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The journey for theatrical tours of "The Radio City Christmas Spectacular" begin with rehearsals in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and this year takes one company through Pittsburgh.
Where: Benedum Center, Downtown.
When: Tonight though Dec. 6, times and shows vary. www.radiocitychristmas.com/nationaltour/pittsburgh.html.
Tickets: Peak hours, $35.50-$120.50; non-peak hours $30.50-$120.50. 412-456-4800 or www.radiocitychristmas.com.
Before the cast, animal trainers and traveling crew members hit the road, though, securing a hometown crew is just part of the preparation -- and part of the reason it was an easy decision to return to Pittsburgh after just four years, said Gary Memi, director of touring productions/associate producer for MSG Entertainment.
The requests, though, aren't always that simple.
To host the nativity scene that incorporates live animals, a city has to meet their unique requirements.
• Theatrical tour: two tours in two cities each. (Arena tour: 31 cities.)
• Trucks to take the tour on the road: 18 53-footers.
• Running time: Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, with no intermission.
• Cast: 55 -- including 22 Rockettes (18 plus four swings), 14 singers and dancers, two children, four little people and one Santa Claus -- rehearse for three weeks before the first performance.
• Crew: More than 100 to set up the stage over five and a half days, then perform five days of light and sound checks before dress rehearsal.
• Longest-running numbers: "The Parade of Wooden Soldiers" and "The Living Nativity" have been part of Radio City's holiday tradition since 1933.
• New number: "We Put the Holiday Spirit in Christmas" was written for this production.
• Teddy bears: A tribute to Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," portrayed as a "Teddy Bear's Dream," features 19 teddy bears. Each bear costume weighs 30 to 60 pounds.
• Little people: Four little people appear as baby bears in the "Nutcracker," as dancing snowmen and as Santa's elves.
• Live animals: "The Living Nativity" features two camels, four sheep and a donkey.
• Costumes: More than 300 costumes and 200 hats; the Rockettes have seven costume changes.
• Rockette requirements: Height: Must stand between 5 feet 6 and 5 feet 101/2. Age: Must be 18 by August of current year.
• Performer requirements, children: Girls must be between 10 and 14 years old and 4-feet-10 and under. Boys must be between 7 and 14 and be 4-feet-10 and under.
• Performer requirements, little people: Adults 4-feet-10 and under.
• Followers on Twitter: Nearing 1,300 (http://twitter.com/rockettes)
"Right from the start, the special prep includes getting permits for having animals," Memi said. "Then we have to find a vendor for the fresh pine shavings [used as animal bedding]. That's easier in some places, where there's an agricultural base, than others. Like in Pennsylvania, it's easy. But in places like Chicago or even Florida, there's not as much access to something like that."
There's also the matter of "waste management that will handle animals."
Hotel rooms are an obvious requirement, and so is catering, which isn't as easy as it sounds.
"We often have caterers say no problem, we've handled big groups. We've handled tours of the Stones, 'The Lion King.' But our show is just massive." They get over the shock quickly, though.
It takes more than 10 days to prep the Benedum Center before dress rehearsals can begin. With the experienced crew in Pittsburgh, the work was ahead of schedule last Friday, Memi said.
Once the show is under way, "There are a few things that I look for that show me that the cast and crew is in sync and in a good place," he said. One is the lighting for the Rockettes' "Wooden Soldiers" number.
"One is that we have a grand Santa entrance. The first time that we see Santa, there's kind of a surprise involved and I don't want to spoil it, but when that goes on without a hitch, it's usually a good signifier that we're on a roll."
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