1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you should know from how Stuff Works 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: There's Charles W. Chuke Bryant. There's Jerry. Happy New Year. 4 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,520 Speaker 1: You are too tall to be a Rockett, aren't you? 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: Just barely? Jerry and I can be rockets and you can't. No, 6 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: it's true, which is a shame, because you have the 7 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: gams I do. Actually, I've got pretty decent legs. You know, 8 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: at least my calves are all right. What no thighs 9 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 1: they're a little tree trunky for for my taste. Yeah, 10 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,639 Speaker 1: I've got a bit of like a fertility idle thing 11 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: going on, like up tour the hips and all that. 12 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: M Yeah, well it's because of all those squats. I 13 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: was not expecting to talk about this about your gams. Yeah, well, 14 00:00:56,080 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: I'll talk about my legs all day long. Well, let's 15 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: hear it. They're shapely, Okay, they're they're not. I gained 16 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: all my weight between my waist and my chin. Uh huh, 17 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: Like I don't. If you looked at my legs in 18 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: my arms, you'd be like, think, I weighs a hundred 19 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: and sixty pounds and then the rest of me comes 20 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: along to bust that myth step aside, I still have 21 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: a nice little fanny. Sure everybody knows that. Sorry listeners 22 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: in the UK, Oh yeah, that means something different over there, doesn't. 23 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: It's just so dainty and nice that a little, a 24 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: little five year old kids can say fanny. In the 25 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: United States, it's just the Brits who are sick ghos. 26 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: But this isn't about our gams. This is about a 27 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: dance troup, A legendary dance troop. Yeah, about as legendary 28 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: as a dance troup can possibly be. Are the rockheads? 29 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: I think so? I just said that sentence like, Yota, 30 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 1: can you do the voice? No? No, no, not even 31 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: going to try. But this totally surprised me digging into 32 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: the research on this to to learn that the legendary 33 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: Rockets of New York City and Radio City Music Hall 34 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: are not from New York City. No, they're not. Where 35 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: are they from? Chuck? Did you know this? I had 36 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: no idea. Now, yeah, so shout out to St. Louis. Yeah. Uh. 37 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: They were founded in the nineteen twenties five, to be exact, 38 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: in St. Louis, Missouri as the Rockets, the St. Louis Rockets, 39 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: which I think they were trying to be a basketball team. 40 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: Maybe St. Louis Rockets. Sure. Yeah. There was a choreographer 41 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: named Russell Markert, which is uh, I kept wanting the 42 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,839 Speaker 1: same market, but that is an r. And he founded them, 43 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:55,639 Speaker 1: like you said in and he was he was inspired 44 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:00,960 Speaker 1: by a British dance troupe named the Tiller Girls, which 45 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 1: was founded in the by John Tiller, and it was 46 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: kind of a similar idea. He saw these Tiller Girls 47 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: and he was like, I want a high kicking, glamorous 48 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: theatrical dance troupe of my own. Yeah, so I'm gonna 49 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: rip it off. He did. Actually, so, John Tiller is 50 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: is um widely acknowledged as the the creator of what's 51 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: called precision dance, which is where you have a bunch 52 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: of dancers who are really highly trained, really athletic, and 53 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: really precise in their movements, UM that can move in 54 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 1: such unison that that you take a number, like a 55 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: number of different dancers and they basically become one thing 56 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: that's that can do things that an individual dancer can't do. 57 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: And that's precision dance technique. And John Tyler literally invented it. 58 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: With I think four ten year old girls in the 59 00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: eighteen nineties, and um, he came up with some further 60 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: refinements to it, like when you put your hand around 61 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:06,360 Speaker 1: the waists of the people on either side of you, 62 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: it kind of lends to the unity of the whole thing. 63 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: Um And and uh, Russell Maker Marcert saw this and 64 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,039 Speaker 1: was like, this is amazing. If I can get some 65 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: American girls with longer legs to kick higher, it'll knock 66 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: everybody's socks off. That's a quote, by the way. Yeah, 67 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: and there's a there's something to that, that synchronicity of 68 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 1: for me for movement and sound that just knocks me 69 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: out every time. Um, when I go and see a 70 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: a choir, what's like a hundred people singing together and 71 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:43,960 Speaker 1: high kicking, or or a symphony, just the not only 72 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:46,679 Speaker 1: the sound, but the movement when you watch a symphony, 73 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: that's a big part of it for me. Uh, forget 74 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 1: a coral symphony, Like I'm on the floor weeping if 75 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: you take me to a coral symphony. But there's something 76 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: about that precision of of all these people together. It's 77 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: just really like, I don't know what it is about it. 78 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: I mean, it's Uh, it's a collective voice or collective movement, 79 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: but it's that precision that really just gets gets me 80 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: every time for sure. Well that's what the Rockets are 81 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:18,680 Speaker 1: known for. It's their their trade is precision dance. They're 82 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: as good as it gets with it. Although the tailor 83 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 1: girls are definitely still around, they still have Christmas specials themselves, um, 84 00:05:25,920 --> 00:05:29,560 Speaker 1: and they're doing their thing for sure. So it's it's 85 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: not just an off hand thing to say the Rockets 86 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: are as good as it comes, as good as they 87 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: come in in precision dance, because the tailer girls would 88 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,680 Speaker 1: probably say, um, I would dispute that statement, but they 89 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:43,800 Speaker 1: would say it with a British accent, right, I just 90 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: be that statement. Uh. So they were not as tall 91 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: back then. The original height requirements were between five two 92 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: and five six and a half, and now they went, 93 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,360 Speaker 1: will take your tallest dancer and make them our shortest ancer, 94 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: because I guess it's just I don't know, I'm not 95 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: sure why they did that, but now it's between five 96 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,560 Speaker 1: six and five ten and a half. And it is 97 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:15,440 Speaker 1: not because they want to exclude people or any or 98 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: discriminate against people who are too tall or they feel 99 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: too short. But it's so they can just all look. 100 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: It's an optical illusion, so they can all look the 101 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: same height because they take that five ft ten and 102 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: a half inch dancer, although they don't have to be 103 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 1: that tall, but they take whoever their tallest. Answer is 104 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: put her right in the middle and then just stagger 105 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,799 Speaker 1: it out from there, and in the end everyone looks. 