Radio City Music Hall

Vincent: YES! Thank you for that great description. THAT’S the Nativity I remember so well. That friggin' thing would give me goose pimples when I was a kid. And THE BLUE LIGHT!!!! That was one of the most amazingly beautiful things I have EVER seen and I’m not religous. It was dramatic and awe inspiring.

The show today is lame. Yes, the shepherds descend from the side flanks but it’s near the end. Then at the end, they do this weird scrolling story thing about the glory of Jesus while a narrator recites what’s written on the screen. I thought I was in the midwest (sorry.). One of the reasons I took my daughter to see it was that I assumed (wrongly) that it would be the same.

Why the HELL could they not have kept the original Nativity? Do you know when the one you and I saw was last performed?

Thanks again…

Vincent: hey, I was a kid and Mom paid admission so what did I care, right? In my mind, the Christmas show back then was excellent. It was a great thing to go see. We never got reservations and always got great seats OR we’d move to another section after the first show (or movie) to see it again even better. Best deal in the city by far. Yeah, I had to sit through some less than desirable movies (“Slipper and the Rose” stands out in my mind as one of the worst I had to endure) but the show and the Music Hall made it all worthwhile.

People today have asked me what I thought of the show and all I could think of was that it seemed like one of those shows you see at Disney World or such with much more exhorbitant admission price.

I’m not sure how events are booked at the Music Hall these days but whom ever is doing it probably doesn’t care about the quality as long as whatever the venue is, it brings in $$$. I know that it’s somehow tied into The Theater at Madison Square Garden now.

No CConnolly, $7 would have been considerd an outrageous admission price. Top general admission,including all of the orchestra from 70 to 76 would have been from $3 to $4. The Music Hall while still in its movie phase prided itself on popular prices(when was the last time you saw that term used?)

Warren: not to sound cynical but the cut rate deals are often for off peak dates and/or times (typically before Thanksgiving or if after, for unpopular times like 9:00 AM or so…). I believe that after a certain point, every show is Peak and the discounts mean you get the dregs of the seating like the rear of the orchestra to the far right or left. I paid premium for the tickets because I used a certain credit card and was assured that they were great seats. They were mediocre at best. I can only imagine what the cut rate folks got.

Like RobertR says, during the 70’s, you could see the show any number of times for around $7. (I’m not sure of the exact price but I’m sure it wasn’t anything near to what I paid…)

It’s hard to believe we now pay $100 for what we used to spend $5 for with a movie.

Judging from how mediocre the Christmas show was, I could not agree with you more.

How amazing it would’ve been to have seen the shortened one that I remember so well (and saw every year when I was a kid) along with “The Spongebob Movie”!!! My daughter would’ve had a REAL treat.

Though she enjoyed the show overall, I could tell after 45 minutes or so, she was getting “itchy” as was I. Since there’s no story or anything, it’s hard to keep interested in one “spectacular” production number after another. There were at least three parts of it that I remember from when I saw it as a kid. The rest was filler to make people feel like they were getting their money’s worth.

“If only there was a fair balance between the "crap” and classic movies. "

On that note, I will completely agree with you. I don’t think it would be difficult to imagine the Music Hall filling up if every now and then they showed worthwhile. And I don’t mean just classic films. My feeling is that if they had been able to premiere and show, say, “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (very epic sized) it would have done pretty well. I for one would’ve loved to have seen it there. There are many times during the year where the offerings at RCMH are slim (not sure if it’s ever dark, though). But what movies do you think could or would fill up the Hall enough to warrant this? I don’t know anything about bookings and such so it would be hard to figure whether or not they’d be able to either make a profit or at least break even.

Well, I was there on Friday for the show and I hate to say Vincent’s right, but he is. They’re treating the place like it’s Madison Square Garden now. It’s still grand looking but it’s unique aspects that I remember (like the beautiful lounge) is not like it was. It’s got some of the art deco furnishings and such but whole areas are kept behind these partitions to store the overpriced krap souvenirs.

BUT….I think you have to understand the realities of a place like this now. In order for it to survive in some form, they have to do whatever they can to keep it going even if it means cheapening it’s heritage. Entertainment is not what it was 40 or 50 years ago. People don’t go to the movies like they used to even 20 years ago. Yeah, it’s a little nauseating when you think about “Dora the Explorer” playing the Music Hall and such. But it pays the rent and keeps the place alive. That is what we have to be thankful for.

Just another thing: my daughter was VERY impressed with the Music Hall. She could not believe that at one time they regularly showed movies there. And she made one point that was good for an eight year old. She asked why they have those awful looking hanging speakers and light holders above and to the side of the stage. Once she said that, I had to totally agree. There’s one huge set of speakers that comes down from the arch directly above the stage. I know they had to do that for sound and the concerts but it looks awful and kills the effect of the sunrise (sunset?). Either way, my daughter loved the place and especially the two organists. That was a neat touch. I didn’t know they still used the organs.

This is late notice but I just learned that there is a special one-hour program about Radio City Music Hall on WOR-TV (UPN network) tonight at 9:00pm.

The book is especially bittersweet as when it was written so many theaters were still standing in good condition including one of the 3 greatest the SF Fox. The epilogue of the book if I remember correctly is titled “An End to the Slaughter.” Well there was no end it just continued leaving us very few and some of those in perhaps non salvageable condition.

I read it years ago on microfilm. If your library has the Times on microfilm I believe you’ll find it in the Sunday edition after Millionaire opened. Maybe these old articles are available now on line? Also try to find Canby’s article on the Hall presentation of Singing in the Rain in ‘75. One of the best cinema experiences of my life as it was the first time I saw the film. I was seeing it exactly as people saw it in '52 and after seeing some truly bad early '70’s musicals at the Hall(it was as if they were made that bad on purpose. It couldn’t have been by accident) it was like being shot out of a canon.

Bosley Crowther’s reviews are some of the worst of all time. Check out his review of “Bonnie and Clyde” (you can read it online at NY Times.com). The guy sounds like a wind bag. But he did like “Citizen Kane” though which I found interesting…