ReportWire

Tag: Radio City Rockettes

  • Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to kick off in Manhattan

    [ad_1]

    Dozens of balloons and floats filled the streets of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Many of the familiar balloon favorites like Marshall, the Dalmatian from Paw Patrol, and Dora the Explorer are joined by new friends this year like Buzz Lightyear, Pac-Man, and Mario. Creative new floats were on display along Central Park, giant Lebubus, and *** demogorgon from the. Down delighted the crowds. The parade is just such *** great part of New York and it’s such *** great part of history. It’s the greatest show on Earth, and we’re just so lucky to be part of it. April Rubens Stone raced to the front of the viewing line, eager to keep the decades-long tradition going. It doesn’t matter what age you are, it’s for everybody. For others, seeing the parade is *** once in *** lifetime opportunity. They couldn’t wait to. Growing up seeing this on television, I had always wished to come and see one live, so this is definitely on my bucket list and pressing it out. I’ve wanted to do it for 25 years to come and watch them blow up the floats, and we finally said let’s do it. While everyone has something unique they’re eager to see in the parade, one common thread connects them all. I’m thankful for. Uh, my family and my 90 year old mother. Thankful for our family and for everyone’s health. This is our first Thanksgiving as *** family of four, so he’s got *** little brother. Are you thankful for your little brother? In New York, I’m Lee Waldman.

    Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to kick off in Manhattan

    Updated: 7:10 AM EST Nov 27, 2025

    Editorial Standards

    The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off Thursday in New York City, with new balloons depicting Buzz Lightyear and Pac-Man set to take to the skies and floats featuring Labubu and Lego gracing the streets.The parade is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. EST, rain or shine, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and will end at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.It’s expected to be a chilly day in the city, with temperatures in the 40s, but wind gusts between 25 mph and 30 mph will make it feel colder, according to David Stark, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York.Officials are watching the forecast closely, since city law prohibits Macy’s from flying full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or wind gusts are over 35 mph. Weather has grounded the balloons only once, in 1971, but they also sometimes have soared lower than usual because of wind.Authorities will decide Thursday morning whether any balloon adjustments are needed, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. The parade has been a magnet for protests in the last two years, when pro-Palestinian protesters entered the parade route. Police “are prepared to address that and any other situations that come our way,” Tisch said.A star-studded lineup of performances will be sprinkled throughout the show, along with a slew of marching bands, dancers and cheerleaders. Performers include “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo, Conan Gray, Lainey Wilson, Foreigner, Lil Jon, and Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the heart of this year’s Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters.” The Radio City Rockettes also will be there, as will cast members from Broadway’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time” and “Ragtime.”All told, the parade is expected to feature dozens of balloons, floats, clown groups and marching bands — all leading the way for Santa Claus. Among the new balloons being featured is a large onion carriage featuring eight characters from the world of “Shrek.” “KPop Demon Hunters” will also be represented in the sky with the characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.The event will air on NBC, hosted by Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker from “Today” and their former colleague Hoda Kotb. On Telemundo, the hosts will be Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.The parade is also being simulcast on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.

    The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off Thursday in New York City, with new balloons depicting Buzz Lightyear and Pac-Man set to take to the skies and floats featuring Labubu and Lego gracing the streets.

    The parade is scheduled to start at 8:30 a.m. EST, rain or shine, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and will end at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.

    It’s expected to be a chilly day in the city, with temperatures in the 40s, but wind gusts between 25 mph and 30 mph will make it feel colder, according to David Stark, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in New York.

    Officials are watching the forecast closely, since city law prohibits Macy’s from flying full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or wind gusts are over 35 mph. Weather has grounded the balloons only once, in 1971, but they also sometimes have soared lower than usual because of wind.

    Authorities will decide Thursday morning whether any balloon adjustments are needed, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

    The parade has been a magnet for protests in the last two years, when pro-Palestinian protesters entered the parade route. Police “are prepared to address that and any other situations that come our way,” Tisch said.