106 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: It's weird. Everyone looks to be the same height even 107 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: though they're not. I don't understand how this works. It's 108 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,279 Speaker 1: just I saw so many different places that I'm convinced 109 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:51,599 Speaker 1: that it does work. I just don't get the illusion 110 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,239 Speaker 1: of how how it works. Well, I think over four 111 00:06:55,279 --> 00:07:00,560 Speaker 1: inches and thirty six women, it's just so nut of 112 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: differences as you scale down that it would take I 113 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 1: guess a an extraordinary human to be like that woman 114 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: is an inch and a half taller than the one 115 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: five people away from her. You know, I got you. Yeah, 116 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: I guess that's true. So you're just a normal person, 117 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: is what I'm saying. Yeah, you should feel good about that. 118 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: I fall for that optical illusion every time. Yeah, everybody should. Um. 119 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: So they started with the Missouri Rockets with just sixteen women, 120 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: and like I said, now, they have thirty six and 121 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: they debuted in St. Louis, but then went to New 122 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: York to perform Rain or Shine on Broadway, and that 123 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: is where a man named s L. Roxy that was 124 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: his nickname, uh Rothafel, which is an interesting name. That's 125 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: where he saw them and said, Hey, I gotta get 126 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: in on this. This is amazing. Yeah. So Russell make 127 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: Markert took the idea from John Tiller, and Roxy Rothafel said, Hey, 128 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: I want in on this jam. So I'm gonna grab 129 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: a few of these dancers from St. Louis and bring 130 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: him over to New York City and we're gonna have 131 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: him start dancing there. Okay, And I know just the 132 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 1: place for him. There's this new venue that's opening up 133 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,920 Speaker 1: in ninety two and they're gonna call it the Radio 134 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: City Music Hall. And I'm going to make sure that 135 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: these dancers are able to perform, and we're going to 136 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: call them the Roxyettes. How about that, huh because of 137 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: his nickname, right, And Marcaret said, that's fine, just make 138 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: sure you pay me some money for it. Sure, And 139 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,520 Speaker 1: he did get paid and got paid until nineteen seventy one. 140 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: He that's it's hard to believe. But he worked for 141 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: the Rockets or with the Rockets from nineteen thirty two 142 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: to or I guess even previous in St. Louis, all 143 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: the way until nine. It's really amazing. Yeah, it's pretty amazing. 144 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,679 Speaker 1: That's a pretty long career. UM. So they they opened 145 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 1: Radio City Music Hall. I think they're part of a 146 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:12,720 Speaker 1: seventeen UM group act. Uh. And that was like such 147 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,319 Speaker 1: a hot ticket, something like a hundred thousand people wanted in. 148 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: But there it's a theater, which I think it still 149 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: remains the nation's largest UM indoor venue, which is really 150 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: saying something because I guess it would just be a 151 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: like a theatrical venue because obviously the largest indoor venue 152 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,920 Speaker 1: sports venues UM have it beat by quite a bit. 153 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: But oh, theatrical it has to. Yeah, it's either movie 154 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:43,560 Speaker 1: or theatrical or something. But it's the largest venue of 155 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: its kind in in the United States from what I see. Yeah, 156 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 1: and for many years they they I mean they had 157 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: specials every now and then, but it was sort of 158 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: just a movie theater. Yeah, and here's the thing, you 159 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,560 Speaker 1: could go see the movies. I think especially it started 160 00:09:57,600 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 1: to take off in the fifties, like before they would 161 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 1: have premieres for movies, and the Rockets would like perform 162 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,199 Speaker 1: at the premiere. And then at some point, I don't 163 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 1: know if it was Russell Markeret or Roxy Rothefell, or 164 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:12,560 Speaker 1: somebody said, well, why why just do this once? How 165 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: about every time somebody comes to see a movie at 166 00:10:15,880 --> 00:10:18,680 Speaker 1: the Radio City Music Hall, We'll have the rock the 167 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 1: Rockets perform before the movie. Can you imagine that? It 168 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: would be pretty cool? I mean, like imagine seeing that 169 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: and then being like, okay, now for the movie. That's 170 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: just it would be a different experience for sure. But 171 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: it was rough on the Rockets because not all the 172 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:40,319 Speaker 1: movies were successes. So they would change the Rockets show 173 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,440 Speaker 1: for each movie. So if a movie came along and 174 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:48,440 Speaker 1: it was just a terrible flop, this whole choreographed routine 175 00:10:48,480 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: that they had learned would be out the door in 176 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: two days. And now all of a sudden they had 177 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: to learn a new one quick because there was a 178 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,679 Speaker 1: new movie coming into replace that one. So they did 179 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: a different routine for each film. Yes, interesting, and sometimes 180 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,679 Speaker 1: they would have to learn it in a matter of hours, 181 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: like around midnight before the next day's performances. I wonder 182 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 1: if it was tied to the film sometimes, I think 183 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:12,679 Speaker 1: not all the time. I think it was. I think 184 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 1: it was in some cases, but I think more than anything, 185 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,959 Speaker 1: they would change the routine just because the people coming 186 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: to see a different film would want to see a 187 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: different routine. Okay, I got you, that makes sense. Yeah. 188 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,240 Speaker 1: Uh So in the nineteen forties they were one of 189 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: the first groups to sign up for the United Service 190 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 1: Organization and go and perform for the troops. Uh And 191 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: in the nineteen fifties is when things really started to 192 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: kind of take their toll. Like they were performing sometimes 193 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:46,200 Speaker 1: up to five times a day. Uh And so they 194 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: said they built a dormitory there, which you know, they 195 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 1: could live in. I don't think they were required to, 196 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: