jim Dolan (516) 803-1002 about the lack of a live orchestra for the Xmas Show – I did call and was very polite but firm. I am afraid that there will not be enough protest and another great tradition will
disappear. Its too damn bad that the NY press can’t get on their case.
Silk Stockings is certainly one of the films I would have liked most to see at the Hall. To this very day the dancing of Charisse and Astaire seems about as wonderful as anything captured on film.
Lucky BOBill.
Kendell had two more films to play at the Hall. Reluctant Debutante and Once More With Feeling.
Am I the only one still alive to have seen(at the Regency a couple of lifetimes ago) the wonderful British comedy Genevieve which seems today totally forgotten?
There was mention of a Kay Kendall in a previous post that I can’t find at the moment. I see that she was in the film Les Girls with Gene Kelly and Mitzi Gaynor. What happened to Ms. Kendall as I my recall that she died about the time this film was being shown at RCMH?
“Call CEO Jim Dolan at
(516) 803-1002.
Tell him you demand the real Radio City orchestra, not canned music.”
Vito: I think this name and phone number bears repeating!
BoxOfficeBill: Thanks for posting the 1957 RCMH programs. Really neat to see!
Vincent: “Each employee should get a SAAB for their Christmas bonus.” I agree and I even personally know a Saab dealer though he is in Erie PA and not NYC!
The Christmas show seems to have more corporate sponsors than a worlds fair with a potential gross from ticket sales alone of 21 million a week(not including premium priced ducats. In saner times these were simply the reserved seats on the first mezz.)
Each employee should get a SAAB for their Christmas bonus.
Cold shivers run through Radio City Christmas show
By Elizabeth LeSure
NEW YORK Radio City Music Hall’s famed “Christmas Spectacular” may have a different ring this year. Management promised ticketholders Thursday that the show will go on but the leggy Rockettes might have to dance to canned music as the result of a musicians strike.
A preseason performance Wednesday was canceled and ticketholders left disappointed as several dozen musicians staged a picket line outside the Manhattan landmark. Stagehands walked out in support.
“We are going to hope that cool heads prevail and that everybody involved will find a way to get the show back,” said David Lennon, president of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians.
At issue are salaries and overtime pay. The orchestra’s contract expired in May. Lennon blamed Radio City Entertainment, which produces the Christmas show, for the subsequent breakdown in talks.
In a statement, Radio City Entertainment said the union walked away from the negotiating table and was holding hostage “the ‘Christmas Spectacular,’ its 300-member cast and crew as well as hundreds of thousands of patrons.” No meetings between management and labor are scheduled.
The union accuses Cablevision Systems, which operates Radio City, of vastly underpaying musicians who put on several shows a day throughout the holiday season. Radio City responds that it offered the musicians increases in salary and benefits “over what is already the most lucrative contract in the industry.”
The labor strife has cast a cloud of uncertainty over the “Christmas Spectacular” ? a show that has entertained children and adults for seven decades. People pay up to $250 a ticket to watch the Rockettes high-kick to Christmas tunes.
“We have the whole night to do absolutely nothing,” said Alaura Imperioli, 16, of the Bronx, who had planned to see the canceled Wednesday night.
Lennon said the union-represented Rockettes were supporting the musicians in their walkout but Radio City officials said that was not the case and suggested there is a no-strike provision in the Rockettes' contract.
The Rockettes reached a contract agreement with Radio City Entertainment last month. A message left for the union representing the Rockettes, the American Guild of Variety Artists, was not immediately returned.
More than a dozen Broadway musicals went dark in March 2003 for four days after the musicians' union walked out, and theaters lost millions in revenue. But when the union struck the New York City Ballet in 2000, performances of “The Nutcracker” went on as scheduled with taped music.
Last week, hundreds of musicians and supporters held a boisterous, music-filled protest on Sixth Avenue in front of Radio City Music Hall.
Union negotiator Mark Johansen said previously that Radio City Entertainment was trying to cut the musicians' base pay of $133 per show, which he said was about $40 less than what standard Broadway musicians are paid. At the height of the Christmas season, the orchestra works as many as six 90-minute shows every day ? at overtime pay beyond the first two. The musicians must play at least 12 shows a week.
