The Rockettes are kicking off a sexy new look.
Here is a sneak peak at what the leggy ladies will be wearing for the high-stepping troupe’s opening number of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, which premieres on Nov. 3.
As modeled here by gorgeous, high-kickin’ Amanda Kloots (above), the sequined leotards have an antique, 1920s look, with a champagne-colored star motif emblazoned on the chest. It harness back to when the group was called Missouri Rockets, playing dance halls in St. Louis in 1925. They made their New York debut in 1932.
But never before has a Rockette revealed this much skin.
“We were trying to come up with a new, sexier look and give them something more cocktail-like where you can see their body,” says Cory Ching, associate costume designer.
“It’s going to be stunning when all 36 women are in a line and you just see the snowflakes across everyone’s chests.”
Kloots, a Radio City Rockette who hails from Canton, Ohio, was positively glowing in her new ensemble.
“It’s just beautiful; it’s glamorous,” she said. “I feel like a larger than life doll.”
The show-stopping outfit, crafted in Las Vegas by Broadway costume designer Gregg Barnes, can be worn different ways, with a stunning, intricately crafted bolero or with long, elegant, sequined gloves.
The outfits “really define this whole new direction that we are going into with the Christmas show,” says John Bonanni, executive producer.
“It’s a very contemporary look at tradition. It centers on gold and the warmth of gold. There seems to be a movement of the colors of Christmas changing – with more muted reds and olives. I think we’ve captured that.”
Along with the new costumes will be a new set. In the opener, a 70-foot-wide sign, suspended in mid-air, will spell out “ROCKETTES.”
The statuesque stunners will then emerge, descend a glowing staircase and dance to the tap number “Deck the Hall.”