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Second, its city-block-size lobby has a popcorn counter, which is very difficult to walk past.
Thus, as in Tolkien, a fellowship.
I spent much of the time watching the show, and some of the time watching them.
The grown-ups follow the story, but the kids follow the details.
Also, despite conventional wisdom, children arent all that bothered about being bored.
Adults watch; childrennotice.
Its humbling how much more they saw than I did.
For the record, wed seen a lot.
Presents tumble off his sleigh and into the air, seemingly in front of us.
Indeed, the show makes constant reference to tradition, with dashes of the old to season the new.
When they get to the stage version of Times Square, the billboards light up with product placement.
There is also a small playlet, in which two brothers discover the meaning of Christmas.
And, of course, theres dancing.
And ultimately, for me, that everything-ends-with-a-big-finish quality is why the show felt long and rather tiring.
On a conceptual level, there was a similar sense of the … inescapable.
After the show, we had a discussion about what wed seen.
Here, with some light editing, is that conversation.
CAST:
Alice, 5 years old.
Has seen the show once before.
Medium-squirmy during the show, but participating fully, diving for ribbons when they fell from the ceiling.
Penny, 10 years old.
Has seen the show once before.
Ambivalent, cautious, but very eager to stay fair and to give the show its due.
Dad: Their dad; has seen the show four times.
Vultures critic: a newbie.
Interior, a cafe near Radio City Music Hall.
Dad:Hot chocolates coming up.
Oh, God, what a day!
Vulture:Whatd you think of the show?
Dad:Youre recording this?
Vulture:[Waves cell phone.]
Dad: Im an old-fashioned guy; I like the high kicking.
And my favorite part is the Toy Soldiers.
Those are theoldbits, and I felt they were drowned out by the rest of the stuff.
Alice:The dominoes were pretty good.
I like the high kicking and their dresses.
Vulture:Which dresses in particular?
Alice:Well, I do like the dresses that have all the colors like swirling like a painting.
They have all the colors on them and the light around at the end.
Dad:This one loves to dance.
Alice, as a dancer is this [Rockettes-style] the kind of dancing you do?
Alice:I dont really do tap.
Penny:She does more freestyle and twirling and sometimes [thoughtfully] high kicking.
Vulture:Penny, do you have a favorite part?
Penny:I dont know if I really had a favorite part.
I liked the Ben and Patrick scene of the nonbeliever.
I think there could have been people who would say, I hate that part, and I didnt!
Vulture:Alice, I noticed you liked the projections.
Alice:It gives you so much to look at!
Vulture:Is that good or bad?
Alice:Thats good.
[Everyone sips hot chocolate.]
Did you like the religion thing?
Dad:Not really, no.
Dad:Okay, okay.
Penny:I think the reason this show is so popular is because humans are interested in the exotic.
Penny:The exotic.
Both adults:The exotic?
Vulture:Is there anything else you want to tell people?
Alice:That its really good!
They are really nice dresses and you should really like it.
Penny:If youre into ballet and dad jokes then you should go.
Vulture:I see, Alice, that youve got a ribbon that fell from the ceiling.
Theres a lot of that stuff in this show.
Do you feel thats a real selling point?
Alice:[Nods.]
Penny:You know, I dont get why we like things coming out of the sky.
If a meteor fell from the sky, would we be so happy?
Alice:DAD DAD DAD DAD
Penny:I mean, the dinosaurs werent so happy.
