Everybody’s talking about Rock Center. "Outside Sources" is a list of our favorite recent stories, videos, photos, memes and other random Internetisms.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting is always an inspiring event, and this year's was particularly so. While crowds filled the Plaza to see the ceremony, and audiences at home gathered to watch on TV, the web lit up with posts on the performers, the music and the majestic spruce itself. The NY Daily News called the evening "a brief reprieve of light in the heart of Midtown," while People and InStyle recapped some of the performance highlights, with photos of Carly Rae Jepsen, Michael Bublé, Mary J. Blige, Sting and The Band Perry. (Blige's closing number, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," definitely struck a chord with fans.) In a Parade interview with the Today show anchors who host the lighting every year, Al Roker described the Tree as "a beacon of hope, of faith, of good will, of the best of humanity."
The New York Times also ran a fascinating piece on the origins of the Christmas tradition at Rockefeller Center during its construction in 1931. The article traces the first tree back to an Italian worker, Cesidio Perruzza, who is said by his family to have brought it to the site (and who appears in a photo of workers lined up by it on Christmas Eve). The story adds, "As with so many rituals of the season, the Rockefeller Center tree makes a stand against the long December nights, its splendor amplified by the gilded setting and the tides of people who come to gaze at it."
On that note, Adele's glorious show at Radio City in November, her first in four years, continues to beam out to the world. The NBC broadcast of her concert this past Monday showcased her soulful performance, as well as how moved she was herself by the audience's response. Her finale of "Rolling in the Deep" (with the crowd singing the chorus) brought it to a rousing finish, while a coda during the credits offered a brief, tender backstage glimpse as well. You can watch the full show here.
Meanwhile at the Rainbow Room, none other than Oprah hosted a special dinner on Thanksgiving, as reported by Page Six. Joined by her partner Stedman Graham and friend Gayle King, she held the event for 20 alumnae from her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, with whom she'd also attended The Color Purple on Broadway. Here's King's Instagram of the room, noting it was Oprah's "first time to the iconic space...something tells me she'll be back."
Over at Christie's, Architectural Digest held a party on December 15 in honor of the Design Auctions, which run December 17-18. The event included a viewing of six galleries holding about 300 pieces from the 20th and early 21st century. Read more about the auctions here.
For sightseeing around the city, National Geographic offered a roundup of its favorite winter spots in New York, while Racked profiled the company American Christmas, which is responsible for installing many of NYC's most famous holiday displays, including angels at Rockefeller Center, the presents outside Radio City and the lighting display at Saks Fifth Avenue, along with the holiday sets at Saturday Night Live.
Speaking of SNL, several of its recent promos have taken advantage of the studio's Rock Center surroundings, such as these with Ryan Gosling and Aidy Bryant, and these at the Rink with Chris Hemsworth and Leslie Jones. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler return to host this Saturday, wrapping up the 2015 season. Fingers crossed to see the two skate with the whole cast as the credits roll.
