As a member of the Monroe-Woodbury Voice Ensemble, I had the honor of performing at the annual Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular when we opened for The Rockettes on Wednesday, December 5 in Manhattan. Since then, so many have asked me: “What was it like to perform on the same stage The Rockettes performed on?”
How did this happen?
A few weeks prior, Dr. Crone told us to learn the song “Carol of the Bells” well enough to record it the following day. As a soprano, I had the part that every person knows: the fast-paced melody. I’ll be the first to admit that the recording was not nearly as good as we usually sound. When Dr. Crone announced that Radio City invited us to open The Rockettes show, we were speechless.
How was the performance itself?
After a lengthy bus ride filled with anticipation, we arrived at Radio City Music Hall. The moment we got there we realized that 6,000 people is A LOT of people. The line wrapped around the building down a couple of blocks. The group of us followed a guide into the hall, where the view was the most unbelievable thing I have ever seen. At the time, the auditorium was empty, and then people flooded in, filling more seats than imaginable. We walked onto the stage, and the lights beamed down on us. We did our songs a capella.
“It was the best thrill I’ve had, better than the thrill of our concert even,” said Dr. Crone.
It’s a strange feeling to sing to that many strangers, but when they started applauding, I felt so accomplished.
What happened after?
After our performance, we were led to our seats and watched the rest of the show for free. The show was about 90 minutes long, with tons of different acts. I had never seen The Rockettes perform, so this was the best first experience. When the show was over, I was standing in the lounge waiting for everyone to gather together, and a woman, who had no connection to any of the Voice Ensemble members, approached me and told me how great we were.
Our performance is one I will never forget, and I am forever grateful to have had that opportunity. Now, I have bragging rights for at least 12 years.
