Eighty-six years ago today, on December 27, 1932, Radio City Music Hall opened during the height of the Great Depression. The brain child of billionaire John D. Rockefeller, the Art Deco theater in a formerly derelict area of midtown Manhattan, was designed as a “people’s palace.” The 100-foot long stage is most famous for showcasing the Rockettes, synchronized high-kicking dancers, who debuted in 1933. Their annual Christmas show draws more than a million visitors each year. Read more about New York City and 1930s culture in A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve. (see NOVELS).
