Give thanks to Macy’s Kool Yule, reggae & Santa too

Turkey with all the trimmings, scrumptious sides, candied yams, collard greens, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, downed by warm apple cider and eggnog, are all traditional delights families anticipate on the last Thursday in November.

Previewed by the television attraction, which has become  a national treasure, the food fest signals a time-out for the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
From a two-and-a-half-mile procession uptown to midtown, the event ushers in celebrations and prepares salivary glands for a feast.

“Tom Turkey,” the unofficial mascot, usually kicks off the parade, and this year’s 99th edition will be no different.
The colorful bird will be the first sighting of a parade renowned for showcasing top Broadway acts, entertainment industry stars, and a plethora of eye candy.

Some may refer to it as the appetizer to family buffets; however, whether decorated or not, the symbol offers a prelude to a delightful menu of alluring television programming that tempts the palate as well as other senses.

This year, rhythm and blues Grammy-winning musicians Kool & The Gang are slated to arrive after high school and college marching bands and ahead of the finale when Santa Claus sleighs through.

The veteran group is acclaimed for livening up any gathering by performing hits such as “Celebration Time,” “Joanna,” “Get Down On It,” and “Tonight,” all part of a discography marked by uplifting beats and rhymes.
Led by Robert “Kool” Bell, the band will join 27 other performance acts.
Among them is Jamaica’s dancehall, reggae, deejay Shaggy, who is expected to add his grovelly voice to the mix.

Like ginger-spiced sorrel or rum-spiked punch, the Grammy-winning, distinctive vocalist is expected to blend a Caribbean mixer to tunes like “Mr. Lover Lover,” “It Wasn’t Me,” and “Mr. Bombastic.”
Then there are contributions from Lil Jon, Jewel, Foreigner, Darlene Love, Debbie Gibson, Cynthia Erivo, Ciara, and Busta Rhymes.

Since 2014, Ray Chew has been responsible for directing musical talent at the event.
A former musical director for television’s “Showtime At The Apollo,” the New Yorker is working in the same capacity, providing musical accompaniments for competitors on “Dancing With Stars.” Chew has imprinted his own trademark on the event.
Evidenced by his cultural integrations of showcasing rap, R&B, pop, reggae, and jazz acts, Chew has introduced a variety of genres to satiate spectators and viewers.

But don’t touch the remote prematurely; holiday cheer heightens in the air when blow-up dirigibles hover overhead.
At that juncture, the tradition started by the New York department store offers family-friendly, tourist-attraction items that children favor.

Of the 34 high-flying balloons, standouts include: Sponge Bob Square Pants, the Pillsbury Doughboy, Shrek, Smokey the Bear, Pac Man, Monkey D. Luffy, Mario, Goku, Minnie Mouse, Buzz Lightyear, Scout Snoopy, Dora, Goldbear, and Marshall from Paw Patrol.

When wind speeds are just right, those airborne inflatables resonate magic, fantastic, and impressionable.
Then there are 28 floats, 11 marching bands, four balloonicles, 33 clown crews, nine performance groups, and 14 specialty units.

Beginning on Nov. 27 at 8:30 a.m. the novelties are expected to pathe the course from 81st St. and Central Park West before Santa Claus ends the procession in front of the world-famous department store at 34th St. and 6th Ave.

Jamaican octogenarian cheers 100 years of eye-high kicks

Jamaica’s Carmen Beverley was among the VIP guests invited recently for the official opening of the annual Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.

Along with 500 former Rockettes, media, and insiders, the octogenarian enjoyed privileged orchestra seating and an up-close vantage point to the spectacle.

Unbeknownst to the Brooklyn resident, the evening marked the 100-year anniversary celebration of the high-kicking elite, precision dancers known as Rockettes.
Also, clueless to the elder was the fact that the occasion commemorated her belated birthday anniversary and a surprise outing with friends.

Prior to the premiere performance, Beverley was treated with tropical cupcakes and a corner ensemble that gathered at 50th St. and 6th Ave. to sing her the “Happy Birthday” song.

True to Caribbean practice, she was feted with a parody of Busy Signal’s reggae version.
“Oh my God,” Beverley, the Jamaican national, exclaimed.
As if in disbelief, she gasped with realization that the special treat doled out was held to honor the more than 87 years of her birth.
She reacted joyously.

After composing herself to a manageable level of glee, Beverley walked to the orchestra section, where two organists, a full orchestra, and a line of 36 Rockettes showcased the reputation they had earned over a century.
As she settled into a red velvet chair, a preview film enlightened her about the evolution of the 84 lineup of dancers, which splinters in order to accommodate three daily shows from now until 2026.

The snippet did not detail how Jennifer Jones broke the glass ceiling in 1987 when she integrated Blacks into the line, but Beverley calculated the historic timeline.
Beverley was also awed by the “Parade of Living Soldiers,” “The Nativity,” and scenes featuring a multiplicity of Santa Clauses.

Needless to say, when fairy drones flitted overhead and ice skaters highlighted activities that mimicked winter in Central Park, the celebrant’s emotions surpassed expectations.
Beverley remained wide-eyed throughout the 90-minute production.
It was as if she had been transported to a birthday paradise.

Afterwards, she posed for pictures inside the lowest level of the acoustically-perfect showplace.
There she deeply inhaled and exhaled.

As ladies dressed in evening gowns meandered nearby, and men wearing tuxedos escorted dates to the opening night gala, Beverley gazed up at the Swarovski crystal chandelier positioned in the foyer, marveled at the winding staircase that pop star Michael Jackson allegedly walked before performing his Christmas special there on Dec. 20, 1989, and again pondered the evening’s engagement.

Before exiting, Beverley grasped a laminated keepsake she had been gifted, and was heard saying, “Thanks be to God, I will never ever forget this day.”
The annual will end on Jan. 4.Catch you On the Inside!