but it really was to accommodate the fact that they 197 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,800 Speaker 1: were working almost around the clock, whether because learning these 198 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:02,520 Speaker 1: new routines like you said, and then performing up the 199 00:12:02,559 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: five times a day really grueling stuff. It was basically 200 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:09,040 Speaker 1: the prototype for Google, just just making it so your 201 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 1: employees didn't have to leave. Oh interesting, you know what 202 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: I'm saying, Just go sleep in your pod. So the Rockets, UM, 203 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:23,199 Speaker 1: their fame started to grow pretty pretty quickly. Um And 204 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: they made like a few steps, if you'll forgive the 205 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,720 Speaker 1: pun um along the way. That kind of cemented them 206 00:12:30,760 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: as a as much a piece of America as apple 207 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:40,200 Speaker 1: pie or baseball or moms or what have you. So 208 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: the fifties were also big for the Rockets too, because 209 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,560 Speaker 1: they joined the Macy's Thanksgiving they prayed in nineteen fifty seven. 210 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:53,160 Speaker 1: I think, yeah, that was the big the big move, yeah, 211 00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,560 Speaker 1: because they went from just a group that you either 212 00:12:56,679 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: had to go to New York or go off to 213 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:01,840 Speaker 1: war to see um too. While they're in my living 214 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:05,600 Speaker 1: room now, these girls are high kicking on my television 215 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 1: and I'm just loving life, all right, So let's take 216 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 1: a break. It's nineteen fifties. Good times are ahead, and 217 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: then dark times come in the seventies because it's New 218 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: York City in the seventies and everything was kind of 219 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: awful then. So we'll be back right after this. Okay, Hey, 220 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: before we get started to check, I want to say 221 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: we put on a pretty good stage show ourselves. We've 222 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: been known to and we've got some coming up, you know, 223 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: plug plug. Yeah, there's no high kicking involved. There could 224 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: be if people demanded it. I would be willing to 225 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,000 Speaker 1: do a little high kicking. So are we talking about 226 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: some shows? Yeah, let's do the real quick, all right. 227 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: So we're we're going out west for our annual sojourn 228 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: in January where we go to Seattle and we go 229 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: to Portland and then we end up at SF sketch 230 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,560 Speaker 1: Fest like we always do in mid January. Yeah, and 231 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: I've got an End of the World live show on 232 00:14:28,400 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: Friday at sketch Fest, and you have a movie Crush 233 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: on Saturday at sketch Fest, right. Yeah, I'm doing a 234 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: matinee show at one o'clock on Saturday, January nineteenth with 235 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: Busy Phillips is my guest, nice and my show is 236 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: Friday the eighteenth that Cafe du Nord did I am 237 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 1: my own guest, fine solo. And then I have another 238 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 1: one in Brooklyn on the at the Bellhouse too. Oh 239 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: I thought you already did that one. No, huh, it 240 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: got postponed to January. Great, Yes, so you haven't missed it. 241 00:14:58,800 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: There's still time for you to come. Fantastic. Uh. So 242 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,840 Speaker 1: that is our little plug, how about that? Yeah? And 243 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:07,680 Speaker 1: of course our our big stuff you should know show 244 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: is that the Castro on what is that Thursday night? 245 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 1: That is Thursday. The Yeah, so come see us at 246 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: the More in Seattle, Revolution Hall in Portland, at the 247 00:15:18,920 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: Castro in San Francisco. Check out our individual little shows. 248 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: Are are cute little individual shows, and there's plenty of 249 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: information on s y s K live dot com. That's right. 250 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:36,080 Speaker 1: So now it's the seventies. Mhm. New York is uh, 251 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:40,280 Speaker 1: it's it's suffering, which is crazy when you look at 252 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: pictures of New York City and the seventies and early 253 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: eighties even just hard to believe how bad things were there. Yeah, 254 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: it was pretty rough. And actually it's funny, like you 255 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 1: can thank Rudolph Giuliani for I guess, cleaning up the 256 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: town if you want to call it that. Okay have 257 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: you ever heard that? What too, Rudolph Giuliani for cleaning 258 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: up the town? Huh uh sure, okay, good for him. So, um, 259 00:16:06,880 --> 00:16:09,080 Speaker 1: I saw him in the park one day. You did, 260 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,200 Speaker 1: what was he doing talking to a duck? No, he was. 261 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: He was doing like a photo op. But I had 262 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 1: friends in from uh, from another country, even, I think, 263 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: and I said, hey, guys, that's that's the mayor of 264 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: New York over there, and they're like, oh, that's nice. 265 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: I went it's kind of a big deal to just 266 00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: walk around and see the Mayor of New York Did 267 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: they say have a chalk? I think they're Australian. Actually, yeah, 268 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:34,960 Speaker 1: that was my Australian impression. That was good. Then that's 269 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: pretty that's a great story, Chuck, Yeah, it's fine. But uh, 270 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 1: for them, they didn't understand fully that the Mayor of 271 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: New York City is is Uh, it's it's quite a 272 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: big deal to see him just out and about in 273 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: the city. I I have a similar story. I was 274 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: watching um one of the first few seasons of Law 275 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: and Order on my television one day, and there was 276 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:59,360 Speaker 1: the Mayor of New York City, really Rudy Giuliani. Interesting, 277 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,400 Speaker 1: but I you it was a big, big deal. I 278 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: got another story, Okay, did you know and the Michael 279 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: Bay film Pearl Harbor that they camped in Bruce Willis's 280 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: John McClean character from die Hard in one hospital scene. 281 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: How just digitalie, that's an anachronism right now, that doesn't 282 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,360 Speaker 1: make any sense. Did they really do that? Yeah? There 283 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: if you can look at up Pearl Harbor John McClean 284 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:29,119 Speaker 1: and there's like screenshots of of John McLean and his 285 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,399 Speaker 1: white tank top just briefly for a blip in the 286 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: background of one of the hospital scenes in Pearl Harbor. 