On average, Johansen said, a musician doing 150 of about 200 shows in the run would make about $25,000; orchestra members also receive very basic year-round health benefits.
Here’s a Program from August 1957:
View link
View link
“Carefree” might have lasted only a week, but “Silk Stockings†ran for six weeks in ‘57. It was yet another in a quartet of big musicals that played at RCMH that year, ushering the two named to follow on the announcement page. I’m not sure anyone knew that it would be Astaire’s last musical. The stage show’s salute to the USAF brought a Wright Bros.’ model B to the footlights, along with an original Sousa-like composition by RCMH’s music arranger Rayburn Wright (no relation to the Bros.?); athletic high leaps by Conrad Ludlow, a Balanchine protégé and principal dancer from the NY City Ballet; a full range of sound effects mouthed by Wes Harrison, who regularly deployed his lip-talent for Disney and Tom ‘n’ Jerry cartoons; accompanying mimes by circus-clown George Carl; andâ€"staggering if true, a show to wake the deadâ€"an appearance (on film?) by Robert Goddard, a contemporary of Lindbergh and a pioneer rocket scientist who died in 1945. But what I remember most was a series of blasts that rocked the huge auditorium every fifteen minutes or so. On the NW corner of 50th and Sixth, excavations were underway for the foundation of the Time-Life Building which would rise within the year. Ker-Bam. Ker-Boom. Ker-Shudder.
From what I read today the virtual orchestra is a recording of a 55 piece orchestra. Is this possible that other musicians would do this to their own union collegues?
UPDATE
I just spoke with a reliable source who told me last night preview show was cancelled, however in spite of the fact that they do not have a contract, have decided to play today in the spirt of the tradition of the Christmas show and for the many people who have tickets to todays performances. Although the first show is 11AM it is unclear wheather or not Radio City will allow them to play or go on with their plan to use canned music. However, in light of the solidarity issue I can’t imagine that will happen.
Congrats to Local 802 for their dedication to the people of New York in the decision to continue to work this problem out and not strike
today. Radio City, the ball in in your court.
Oh Denpiano that’s great! I was hoping for solidarity.
It sounds as if there will be a contract for the musicians by the start of todays show. Please keep us posted, I am going to try and swing by there today.
>>Fascinating that two of Hepburns greatest Holiday and Bringing up Baby only played a week each. They both seemed perfect choices.
These pictures came out during Hepburn’s “box office poison” period; big flops in their day but now considered classics.
The Rockettes and stagehands walked out last night in solidarity,
today will tell if there indeed will be a show this year.
They cancelled the Christmas Show tonight because the Musician’s Local 802 went on Strike. Looks like they will be using Recorded music for the performances till the musicians return.
Warren: What a neat b/w photo! Thanks so much as all RCMH fans will enjoy seeing it!
Anybody else remember the Christmas show from ‘71 with a circus theme where there was a trapeze act over the orchestra pit? They had cut holes in the first arch so that they could hang the equipment which was the only time I remember the auditorium being modified in any way. What goes on today would be considered unthinkable.
The orchestra was on stage so that the sunken pit had a net in it.
Having the act in effect in the house itself made it seem all the more dangerous.
Yes, sounds like a great book. I hope it’s the definitive one. So many stars bios are just parts of their lives, either their work or private life. Nice to read a book that explores everything, warts and all.
Warren: Thanks for the plug! It’s always nice to chat with an author! I will consider purchasing “Clark Gable: A Biography” by Warren G. Harris!
Clark Gable starred at the Music Hall in Adventure(one of only two at the Hall?)This film for some reason began Greer Garson’s(the Music Hall greatest star)descent in popularity while not affecting Gable at all according to Warren in his book on Gable.
I only saw one Garson film there “The Happiest Millionaire."
It would be interesting if somebody would compile a list of movies stars films which had their New York premieres at the Hall and the length of the engagements.
Fascinating that two of Hepburns greatest Holiday and Bringing up Baby only played a week each. They both seemed perfect choices.