Branson Gets A Kick Out Of Those `Missouri Natives,' The Rockettes

BRANSON, Mo. - Their kicks are definitely high enough and their costumes bear that unmistakable Rockette sparkle. There's just one problem: THIS AIN'T NOO YAWK CITY!

So what brings the legendary dance troupe of Radio City Music Hall to the middle of America's heartland? Like Starbucks and L.L. Bean, the Rockettes have long ago spread beyond their native Big Apple, to Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, South Carolina, even Mexico City (in a Spanish version).

And in Branson, this particular set of Rockettes is just winding up a relentless holiday-season routine of three shows a day, six days a week for five weeks.

The "Christmas Spectacular" show is in its sixth season at the Grand Palace theater.

And while Branson is known more for its slower guitar-plucking acts, Rockette fever has a grip on the place. By the end of this season, nearly 850,000 people will have seen them here.

"It's refreshing to see something different. The Osmonds will always be my favorite, but I do love those Rockettes," said Florence Haberman of Nashville, who had no trouble getting into the holiday spirit even while temperatures rose above 65 degrees one recent evening.

The troupe expanded its Christmas show beyond New York six years ago.

"There were over a million people coming to see the show in New York; over 180 performances during a 10-week period. We were literally at maximum capacity," said Michael Fiur, a vice president at Radio City Entertainment in New York.

"Branson was a logical place to take it. They have a heavily Christian audience, one that can appreciate the show's themes," he said. "The show also does well with the older crowds who like to bring their children and grandchildren as sort of a tradition. You can't get any more family-oriented than Branson."

Nowadays, a Rockette doesn't know where she'll be doing a show. Auditions are held around the country and training usually is held closer to the theater where shows take place. Dancers don't always get to choose where they want to go.

"When they hired me, they just told me I was going to Branson," said Chrystie Kenny, a first-year Rockette from Albany, N.Y. "It's nice here. I haven't gotten out to see many of the other shows, but the shopping is fabulous."

The Rockette mold

OK, so they're not all molded out of the Rockette factory in Radio City, but you can't tell by looking at them. The women forming the 36-leg human chain, in their sequins and red velvet, look no different from their New York counterparts - or each other.

Looking the same is a time-honored tradition for the synchronized dancers. Each is athletic, trim and meets the height requirement (5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 9 inches).

"The women are so well-trained by the time they perform that they become like one. They glory in looking and being the same," said dance captain Stacy Brush.

Another big difference between the original and the traveling shows is that instead of a live orchestra, producers on the road use canned music. But last year Los Angeles audiences were so upset that producers opted to hire live talent this season.

St. Louis debut

The Radio City Rockettes, considered the longest running act in show business, originally were called the "Missouri Rockettes" and made their show business debut in St. Louis in 1925.

Their creator, Russell Markert, said he got the idea from the Ziegfeld Follies.

"I thought to myself, if I ever get a chance to get a group of American girls who would be taller and have longer legs and could do really complicated tap routines and eye-high kicks . . . they'd knock your socks off!" he once said.

S.L. "Roxy" Rothafel later discovered them and made them an integral part of his Radio City Music Hall routine.

Markert's stringent standards are still upheld. His concept of the dance line entailed absolute precision; the audience was to see the line always moving as one dancer.

"Even out in Texas, everyone knows about the Rockettes," said Renee Himel of Dallas, who is dancing her fourth season in Branson. "I used to watch them on television when I was young. I was thrilled to death even to get to audition."