287 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: It's so weird. So you know, there's a nude woman 288 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: in the window of one of the buildings that the 289 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: rescuers fly by. The Disney movie from the sixties. Yeah, 290 00:17:46,359 --> 00:17:50,720 Speaker 1: all these weird movie easter eggs just board editors. I 291 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:55,480 Speaker 1: guess that's exactly what it hit for juvenile editors. All Right, 292 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: so it's the nineteen seventies in New York. None of 293 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,640 Speaker 1: this has happened yet that we're talking about. The rescuers did. 294 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 1: The rescuers did, but there was no die Hard. There 295 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: was no Pearl Harbor movie except for Toro Toora Toora, 296 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:11,439 Speaker 1: but no bad Pearl Harbor movie. Okay, uh No. Rudy 297 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 1: Giuliani he was alive, sure, but he was not in 298 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,360 Speaker 1: the mayor of New York City and in the nineteen seventies, 299 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: not as far as we know, who was at that 300 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:22,919 Speaker 1: was Ed Cotch he was the eighties, I think was 301 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 1: he maybe late seventies. All right, we'll get that straightened out. 302 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 1: But New York City is going down the toilet, including 303 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 1: believe it or not, Radio, the Great Radio City Music Hall, 304 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:38,199 Speaker 1: much like our own legendary Fox Theater in Atlanta, UH 305 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:42,920 Speaker 1: was facing shutdown and demolition potentially. Yeah, there was a 306 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: rough transition from some of those old movie palaces after 307 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: people stopped well going to movie palaces and moved out 308 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: to the suburbs. Um, a lot of those beautiful places 309 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 1: were left out in the cold, and some of them 310 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:58,199 Speaker 1: didn't well, a lot of them didn't make it, but 311 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: some of them almost didn't make it. Like you said, 312 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:03,520 Speaker 1: the Fox and Radio City and apparently it was going 313 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: to be turned into a parking lot. And Belushi himself 314 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: got onto the news desk at Saturn and Live and 315 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,880 Speaker 1: was railing against the demise of Radio City Music Hall. 316 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 1: And the Roquettes too had said, hey, hey, hey, hey, 317 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: this is our home. This is an iconic place. Let 318 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: us help, like go raise awareness and funds to to 319 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: save this place. And they did. They were successful. They 320 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 1: got it put on the National Historic Register of Historic 321 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: Places and it has a Landmark designation. Not just the 322 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 1: buildings buildings in New York with the Landmark designation, but 323 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 1: only a hundred and ten interiors have the landmark designation, 324 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: and Radio City Music Hall is one of them, which 325 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: means that its interior is so amazingly beautiful that is 326 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 1: to be protected landmark in the United States. Yeah, I've 327 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 1: never been in there. I haven't either. I've been to 328 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: Carnegie Hall, but never Radio City. Uh, that's on the 329 00:19:57,520 --> 00:20:00,880 Speaker 1: list for sure. But um, it's interesting because they tried 330 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: to Their whole deal was is they wanted exclusive movie bookings. 331 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 1: Like they were they were to be the only theater 332 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,679 Speaker 1: in town that would be showing a particular movie, so 333 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:16,920 Speaker 1: that that limits there, uh, their pool immediately, and then 334 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 1: they really prefer g rated movies. They had really strict 335 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: screening criteria, so that just it narrowed down their their 336 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: movie pool so small that they would go weeks and 337 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:31,159 Speaker 1: weeks at a time where nothing happened there. Yeah, so 338 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: they would just shut down because again, remember like the 339 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:37,040 Speaker 1: Rockets are a dance troupe that you would see before 340 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:39,679 Speaker 1: you saw a movie. So if they're not showing movies, 341 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: they're not showing the Rocketts. And at this time in 342 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,359 Speaker 1: the seventies, the Rockets said, Okay, we're our talent is 343 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:48,960 Speaker 1: being wasted here. At least let us go take the 344 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: show on the road. While you guys are sitting around 345 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: waiting for another movie to come along. And they actually 346 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: they gained that right because their union dancers. We should say, 347 00:20:57,520 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 1: we'll get into that a little more later, but they 348 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 1: made it's to get the right to take the show 349 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: on the road and they really started to make a 350 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: name for themselves in the seventies. Uh, in places like 351 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: Tahoe in Vegas. Apparently made a huge fan out of 352 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: Sammy Davis Jr. Who would come see the same show 353 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: like night after night when they when they play in 354 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: Vegas or Tahoe or whatever. He was just fascinated by 355 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: the rockcats. Love that for sure. Little Sammy, what a 356 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 1: great guy. We should do a show on him. Apparently 357 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:26,840 Speaker 1: he also, oh yeah, I'm done with that. He also 358 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,159 Speaker 1: surprised them on stage once by joining them on stage 359 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:32,480 Speaker 1: for a dance number, which apparently he knew because he'd 360 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: seen the show so many times, which that's a pretty 361 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,880 Speaker 1: Sammy thing to do in Las Vegas. High kicking, Well, 362 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 1: his his kicks weren't so high. Run out on stage, unbidden, uninvited. 363 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:47,439 Speaker 1: He's a little guy, he was. He was the littlest 364 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: rockette I imagine. Wow, but he was too. So, Uh, 365 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: they're doing their show on the road, here and there. 366 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:56,920 Speaker 1: They're making ends meet. Radio City is struggling, even though 367 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 1: it was designated as a landmark. The eighties were not 368 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:04,400 Speaker 1: super kind to Radio City either. Um. They very famously 369 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: appeared at the halftime show the Super Bowl, and um, 370 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:11,159 Speaker 1: they're trying to change with the times. Uh, they're dancing 371 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:14,640 Speaker 1: it uh in the nineties at different places. And they're 372 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: always doing their Christmas deal throughout all this after you know, 373 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: they started doing that. And what was at fifty seven? 