Jyl Perry (third from left) and other Rockettes perform at the Aronoff Center. (Jeff Swinger photos) | ZOOM |

        The first thing you notice are the legs — long, beautiful and seemingly everywhere. We're backstage at the Aronoff Center for a rehearsal of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

        Eighteen Rockettes are scurrying around as they suit up for “Carol of the Bells,” a big production number with sleds, fans and 3-foot-tall plumed hats.

        We've been invited in for a peek by four-year veteran Jyl Perry, a Californian. She's one of the Rockettes spending this holiday season onstage in Cincinnati, along with about 80 other cast and crew members.

        With all the makeup, feathers, sparkles and gorgeous knock-your-socks-off costumes, it looks glamorous to the audience. Behind the scenes, it's a lot like many other jobs — tedious with long hours and a lot of waiting.

        Ms. Perry's day here starts at 10 a.m. when she rolls out of bed. It isn't over until 1 a.m. when rehearsals end. We met her one morning last week in her suite at the Garfield House, where the cast is staying, and walked with her to the Aronoff Center to ask her a few questions about the show.

IF YOU GO

Warming up before the show. | ZOOM |   • What: Radio City Christmas Spectacular.   • When: 2 and 7:30 p.m. today; 4 and 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 1, 4 and 7:30 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 2, 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. Sunday.   • Where: Procter & Gamble Hall. Aronoff Center for the Arts.   • Tickets: $20-$49.50. 241-7469.

        Question: Why is this show so hard to set up, with rehearsals 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.?

        Answer: Radio City's never done this before. There's the main show in New York, and now some scattered established locations in several cities, but this is the first time they've taken one on the road.

        Q: Where's this one from?

        A: Branson, Mo. We played there Nov. 3-Dec. 16, then came here. The Aronoff's a smaller stage than the one in Branson, so we're having to make some changes to fit everything in.

        Q: How do you get to be a Rockette?

        A: You need to know how to dance, but everyone comes from different backgrounds. I started at 4 to get out of pre-school and took all kinds of dance. We have ballet dancers, jazz, tap. And you have to be able to sing — something that wasn't required in the early days. And of course the height requirements - 5-feet-5 1/2 to 5-feet-11 inches. (She is 5-feet-8.)

Walking toward the stage. | ZOOM |

        Q: What about age?

        A: I'm 24, which is pretty average. You have to be 18 to audition, but you can be a Rockette until your 60 if you want to. They're not going to make you leave just because of your age. Of course, you have to be able to do all the numbers well.

        Q: What's the hardest part about doing these shows?

        A: You need a lot of stamina. One of the most difficult things about our numbers are all the props we have to handle. It's up to us to make it look easy, but the props are very choreographed and precise — and sometimes heavy. In this show I wear a 30-pound bear costume.

        Q: Do things ever go wrong?

        A: All the time. Once a dancer was about to make an entrance with a hanger hanging off her hat plume. Once when we did the domino fall in “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” a dancer got her nose pushed out of joint. Another time she got her tooth chipped — same girl. And she's still in the show.

        Q: You must burn a lot of energy doing four shows a day. Can you eat whatever you want?

        A: I have to eat. I'm hungry about every three hours.

        (In her bag to take to the theater are balance bars, fruit, nuts, Gatorade and vitamins. Fiance Mike Gaskill, a chef who's not part of the show, asks what she'd like to eat during her one-hour break. The answer is a decisive “steak.” She had bacon and poached eggs for breakfast.)

BY THE NUMBERS

Hugging a cast member backstage. | ZOOM |   The many feats of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular:   • 3,000 dots of red (to brighten cheeks of Rockettes as “Rag Dolls” and “Wooden Soldiers”)   • 750 colorful costumes   • 500 pounds of snow a-falling   • 300 pairs of shoes for dancing   • 100 people heartily working   • 19 adorable teddy bears   • 18 Rockettes a-kicking   • 14 dressers dressing   • 10 loads of wash a-washing (per show — four shows a day)   • Eight costumes a-changing (per Rockette, in 78 seconds or less)   • Five wooly lambs (named One through Five)   • Three kissing camels (actually only Freddie kisses; Altis and Smitty just like to schmooze)   • And a donkey named Sadie, puppy named Tia and intrepid trainer who sleeps in the tent with them named Tim Davis

        Q: Is this anything like the New York production?

        A: The one in New York is huge. There are three big elevators that go up and down 30 feet. The orchestra pit can be up in front, lower and go down underneath the stage and come up behind. We can't do that here. But some of the numbers — “The Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Living Nativity” — which uses live animals — are the same ones seen in New York. They were first done in 1933.

        Q: How many shows are you doing here?

        A: We're doing 26 shows in 10 days — four shows a day. We've never done that before. The most we've done is three a day, so none of us knows how we'll feel by the end.

        Q: Have you done your Christmas shopping?

        A: No. I can't see anyone until we're done here, so I'll wait and shop after New Year's — even get some bargains.

        Q: Will Radio City be back next year?

        A: They're hoping this touring will go well and they'll branch out to other cities too. It's a great job — I hope to be doing it for at least another five years.

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