    A star-studded lineup of performances will be sprinkled throughout the show, along with a slew of marching bands, dancers and cheerleaders. Performers include “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo, Conan Gray, Lainey Wilson, Foreigner, Lil Jon, and Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the heart of this year’s Netflix hit “KPop Demon Hunters.” The Radio City Rockettes also will be there, as will cast members from Broadway’s “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Just in Time” and “Ragtime.”

    All told, the parade is expected to feature dozens of balloons, floats, clown groups and marching bands — all leading the way for Santa Claus. Among the new balloons being featured is a large onion carriage featuring eight characters from the world of “Shrek.” “KPop Demon Hunters” will also be represented in the sky with the characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.

    The event will air on NBC, hosted by Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker from “Today” and their former colleague Hoda Kotb. On Telemundo, the hosts will be Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.

    The parade is also being simulcast on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: How to watch, start time, where to stream and more

    [ad_1]

    Every holiday has corresponding must-watch TV associated with it, from It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown at Halloween, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer at Christmas, and the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airing on the last Thursday in November.

    This year marks the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the festivities begin at 8:30 a.m. ET this Thursday, Nov. 27. The parade will be broadcast on NBC and streams live – with a three-angle multi-view option – on Peacock. Performers will include Wicked‘s Cynthia Erivo, Lainey Wilson, Ciara, and more. Oh, and if you’ve got KPop Demon Hunters fans in your life, not only will there be balloons featuring Derpy and Sussie, the parade will feature a performance by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X.

    Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade live this week, and how to catch the encore if you miss it.

    When is the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

    The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is held this year – and every year – on Thanksgiving Day. This year, the parade is on Thursday, November 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT. There will be an encore broadcast at 2 p.m. ET/PT.

    How long is the Macy’s Parade?

    The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will last roughly 3.5 hours, ending at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. An encore broadcast will air on NBC at 2 p.m. ET/PT.

    What channel is the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on?

    The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will air on NBC and stream on Peacock on Thanksgiving Day from 8:30 a.m. to noon in all time zones. An encore airing of the parade will also begin at 2 p.m. on NBC. If you have access to live TV, you may be able to watch NBC for free over the air. If not, here’s what we recommend for how to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

    How to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade without cable:

    Walmart+ members get free Peacock Premium (or Paramount+ Essential) included in their membership at no additional cost. A monthly subscription to Walmart+ costs $12.99, and an annual plan usually costs $98, but right now, you can get half off an annual membership. That means you’ll pay just $49 for Peacock and perks like five free months of Apple Music, discounts on Cinemark movie theater memberships, free shipping and delivery on Walmart purchases, discounts on gas and more.

    Peacock is home to all kinds of original content, from Emmy Award-winning reality series The Traitors to Poker Face and Twisted Metal. The platform has an impressive library of shows from NBC and Bravo, thousands of movies, and live sports, including the 2026 Super Bowl.

    While a regular Peacock subscription is $10.99 for a Premium Plan and goes up to $16.99 for the ad-free Premium Plus plan, you get an ad-supported subscription for free if you’re a Walmart+ subscriber.

    $49 at Walmart+

    Image for the mini product module

    Who is performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

    Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will open the parade, which will also feature performances from Country artist Lainey Wilson, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI (the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters), Drew Baldridge, Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, Meg Donnelly, Mr. Fantasy, Foreigner, Debbie Gibson, Mickey Guyton, Christopher Jackson, Jewel, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Darlene Love, Roman Mejia, Taylor Momsen, Tiler Peck, the Radio City Rockettes, Busta Rhymes, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith, Luísa Sonza and Teyana Taylor.

    There will also be performances from the Broadway casts of Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time and Ragtime.

    What floats are in the Macy’s parade this Thanksgiving?

    There will be 32 balloons, three “balloonicles,” 27 floats, 33 clown groups, 11 marching bands and plenty of performances at the 2025 Macy’s parade.

    2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade new floats

    Six new floats are debuting at this year’s parade:

    • The Land of Ice & Wonder by Holland America Line

    • Brick-tastic Winter Mountain by The LEGO Group

    • Master Chocolatier Ballroom by Lindt

    • Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things by Netflix

    • Friends-giving in POPCITY by Pop Mart

    • The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator by Serta.