374 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,919 Speaker 1: Oh they did the Macy's Prade in thirty two. Oh no, 375 00:22:25,040 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I thought you meant the Christmas Spectacular. Yeah, 376 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: the Macy's Parade was the Thanksgiving Prairie was fifty seven. Yeah. 377 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,680 Speaker 1: So they've got their their holiday stuff, their Easter specials, 378 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:41,359 Speaker 1: their Christmas specials. Uh. They're dancing at inaugurations for George W. Bush. Um. 379 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: In fact, they came under under fire for dancing at 380 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 1: Trump's inauguration. Well, the dance troop almost was split asunder 381 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: over whether they wanted to do that or not. And 382 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 1: it was a big deal. It was a huge deal actually, 383 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:57,639 Speaker 1: and they had revived the Easter extravaganza. They renamed it 384 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: the New York Springs spectacular the year before or and 385 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:02,720 Speaker 1: they said they took a year off and I don't 386 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 1: think they ever went back to it because of all 387 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 1: the controversy over two thousand sixteen and the inauguration. It 388 00:23:07,920 --> 00:23:12,960 Speaker 1: was just such an unusual experience for the Rocketts. Um 389 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: like they're they're just like America personified. And for there 390 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,440 Speaker 1: to be a huge national conversation about, you know, them 391 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:23,080 Speaker 1: performing at an inauguration. It was a big deal for 392 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:26,120 Speaker 1: the organization for sure, especially for the dancers who were 393 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 1: like career rockets. Yeah exactly, Um, should we talk a 394 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 1: little bit about just being a rocket? I think we should, man, 395 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:39,920 Speaker 1: because we've done it. We have. I mean, there was 396 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: a brief time although we've basically entered Dina Lohan territory 397 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: now Lindsay Lohan's mom, she very famously lied about being 398 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: a rocket. Yeah, she said that her she has a 399 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,439 Speaker 1: background in show business. Um, she was a rocket for 400 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 1: a while, and some journalists went and dug around and 401 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,679 Speaker 1: they found out that she was definitely They had no 402 00:24:02,800 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 1: record whatsoever of her, under any name, maiden or married, 403 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: ever being a rocket. It's always amazing to me when 404 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:16,280 Speaker 1: very provable or disprovable public lies are told by people 405 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:19,119 Speaker 1: like that, or like politicians who say that, you know, 406 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:21,359 Speaker 1: like they've fought in a war when they didn't, like 407 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: that's happened. Uh, It's just I don't know why people 408 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: say things like that. That's like, no, we kind of 409 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,879 Speaker 1: can go check that really easily. Yeah, even but even 410 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 1: without like you know, the check ability of it to 411 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 1: to just like you know, lie in an interview to 412 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 1: puff yourself up. I guess, like I don't understand the 413 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 1: psychology of it. Is it just because you don't feel 414 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: like you're given the interview or enough of what they need? 415 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,359 Speaker 1: Or do they did they lay some sort of trick 416 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:52,280 Speaker 1: that led you into it? Or I don't understand it either. Yeah, 417 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 1: I wonder if people start to believe these lies, Like 418 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 1: if you make up a story about yourself and you 419 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: just stick with it for so long. It's weird. Psychology, Yes, 420 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:06,760 Speaker 1: human psychology is indeed quite weird. Didn't you have a 421 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 1: web show called Psychology is Weird? Nuts? Psychology is Nuts, 422 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:13,800 Speaker 1: a little short lived video thing. Yeah, I can check 423 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: that out. Everyone. Oh, we'll take a break. I am 424 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:50,080 Speaker 1: We're back. Yes, So we were going to tell everyone 425 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:56,639 Speaker 1: about our experiences rockets because we're Dina Lohan. So here's 426 00:25:56,680 --> 00:25:59,600 Speaker 1: the thing. If you're a rocket and you've been doing 427 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: this for ten years, you're pretty long lived rocket. Although 428 00:26:04,640 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: I think I saw um one woman who is a roquette. 429 00:26:09,400 --> 00:26:12,400 Speaker 1: And if I'm talking weird all of a sudden, it's 430 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:17,239 Speaker 1: because I am stalling everybody looking for her name and 431 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: I'm not finding it. But I think it's Lindsay How. 432 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: I'm almost positive her name is Lindsay How. I believe 433 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:26,879 Speaker 1: she has been a rocket for fourteen years. That's a 434 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:28,720 Speaker 1: very long time to be a rocket, because, as you 435 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:32,479 Speaker 1: will soon learn, being a rocket is extremely difficult and 436 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: very demanding, and inside of show business and out there 437 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:40,320 Speaker 1: widely seen is probably some of the best professional dancers 438 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: in the business, and certainly some of the most disciplined 439 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: professional dancers in the business as well. Um, but it's 440 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,959 Speaker 1: really hard to do for a really long time, and 441 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: one of the main reasons why is because their work 442 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 1: schedule is extremely grueling. But but with Lindsay um How, 443 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: she would make the same amount of money that a 444 00:27:02,119 --> 00:27:06,360 Speaker 1: first year rockette would make because they're all paid the same, 445 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: they work the same hours, they do the same work. 446 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:11,239 Speaker 1: Some of them are kind of promoted as like the 447 00:27:11,280 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 1: faces of the Rocketts. Um the company I think the 448 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: Madison Square Garden company that owns Radio City Music Hall, 449 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 1: and the Rocketts are really protective of their image and um, 450 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: like they aren't free to just kind of talk to 451 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: the media or whatever. There's some that are kind of 452 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:29,920 Speaker 1: like you and you and you. You're the Rocketts. You're 453 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:32,440 Speaker 1: the face of the Rockets. But other than that, everyone 454 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: does the same amount of work, same amount of ours, 455 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:36,840 Speaker 1: same amount of pay. And one of the reasons they 456 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: do that is because the point of the Rockets is 457 00:27:39,560 --> 00:27:42,399 Speaker 1: not to have standouts. It's not like other dance troops 458 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: or other Broadway troops or anything like that. There's not 459 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: meant to be stars. The Rocketts are the star and 460 00:27:47,840 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 1: they're meant to be one single unit that moves and 461 00:27:51,840 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: works and lives together. Yeah, and their their union. I 462 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:58,600 Speaker 1: so uh they make there. They make most of their 463 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:02,919 Speaker 1: money over holiday season. So they walk out after a 464 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:05,639 Speaker 1: couple of months with about forty grand in their pocket, 465 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: which isn't bad. Um, you know, for a couple of 466 00:28:08,800 --> 00:28:12,960 Speaker 1: months work, but it is, like you said, super grueling. Um, 467 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:16,119 Speaker 1: if you want to become a Rockett, you're not required to. 468 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: But there is something called the Rockets Summer Intensive Dance 469 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,440 Speaker 1: Program where you can go, you can enroll, you can 470 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: spend six hours a day learning uh, learning everything um 471 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 1: over the course of about a week, UM. All the choreography, UM, 472 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 1: how to how to get in that shape, stay in 473 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 1: that shape, how to prevent injuries, um, and sort of 474 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:41,040 Speaker 1: the business of it all. And like I said, you 475 00:28:41,040 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: don't have to do that, but they do place a 476 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: lot of Rocketts if you attend that Intensive Dance program. 