It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
In Las Vegas!
The Radio City Rockettes Iconic Precision
Choreography To Be Showcased In New Festive
Activation Featuring Dancing Wrapping 360 Degrees
Around the Venue
LAS
VEGAS and NEW YORK,
Nov. 28, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE: SPHR) ('Sphere
Entertainment') and Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.
(NYSE: MSGE) ('MSG Entertainment') announced today that the Radio
City Rockettes, the stars of the beloved Christmas Spectacular
Starring the Radio City Rockettes that runs annually at Radio
City Music Hall in New York, will
be featured daily throughout the holiday season on the Exosphere,
the fully programmable LED exterior of Sphere in Las Vegas. The festive Christmas
Spectacular activation debuted overnight, marking the first
time the Exosphere has featured dancing wrapped 360 degrees around
the venue. The content was developed in collaboration between
Sphere Entertainment and MSG Entertainment, both part of the MSG
family of companies.
"There is a magic here that we've created with Sphere, and there
is a magic that is created by the Rockettes every year in the
Christmas Spectacular," said Guy
Barnett, SVP, Brand Strategy & Creative Development,
Sphere Entertainment. "There is nothing more artful than the
Rockettes or more scientific than Sphere, so bringing these two
together on the Exosphere in such a unique way is the essence of
what we do here at Sphere – uniting art and science to bring wonder
to the world. This is particularly exciting because it is the most
complex combination of real-life footage and animated content we've
created for the Exosphere to date."
"Showcasing the Rockettes precision choreography in such a big
way on Sphere is a new first for the iconic dance company," said
Jessica Tuttle, SVP Productions, MSG
Entertainment. "This unique activation brings together two brands
in the MSG family of companies – one that has been bringing joy to
a million fans in New York City
annually for 90 years, and one that began enchanting audiences
worldwide earlier this year. Having the Rockettes appear as the
first live performers to be dancing on the Exosphere is another
example of how the Christmas Spectacular continues to push
the boundaries of entertainment."
The activation begins with the first Christmas ornament to be
displayed on the Exosphere. The top of the vibrant red and gold
ornament begins to spin off, revealing, in a nod to the "12 Days of
Christmas" number in the Christmas Spectacular, the
Rockettes' legs. As the top of the ornament continues to rise, the
Rockettes are revealed, at 125 feet tall performing their iconic
precision choreography that concludes with their beloved kickline,
while rotating around the Exosphere. The creative is meant to be
transparent, so the Rockettes backs are visible through Sphere,
marking the first time the technique has been utilized on the
immersive digital canvas. The ornament closes, and the iconic Radio
City Music Hall marquee appears in vibrant neon, replicating the
landmark venue in New York
City.
In order to achieve the continuous dancing, 15 Rockettes were
captured performing in groups of five, giving the Sphere Studios
team three clips that were composited together. Those composite
clips were then multiplied and stitched together to stretch all the
way around the Exosphere. Animated elements, including the ornament
and the Radio City Music Hall marquee were added, before a final
touch of sparkle behind the dancers.
"We are all about precision," said Danelle Morgan, Radio City Rockette, dance
captain and assistant choreographer. "But with Sphere, we really
need to make sure that every single thing – from the tip of our
finger to the height of our signature eye-high kicks – is
completely in sync because of the scale of the Exosphere. It's such
an honor to see the Rockettes on Sphere, spreading Christmas joy in
Las Vegas while we perform in the
Christmas Spectacular at our home in New York City."
The Rockettes footage was shot in New
York specifically for the Exosphere by a joint creative team
from Sphere Entertainment and MSG Entertainment. The content was
conceptualized, developed and created exclusively by Sphere
Studios. Behind-the-scenes video of the creation of this campaign
was captured in both New York and
Burbank, where Sphere Studios is based, highlighting the unique
process of shooting and building content for the Exosphere.
Since it was first illuminated on July
4, the Exosphere has captured worldwide attention for its
impactful visuals. The Exosphere is covered with nearly 580,000
square feet of fully programmable LED paneling, creating the
largest LED screen in the world. The Exosphere consists of
approximately 1.2 million LED pucks, spaced eight inches apart.
Each puck contains 48 individual LED diodes, with each diode
capable of displaying 256 million different colors – creating a
vivid new landmark on the Las
Vegas skyline.
A staple of the holidays in New York
City, the Christmas Spectacular stars the
incomparable Radio City Rockettes and features nine show-stopping
numbers throughout the 90-minute production. The awe-inspiring show
features intricate choreography and thrilling performances that
leave audiences with a sense of wonder and amazement. Since it
opened at Radio City in 1933, the Christmas Spectacular has
brought holiday joy to more than 70 million people from around the
world.
Founded in 1925, the Radio City Rockettes are the
longest-running precision dance company in America. The Rockettes
are world-renowned for their unity, athleticism and iconic
precision style combining elements of ballet, jazz, and tap, as
well as techniques of modern and contemporary dance. In addition to
the Christmas Spectacular, the Rockettes perform annually in
the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Christmas in Rockefeller
Center tree lighting, and have appeared as part of some of the
biggest events in entertainment, including the Tony Awards, the MTV
VMAs, the NYC Pride Parade, and "Saturday Night Live."
Tickets for the 2023 Christmas Spectacular start at
$49 and can be purchased online
at www.rockettes.com/christmas or at the Ticketmaster Box
Office at Radio City Music Hall (1260 6th Avenue between
50th and 51st Streets). Service charges apply
to internet orders. For groups of nine or more, please contact
the Group Sales department at 212-465-6080 or Group.Sales@msg.com.
For information about accessible performances, please visit
www.rockettes.com/Christmas/accessibility. Visit www.rockettes.com
for more information.
For photo and video assets, including a behind-the-scenes
look at how this content was created, please click
here.
About Sphere
Sphere is a next-generation entertainment medium that is redefining
the future of live entertainment. A venue where the foremost
artists, creators, and technologists will create extraordinary
experiences that take storytelling to a new level and transport
audiences to places both real and imagined. The venue will host
original Sphere Experiences from leading Hollywood directors; concerts and residencies
from the world's biggest artists; and premier marquee events. The
first Sphere venue opened in Las
Vegas in September 2023, and
is a new Las Vegas landmark,
powered by cutting-edge technologies that ignite the senses and
enable audiences to share experiences at a never-before-seen scale.
More information is available at thesphere.com.
About Sphere Entertainment
Sphere Entertainment Co. is a premier live entertainment and media
company. The Company includes Sphere, a next-generation
entertainment medium powered by cutting-edge technologies to
redefine the future of entertainment. The first Sphere venue opened
in Las Vegas in September 2023. In addition, the Company includes
MSG Networks, which operates two regional sports and entertainment
networks, MSG Network and MSG Sportsnet, as well as a
direct-to-consumer and authenticated streaming product, MSG+,
delivering a wide range of live sports content and other
programming. More information is available at
www.sphereentertainmentco.com.
About Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) is a
leader in live entertainment, delivering unforgettable experiences
while forging deep connections with diverse and passionate
audiences. The Company's portfolio includes a collection of
world-renowned venues – New York's
Madison Square Garden, The Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio
City Music Hall, and Beacon Theatre; and The Chicago Theatre – that
showcase a broad array of sporting events, concerts, family shows,
and special events for millions of guests annually. In addition,
the Company features the original production, the Christmas
Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes, which has been a
holiday tradition for 90 years. More information is available at
www.msgentertainment.com.
Contacts:
Sphere Entertainment /
spherepr@sphereentertainmentco.com
MSG Entertainment / msgepr@msg.com
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SOURCE Sphere Entertainment Co.