Tickets Now Available for RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

MSG Entertainment has announced the 2011 Radio City Christmas Spectacular as a tradition is transformed with brand new state-of-the-art digital enhancements allowing Radio City to become the canvas of an immersive holiday experience. This year's production will feature a new 3DLive video game adventure, new Rockette performances, new musical compositions and heartwarming songs, dazzling new costumes and state-of-the-art technology alongside cherished numbers that have been featured in the show since 1933. The Christmas Spectacular will be transformed into an immersive digital landscape through digital projections, which will envelope the proscenium arches of the theater with projective imagery, and 3DLive, which will allow audiences to capture the energy of The Rockettes as their world-famous precision dance technique comes alive in this unprecedented new scene.

Director and Choreographer of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Linda Haberman, is the driving force behind the production and this year she has collaborated with some of the most credible entertainment based technology companies to see her creative vision become a reality. Through this artistic synergy, Haberman has been able to realize her vision and give the designers perspective and latitude from a creative standpoint.

"With the everyday growth of technology there is an abundance of new and innovative ways to now enhance live productions. The production's new technology features are going to bring the Christmas Spectacular to a whole new level and make our audience feel even closer to the show," said Linda Haberman. "We are introducing technology components that have never been done before in a live theater setting and will showcase The Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular in a ground-breaking way while still honoring traditional elements of the show."

Haberman teamed up with Reel FX, an award-winning animation, visual effects, and design studio with 3D expertise, to tell the story behind the new Rockette 3DLive video game adventure scene. Through 3DLive technology, Reel FX was able to use stereoscopic imagery as a tool to blend the live action of The Rockettes with a computer generated world and make it feel as one. The term 3DLive was coined since the show incorporates 3D elements with live performance and is something that has never been done before in a live theatrical setting. This technology transforms the scene to make the audience feel as though they are part of the experience and immersed within the imagery from any seat location in the theater. To achieve the seamless 3DLive effect, Reel FX's stereoscopic process included extensive planning, collaboration and development with Haberman, from the look of the characters and environments to the way the dancers interacted with precisely calculated and varying depths of the animated 3D imagery.

In the 3DLive video game scene, a mother and daughter search for the perfect Christmas gift where The Rockettes star as the heroines of a video game adventure. Through 3D glasses, The Rockettes will take audiences on a magical journey battling "humbugs," gingerbread men, and an ice monster who have stolen all the Christmas toys. In the end, the mother and daughter share a heartwarming bond that embodies the spirit of Christmas.

"The idea behind 3DLive is to transform the scene and engage audiences on a whole new level scene by breaking down that fourth wall," explained Chuck Peil, vice president and executive entertainment producer of Reel FX. "Never before have we seen people interacting live on stage with stereoscopic content in such a convincing and seamless manner. It was a technical and creative challenge, but we feel as though we are pioneering something with this year's Christmas Spectactular. To be part of the creative process and to use this innovative technology within a space that holds such legacy as Radio City Music Hall is an honor and we are thrilled to be a part of it."

Additionally, this year the Christmas Spectacular will encapsulate the audiences as the scenes will extend off the stage through digital projection technology. To showcase this technology, Haberman enlisted multimedia design company, Batwin + Robin. Batwin + Robin was able to combine the new technologies of digital mapping and digital projections and created animated imagery spanning more than 180 feet of surface on the theater proscenium arches while synchronizing images with sequences playing on the stage's LED screens. The imagery will be projected on the existing Radio City LED screen along with a new mid-stage 3D LED wall, 2 LED side panels and the theater's scenic proscenium arch. All the projection surfaces, including on the stage and in the house, will collectively work together to seamlessly create an immersive visual experience.

To achieve the digital projections, a laser scan of Radio City was applied to create a 3D model of the theater. Along with custom programming software and the 3D model, animated sequences were able to be precisely placed onto any projection surface creating a dynamic video display. Audiences will be awe-inspired as traditional numbers including the "Living Nativity" is enhanced through these digital projections as the starry-night sky of Bethlehem envelopes the audience as well as Santa's workshop as audiences are transformed into the whimsical world of the North Pole in a way that only the magic of Santa himself can deliver.

"We became involved with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular more than ten years ago from designing and producing all the background elements for the LED screen to creating film elements and large videos. This year, we are thrilled to be part of this new edition of the Christmas Spectacular and working with all the designers and technical team of the production has been truly a rewarding creative experience," said Linda Batwin, principal and creative director of Batwin + Robin. "Through the collaboration of the 3D LED wall, the LED side panels and the digital projections, this technology is going to take the magic of the Christmas Spectacular, that once lived only on the stage, bring it into the audience and completely make you feel surrounded by the Christmas spirit."

Through these technological enhancements, the 2011 Christmas Spectacular will be the most innovative production to grace the Great Stage allowing audiences to feel as though they are part of the show without ever having to leave their seats.

The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, starring the Radio City Rockettes, will run from November 11, 2011 through January 2, 2012. Prices range from $45 - $125. A limited number of premium tickets are also available for all performances. Tickets are available online at www.radiocitychristmas.com http://www.radiocitychristmas.com/ or at the Radio City Box Office (50th Street and Avenue of the Americas). Box Office hours are Monday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets may also be purchased by calling the Ticketmaster Christmas Hotline at 1-866-858-0007 or at any Ticketmaster outlets. Ticket prices include a $4.50 facility charge. Tickets purchased via Ticketmaster are subject to service charges. Please call 1-866-858-0007 for more information.

MSG Entertainment (MSGE) is one of the country's leaders in live entertainment. MSG Entertainment creates, produces and/or presents a variety of live productions, including the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes. MSG Entertainment also presents or hosts other live entertainment events such as concerts, family shows and special events in MSG's diverse collection of venues. These venues include Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, the Chicago Theatre and the Wang Theatre. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com http://www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com/.