477 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: Well some I saw out of a thousand that have 478 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,160 Speaker 1: taken it, sixty have gone on to actually become Rockets. Yeah, 479 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 1: because it's very tough to become a Rockett too. Yeah, 480 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:58,520 Speaker 1: I mean I get the feeling that's that has less 481 00:28:58,560 --> 00:29:01,720 Speaker 1: to do with the program then, just how hard it 482 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: is to make that cut right right exactly. So Uh, 483 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 1: not only do you have to be fit enough to 484 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:13,040 Speaker 1: kick those famous kicks up to twelve hundred times a 485 00:29:13,160 --> 00:29:17,760 Speaker 1: day through all these shows, but there's one, uh, there's 486 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:20,600 Speaker 1: one clothing change you gotta do all these costume changes, 487 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:25,160 Speaker 1: but there's one in particular in between, uh, the Parade 488 00:29:25,160 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 1: of the Wooden Soldiers in New York at Christmas that 489 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:30,880 Speaker 1: you have to be completely changed out in seventy eight seconds. 490 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 1: Seventy eight seconds, and these costumes are not like super 491 00:29:35,320 --> 00:29:38,360 Speaker 1: easy to take off, the wooden Soldier one in particular, 492 00:29:38,560 --> 00:29:43,320 Speaker 1: pretty complex. Um, So seventy eight seconds probably goes by 493 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 1: extremely fast. Yeah, and there's there's thirty six Rockets total 494 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: UH performing on stage, but there are eighty certified Rocketts 495 00:29:53,640 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 1: total overall. You have a morning cast and afternoon cast, 496 00:29:57,760 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: and then you have for each of those shows you 497 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:04,000 Speaker 1: have for UH swings or extras per so, like if 498 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:07,160 Speaker 1: someone's like I just twisted my ankle, I can't do this. 499 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 1: They have four women waiting in the wings for each 500 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 1: of those morning and afternoon shows. Yeah. So the thing is, though, 501 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 1: is they're working six days a week, or the Rocketts 502 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 1: are performing six days a week. If you have two casts, 503 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 1: rather than work all work both casts six days a week. Um, 504 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 1: they'll they'll alternate to give one another a day off. 505 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: And they'll do that on days sometimes where there's four 506 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 1: performances in a day, which means that if you're a Rocket, 507 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: there are days and I've seen also sometimes they're back 508 00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:44,520 Speaker 1: to back days where you're where you're doing four performances 509 00:30:44,880 --> 00:30:48,240 Speaker 1: in a single day. Four ninety minute performances, and that's 510 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 1: when those kicks that you mentioned, Chuck comes in, because 511 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 1: some of those shows have three hundred high kicks, and 512 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 1: we're talking eye level kicks, and if you do four 513 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 1: of them in a day, you've just kicked at eye 514 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,000 Speaker 1: level are times in a day, And from some of 515 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:05,640 Speaker 1: the articles I've read, that is about as much as 516 00:31:05,680 --> 00:31:09,000 Speaker 1: your body can possibly take. Yeah, I mean, they they 517 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:11,200 Speaker 1: all in the interviews I saw. There was that great 518 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: New York Times article where they really sort of dive 519 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 1: into a day in the life of a rocket during 520 00:31:15,480 --> 00:31:18,719 Speaker 1: the holiday season, and they all kind of are are like, 521 00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: there's no way to prepare your body for this, Like 522 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: we are in the best shape that a dancer can 523 00:31:24,640 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: be in, and it just destroys us to the point where, 524 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: like one of them said that just taking their stockings 525 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,600 Speaker 1: off at the the night is laborious. And you know, 526 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: with their commute, depending on where they come from, some 527 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: of them are are awake and either commuting or or 528 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 1: rehearsing or performing twenty hours in a day, just grueling, 529 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:50,840 Speaker 1: grueling stuff. But across the board, they also all say 530 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: that it is the only job that they want. It 531 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 1: is a great sorority and sisterhood and an honor to 532 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 1: be one of these over the years. Three in women 533 00:32:01,680 --> 00:32:05,400 Speaker 1: who have made that cut you never were like, well, 534 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: it's really not worth it in the end. Yeah, no, 535 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:10,480 Speaker 1: the I mean, at least the ones who are allowed 536 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,959 Speaker 1: to speak to the media certainly have a lot of 537 00:32:13,040 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: positive things to say about being a Rocket and like 538 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 1: how familial it is and how you're just hanging out 539 00:32:18,560 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: with your best friends, and um, it is a great 540 00:32:22,120 --> 00:32:24,760 Speaker 1: gig for a dancer, especially as one of these articles 541 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: pointed out, if you're a dancer who doesn't sing. Yeah, 542 00:32:27,840 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 1: that's a rare thing to get that kind of a gig. 543 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:33,120 Speaker 1: I think it's one of the few, uh for jazz 544 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: and tap dancers were singing is not involved. But also 545 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,480 Speaker 1: not just like a good gig, a good paying gig 546 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:44,040 Speaker 1: to like forty grand for a couple of months of performances. 547 00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: A lot of the Rocketts, um, they don't live in 548 00:32:47,280 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: New York. They'll come live in New York during the 549 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 1: season when they need to rehearse and then do the 550 00:32:52,480 --> 00:32:55,000 Speaker 1: Christmas spectacular and then they go home. So they might 551 00:32:55,040 --> 00:32:57,680 Speaker 1: live in New York from September to um the end 552 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:00,600 Speaker 1: of December, and then they go back home, and wherever 553 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 1: home is, forty Graham probably goes a lot further than 554 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,720 Speaker 1: it does in New York, unless they live in San Francisco, 555 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 1: in which case it is probably it goes even faster. 556 00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:13,320 Speaker 1: But um, it's a really good paying gig. They also 557 00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:17,600 Speaker 1: have benefits because their union in their contract workers, they 558 00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:21,280 Speaker 1: have year round benefits and and forty Graham so they 559 00:33:21,280 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 1: can go work as pilates, instructors, as nutritionists, as all 560 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 1: the other stuff that they do during the year normally, 561 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,000 Speaker 1: and then they come back and they they're a rocket. 