Fantastically spectacular

Our visit Saturday to U.S. Bank Arena for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes was nothing short of, well ... spectacular.

There was nothing about the hour and a half show that disappointed. A magical, flying Santa; confetti snowfall; and precise, eye-high kicking dancers leaves little to want in a show, after all. Every time you thought you had seen your favorite scene, the next one topped it, forcing you to rethink your pick.

Making quite an impression on Alena and Alivia, there hasn't been a day since we saw the show that they haven't practiced their Rockette kicks. Alena even goes as far as leaving the room mid kick line to take off or put on an article of clothing (her attempts at changing costumes, which the dancers did frequently during the performance).

Amidst the show's reindeer, rag doll and diamond-drenched costumes, Alena's favorite was the scene with the double-decker bus. The dancers, decked out in white coats and hats, board the bus to guide the audience through Manhattan. According to the show's site, "the Rockettes whiz past a kinetic montage of New York landmarks including the Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty." The so-called kinetic montage was as realistic as one could imagine, and the bus turned a full 360 degrees making the tour simulation incredibly lifelike.

Her least favorite part of the show was the wooden soldier number. Impeccably precise, the dancers pulled off the toy soldier act beautifully, but looked like "boys" says the four-year-old entertainment critic. Obviously she preferred the glitz and glamour to the "boy" stuff.

The Santas were Alivia's pick. What began as one Santa turned into two Santas, then 10 Santas and so on, until the stage was seemingly overrun with them. Singing and wielding handbells, the performance was impressive and would have been mind-blowing to a little Santa believer.

Outstanding. Entertaining. Memorable. Spectacular. Perhaps that's why Alena asked why we couldn't get tickets for the next show before we had made it around the block.