    2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade balloons

    In 2025, there will be four new featured character balloons making their debut in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade:

    • Buzz Lightyear by Pixar Animation Studios

    • PAC-MAN by Bandai Namco Entertainment America, Inc.

    • Shrek’s Onion Carriage from Universal Pictures’ DreamWorks Animation;

    Derpy Tiger and Sussie from Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters will also join the line-up as a mid-sized balloon and balloonicle.

    Who is hosting this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?

    Today’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker of The Today Show will host NBC’s broadcast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade again this year.

    Ways to watch the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade free:

    Want to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thanksgiving football and more on live TV this holiday season for free? Here are a few platforms offering free trials around this time of year.

    Image for the mini product module
    Image for the mini product module
    Image for the mini product module

    [ad_2]

    Danica Creahan,Liz Kocan

    Source link

  • College Students In Boston Studying How To Dance Like A Rockette

    College Students In Boston Studying How To Dance Like A Rockette

    [ad_1]

    BOSTON (AP) — Rhapsody Stiggers has been dancing since she was 2, but the 20-year-old college junior has never taken a dance class quite as challenging as the one she’s in now.

    She is one of 38 students at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee enrolled in the first for-credit college dance class taught by the Radio City Rockettes, the precision dance team famous for its annual high-kicking “Christmas Spectacular,” seen by more than 69 million people since 1933.

    The class, taught by a current Rockette, focuses on their meticulously precise technique, based on tap, ballet and jazz, in which the dancers move and kick in perfect synchronicity. The course also teaches strength training, choreography and lessons that can be applied to pretty much any dance genre.

    “What’s unique about this class is the level of technicality,” said Stiggers, originally from St. Paul, Minnesota. She said she’s skilled in ballet, modern, jazz, salsa, West African and improvisation, but “no other style of dance really emphasizes the precision of every single body part.”

    “Like the Rockettes, we have to know exactly where our eye is, or where they’re pointing, or where the fingers are pointing, or how extended they are. So in that sense it is more difficult than other styles that I have done in the past,” she said.

    38 students at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee are learning to do the high kicks made famous by the Radio City Rockettes (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

    It’s one of the most popular dance classes this semester at the performing arts school founded in 1867. Slots filled up fast and though enrollment was originally capped at 30, there were 38 students ultimately allowed in, said Mila Thigpen, chair of dance at the conservatory.

    Their instructor is Amarisa LeBar, who has been a Rockette for about five years. LeBar, 25, of Iselin, New Jersey, started teaching at her mother’s dance studio at 16, but finds sharing the Rockettes’ style with college students definitely more intense.

    “Teaching on a Rockette level is completely different and is a lot more difficult to do because we really tune into the perfection of our movement,” LeBar said.

    The students also get a sense of the teamwork Rockettes develop while rehearsing six hours per day, six days a week.

    “So to be a Rockette, first off you have to have a love of wanting to work together as a team,” said Julie Branam, director and choreographer of the “Christmas Spectacular.” She started as a dancer 36 years ago.

    “Sometimes it can be very tedious,” Branam said. “We’re checking what 36 people do in that line over and over again, to say ‘Is you’re head at the same angle? Is you arm at the same height?’ So it’s the willingness of wanting to work as one to make the effort of the 36 look beautiful.”

    The college-level class is an extension of the Rockettes’ dancer development program, which includes invitation-only summer training for promising dancers. The partnership is a natural, Thigpen said.

    “We have very similar core values,” she said. “Both the Rockettes and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee have a very long history, and as much as we have to celebrate in our history, we also are both thinking about how we evolve and push both dance education and the profession of dance.”

    Stiggers has been so inspired that she may audition for the Rockettes someday.

    “It’s a just fun thing to strive for,” she said. “If I don’t apply or get in, it’s still useful knowledge that I’ve learned that can carry on into the rest of my career.”

    This story has been updated to correct that Julie Branam started as a dancer with the Rockettes 36 years ago, not 26.

    [ad_2]

    Source link