562 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:32,640 Speaker 1: But what something I thought was pretty cool it was 563 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,120 Speaker 1: even if you're say a tenth year roquette, um, you 564 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:38,920 Speaker 1: get invited back like once you're a roquette, you're in 565 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 1: as a roquette, but you still have to audition in 566 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: April like everybody else. So you audition in April, and 567 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 1: if you make the cut, um you start to go 568 00:33:49,920 --> 00:33:53,360 Speaker 1: get in shape, and then rehearsals I think start in September, 569 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:56,400 Speaker 1: and rehearsals are six hours, six days a week for 570 00:33:56,440 --> 00:34:00,000 Speaker 1: basically the six weeks leading up to the performances, which 571 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:04,400 Speaker 1: run from mid November till I saw December thirty one. 572 00:34:04,560 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: I also saw tickets available for January one show, so 573 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,399 Speaker 1: I don't know if they extended it or not. Yeah, 574 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:11,360 Speaker 1: and it's it's funny like it's forty grand sounds like 575 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:12,880 Speaker 1: a lot of money over a couple of months, and 576 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:15,359 Speaker 1: it is. But when you break it down per show, 577 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: it it breaks down to about a hundred and thirty 578 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:20,120 Speaker 1: five bucks a show, which all of a sudden, it 579 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:24,439 Speaker 1: doesn't seem uh like great money. No, but that's what 580 00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:27,680 Speaker 1: you make as a standard cast member for a Broadway 581 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:32,759 Speaker 1: union dancer or actor variety performer, I think is the 582 00:34:32,960 --> 00:34:35,479 Speaker 1: nion they're they're part of. So no, it doesn't seem 583 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: like much. But that's another reason why the Rockette gig 584 00:34:38,640 --> 00:34:41,160 Speaker 1: is so good. You get over time on those days 585 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 1: when you do a third and a fourth show, you're 586 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:47,880 Speaker 1: getting overtime pay um. And there's multiple shows in on 587 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:52,440 Speaker 1: multiple days, so you can I mean, if another actor 588 00:34:52,880 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: at a different gig, working the same days over the 589 00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:59,759 Speaker 1: same period would not make that amount of money that 590 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:02,800 Speaker 1: already grand because they wouldn't have any overtime, they wouldn't 591 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:04,960 Speaker 1: have that many shows. Yeah, and I don't think anyone 592 00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:08,960 Speaker 1: like dreams of going to Broadway to become rich and wealthy, 593 00:35:09,520 --> 00:35:12,040 Speaker 1: like part of the allure Broadway as you're with the 594 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 1: best of the best, and you can say I danced, 595 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 1: or I sang or I acted on Broadway with Brian Cranston. 596 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:22,600 Speaker 1: I saw him on Broadway. Yeah. I saw Michael McKeon 597 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 1: on Broadway. An accomplice. The audience was the accomplice. That 598 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:31,480 Speaker 1: was the big twist. Well, you just ruined that one. 599 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 1: Was it good? It was great. It was one of 600 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:38,240 Speaker 1: the greatest stage performances I've ever seen. I saw Lenny 601 00:35:38,640 --> 00:35:43,799 Speaker 1: live on stage Derek st Hubbinds. Yeah, this is before 602 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:47,640 Speaker 1: I knew him as anything but Lenny. I was like eight. Oh, 603 00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 1: so this is a while ago. Um Cranston is in 604 00:35:52,080 --> 00:35:56,040 Speaker 1: something new on Broadway. Now, I think to network, right, man, 605 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 1: I want to see that. Sure, but that's good. I 606 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:02,439 Speaker 1: saw that was described as get this Chuck, get ready 607 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 1: for this boy. Electrifying. Really Broadway show described as electrifying. 608 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 1: His performance was electrifying. I don't think I've ever heard 609 00:36:11,520 --> 00:36:16,719 Speaker 1: that word used for the theater. Um. So another thing 610 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:19,160 Speaker 1: though about the Rockets, even though they do make most 611 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:20,920 Speaker 1: of their money over those couple of months and then 612 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 1: they have the rest of the year too. Um and 613 00:36:23,560 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: in a lot of cases be like a dance instructor 614 00:36:25,920 --> 00:36:30,959 Speaker 1: or something like that, or fitness instructor. UM. They increasingly 615 00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,239 Speaker 1: are working more and more, uh, more and more months 616 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 1: out of the year, whether it's um as ambassadors for 617 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:42,480 Speaker 1: the Rockets or doing like video things for YouTube. UM. 618 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: They are increasingly called on to do other other things. Yeah, 619 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: a lot the So what is the woman who came 620 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:53,239 Speaker 1: along as the league choreographer and director and really kind 621 00:36:53,239 --> 00:36:56,200 Speaker 1: of punched punched it up even further. Her name is 622 00:36:56,239 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 1: Linda Haberman, and she took over I think in like 623 00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:03,840 Speaker 1: the mid two thousand's, maybe two thousan eight, and she 624 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:07,799 Speaker 1: kind of brought like this whole new not new, it's 625 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:09,719 Speaker 1: not a whole new thing. She just kind of she 626 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,560 Speaker 1: made it a little more pro feminist, a little more 627 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: like you go girl kind of vibe to the Rockets 628 00:37:16,239 --> 00:37:20,640 Speaker 1: than they had before they were seen, you know, rehearsing 629 00:37:20,920 --> 00:37:23,919 Speaker 1: in the rehearsal gear rather than like full costume. And 630 00:37:24,280 --> 00:37:27,080 Speaker 1: it was just kind of like, um, the the intent 631 00:37:27,200 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 1: I get was to make them more Yeah. Yes, because 632 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:34,279 Speaker 1: one of the great criticisms of the Rockets is that 633 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: they're nothing but like of teeth and legs, just a 634 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:41,320 Speaker 1: bunch of women out there kicking like forming one large 635 00:37:41,640 --> 00:37:44,880 Speaker 1: uber woman who can kick her legs amazingly high and 636 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:49,520 Speaker 1: has like the widest gleaming ist teeth ever you've ever seen. UM, 637 00:37:49,560 --> 00:37:54,480 Speaker 1: and that that it was really kind of just objectification 638 00:37:54,560 --> 00:37:58,879 Speaker 1: of women like to like by definition, and uh, Linda 639 00:37:58,920 --> 00:38:01,360 Speaker 1: Hammerman like really kind of took that and tried to 640 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:04,240 Speaker 1: unravel it quite a bit. And she also took the show. 641 00:38:04,760 --> 00:38:06,480 Speaker 1: So we should talk a little bit about the show. 642 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:10,479 Speaker 1: It's a it's depending on who you are. It's either 643 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 1: like just beloved traditional Americana, kitchy, UM, offensively sexist. Who knows, 644 00:38:19,040 --> 00:38:21,120 Speaker 1: but I think the first two are kind of the 645 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:24,279 Speaker 1: predominant views of it. It's kitchy and sweet, or it's 646 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 1: it's you know, endearing Americana. UM. And Linda Haberman kind 647 00:38:30,120 --> 00:38:32,160 Speaker 1: of took that and tried to punch it up into 648 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:35,239 Speaker 1: the century a little more. And there's like way more 649 00:38:35,360 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 1: visual effects than there were before. UM, there's like a 650 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: three D component I think to this year's show or 651 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,120 Speaker 1: recent year shows like the whole The whole theme is 652 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:46,680 Speaker 1: like a girl wants a video game and her mom 653 00:38:46,760 --> 00:38:49,480 Speaker 1: is kind of showing her. Um, you know why that's 654 00:38:49,520 --> 00:38:52,560 Speaker 1: not so great because it's a violent video game. There's um, 655 00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:55,080 Speaker 1: there's a lot of kind of updating that's that the 656 00:38:55,160 --> 00:38:57,960 Speaker 1: Rockets have undergone in the last few years. And that 657 00:38:58,080 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 1: was largely from what I understand Linda Haberm is doing. 658 00:39:00,760 --> 00:39:03,279 Speaker 1: I think she was the one that digitally inserted John 659 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:07,200 Speaker 1: McClean from die Hard. She was he swoops in in 660 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:10,520 Speaker 1: the New York Follies section. Now, I'm glad they updated 661 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 1: things because this was a prime case of like a 662 00:39:15,000 --> 00:39:19,279 Speaker 1: blood American tradition that could use some refreshing and you 663 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 1: can't highlight them as humans and individuals and still you 664 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:24,360 Speaker 1: can have both, you know, and you can still have 665 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 1: that desired effect of uniformity and precision that they're known for, 666 00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:32,480 Speaker 1: you know, right exactly, But they don't have to be 667 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:35,719 Speaker 1: just like faceless and nameless, you know. Now. And I 668 00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:39,279 Speaker 1: read a few like feminist critiques of the Rocketts, and 669 00:39:39,320 --> 00:39:43,480 Speaker 1: they seem to have been kind of outdated. Like I 670 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:47,319 Speaker 1: really feel like Linda Haberman did a good job at like, yeah, 671 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:50,880 Speaker 1: she she kind of took those those critiques and changed 672 00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:54,400 Speaker 1: them in a lot of ways. Um. One of the 673 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:58,440 Speaker 1: other criticisms is that it wasn't until ninety five that 674 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:00,839 Speaker 1: the Rockets are their first woman of color as a 675 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 1: member of their cast, of their troop. The first woman 676 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:09,440 Speaker 1: of color was a Japanese woman named Setsuko Mada Haashi, 677 00:40:10,080 --> 00:40:15,600 Speaker 1: and in she joined UM. The first African American woman 678 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:18,960 Speaker 1: joined her name was Jennifer Jones. And the reasoning, apparently 679 00:40:19,000 --> 00:40:24,040 Speaker 1: it was Mark Markert who was like, no, it from 680 00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:27,120 Speaker 1: all I saw, it had nothing to do with racism. 681 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:30,400 Speaker 1: It was the idea that it was going to disrupt 682 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:35,680 Speaker 1: the visual unity of the dance line if there were um, 683 00:40:35,800 --> 00:40:38,640 Speaker 1: you know, differing skin colors in this dance line. And 684 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:42,120 Speaker 1: apparently he was so um not so about it, like 685 00:40:42,480 --> 00:40:44,439 Speaker 1: you would get in trouble if you had a sun tan, 686 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:47,839 Speaker 1: Like that's how that's how he wanted everything to be 687 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:54,120 Speaker 1: homogeneous and in unison. Well, regardless in the twenty century, 688 00:40:54,120 --> 00:40:56,799 Speaker 1: in the late twentieth century that that sentiment didn't hold up. 689 00:40:56,800 --> 00:40:59,239 Speaker 1: And I guess shortly after he died is when they 690 00:40:59,280 --> 00:41:02,879 Speaker 1: started um adding women of color more to the Rockets troupe. Yeah, 691 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:05,120 Speaker 1: and then they saw people of color in that same 692 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:07,840 Speaker 1: dance line and they went, oh, it's still awesome and 693 00:41:07,880 --> 00:41:11,719 Speaker 1: synchronized and looks great exactly, and from his grave he went, no, 694 00:41:12,719 --> 00:41:17,239 Speaker 1: he started rolling around in it. Oh goodness. So you 695 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:20,879 Speaker 1: haven't seen the Rockets Christmas Spectacular. Huh do you mean 696 00:41:20,920 --> 00:41:23,880 Speaker 1: live in person? Yeah? I have not. I have not either. 697 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 1: Are we going to go now? I think we should. 698 00:41:26,239 --> 00:41:29,360 Speaker 1: I want to know if any Rockettes listen to the show. Yeah, 699 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:32,719 Speaker 1: that would make me super super happy. It would for 700 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:34,920 Speaker 1: me as well. Uh. And the only other small tid 701 00:41:34,960 --> 00:41:37,560 Speaker 1: better have as they have microphones in their heels of 702 00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:40,719 Speaker 1: their shoes. I saw that too. They used to They 703 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:46,200 Speaker 1: used to play recordings of their um tapping right. Oh 704 00:41:46,239 --> 00:41:48,879 Speaker 1: I don't know, and that that does not surprise me. Yeah, 705 00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:50,800 Speaker 1: and then they figured out how to do the actual 706 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:55,640 Speaker 1: like broadcast the actual tampling. So we're gonna go one day, Chuck, 707 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:57,759 Speaker 1: We're gonna go through the Christmas Spectacular. We're gonna go 708 00:41:57,800 --> 00:42:01,279 Speaker 1: see the live Nativity with the real camel and donkeys 709 00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:06,239 Speaker 1: and the wooden toy soldier um March where they fall 710 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:10,600 Speaker 1: down like a domino and slow motion. It's pretty amazing stuff. Uh. 711 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:12,720 Speaker 1: And if you want to know more about the Rockets, 712 00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 1: then go to Radio City Music Hall and find them there. 713 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:19,160 Speaker 1: How about that that sounds great. Uh well, since I 714 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:23,680 Speaker 1: said that, then it's time for a listener, ma'am. I'm 715 00:42:23,719 --> 00:42:28,759 Speaker 1: calling this. I was a Search and Rescue UM victim volunteer. 716 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,120 Speaker 1: So this guy his dad. I'm gonna summarize at the 717 00:42:33,120 --> 00:42:35,400 Speaker 1: beginning of it because it's kind of long, but his 718 00:42:35,480 --> 00:42:38,279 Speaker 1: dad lives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and as 719 00:42:38,320 --> 00:42:41,680 Speaker 1: a member of the local s a R team, and 720 00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:43,600 Speaker 1: so they were like, we need someone to play the 721 00:42:43,640 --> 00:42:47,480 Speaker 1: victim here, and he was like, I'll do it. This 722 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:50,919 Speaker 1: guy's son. So here's what happened. He said, off into 723 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:52,879 Speaker 1: the heavily wooded area and did he said. I did 724 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,280 Speaker 1: everything I could to think of to try and fool 725 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:57,520 Speaker 1: the dog in the handler. I ran in circles, went 726 00:42:57,520 --> 00:42:59,560 Speaker 1: back over my own trail. I threw off my hat. 727 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 1: I even found some garbage and rolled around in it. 728 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:06,080 Speaker 1: Didn't ask my scent. Once I had done everything I 729 00:43:06,080 --> 00:43:08,040 Speaker 1: could think of to try and fool the dog and 730 00:43:08,160 --> 00:43:10,640 Speaker 1: handler that would be tracking me, I found a nice 731 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:14,680 Speaker 1: comfy spot up in a bush on a hill where 732 00:43:14,719 --> 00:43:16,799 Speaker 1: I could just watch the dog in the handler try 733 00:43:16,800 --> 00:43:19,200 Speaker 1: and track me. I thought it had done a pretty 734 00:43:19,239 --> 00:43:21,719 Speaker 1: good job, but once I called the handler and let 735 00:43:21,800 --> 00:43:24,560 Speaker 1: him know I was in position. Was all over very quickly. 736 00:43:25,640 --> 00:43:27,759 Speaker 1: I sat back, and everyone was shocked to watch the 737 00:43:27,800 --> 00:43:32,120 Speaker 1: dog basically retrace my trail, step by step, every move 738 00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:36,560 Speaker 1: I made, all those circles, finding my hat, even that 739 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:39,560 Speaker 1: I've thrown off, even getting into that pile of garbage 740 00:43:39,600 --> 00:43:42,200 Speaker 1: that I'd rolled around in. I love that this dog 741 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:45,640 Speaker 1: is just basically making a fool look for Ryan up 742 00:43:45,640 --> 00:43:48,200 Speaker 1: there in the mountains, so he said. Needless to say, 743 00:43:48,239 --> 00:43:50,799 Speaker 1: the dog found me in short order. Gave him lots 744 00:43:50,800 --> 00:43:54,040 Speaker 1: of praise uh for the great job he had done. Thankfully, 745 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:57,040 Speaker 1: I was never in any real danger, so my experience 746 00:43:57,360 --> 00:44:00,480 Speaker 1: was a lot more enjoyable, obviously than when blurt in 747 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:04,279 Speaker 1: real need of a certain search and rescue dog. Thanks 748 00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:07,600 Speaker 1: for the great episodes, guys, keep me company on overnight 749 00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:10,279 Speaker 1: shifts and make it all go by quicker. So if 750 00:44:10,280 --> 00:44:12,719 Speaker 1: you read this on the show, can I get a 751 00:44:12,719 --> 00:44:16,560 Speaker 1: shout out to my girlfriend Tarn She would be thrilled 752 00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:18,200 Speaker 1: to hear her name get called out on the show. 753 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,440 Speaker 1: I think that just happened, so that is from Ryan. 754 00:44:22,320 --> 00:44:25,279 Speaker 1: I like the the gusto that Ryan put into trying 755 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:27,759 Speaker 1: to foold this dog. Ll holding a garbage, and I 756 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:32,480 Speaker 1: equally loved that this dog was like whatever. So thank 757 00:44:32,520 --> 00:44:34,960 Speaker 1: you Ryan, thank you Terran for listening, and thank you 758 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:38,480 Speaker 1: to the star dog, sure scruffy. If you want to 759 00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:40,440 Speaker 1: get in touch of this, you can go to our 760 00:44:40,480 --> 00:44:42,839 Speaker 1: website Stuff you Should Know dot com. You can find 761 00:44:42,840 --> 00:44:44,960 Speaker 1: all of our social links there. I have a website 762 00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:47,399 Speaker 1: called the Josh clark Way dot com. And you can 763 00:44:47,440 --> 00:44:50,640 Speaker 1: send an email to Chuck, Jerry and Me at Stuff 764 00:44:50,680 --> 00:44:58,600 Speaker 1: podcast at how stuff Works dot com for more on 765 00:44:58,640 --> 00:45:01,120 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other top is it how staff 766 00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:12,160 Speaker 1: works dot com mhm