Christmas Entertainment Trivia (1380l) - Middle School Reading Article Worksheet (Page 2 of 4) in pdf

Vale Middle School Reading Article

Christmas Entertainment Trivia (1380L)

Notes on my thoughts,

graced the Center.

reactions and questions as I

read:

In an act of patriotism, one tree was decorated in red, another in white, and the other in blue. However,

because of wartime restrictions on electricity, the trees were not illuminated. In 1949, the tree was

painted silver. In 1951, the entire nation witnessed the tree-lighting ceremony when it was televised on

The Kate Smith Show. And by 1964, the ceremony had become an annual event, with celebrities such as

Johnny Carson, Hugh Downs, Ed McMahon, Barbara Walters, Debbie Reynolds, Marlo Thomas, and Phil

Donahue hosting the show.

Today, the annual Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center is typically adorned with more than 25,000 lights

but no other ornaments except for the star on top.

Who is Rankin-Bass?

Rudolph, Frosty, and Kris Kringle were all brought to life on television, thanks to the work of Rankin-Bass.

The television production company founded by Arthur Rankin, Jr., and Jules Bass achieved fame in 1964

when they created an animated adaptation of the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Narrated by

Burl Ives, with an original orchestral score by Johnny Marks, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was an

instant hit and today is one of the longest-running Christmas specials in television history.

Rudolph's success was soon followed by several other holiday hits produced by Rankin-Bass:

"The Little Drummer Boy," 1968, narrated by Greer Garson, featured the Vienna Boys' Choir

"Frosty the Snowman," 1969, narrated by Jimmy Durante, with Jackie Vernon as Frosty

"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," 1970, narrated by Fred Astaire, with Mickey Rooney as Kris

Kringle

"Frosty's Winter Wonderland," 1976, narrated by Andy Griffith and starred Shelley Winters as

Crystal

"Rudolph's Shiny New Year," 1976, with Red Skelton as Father Time

"Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey", 1977, featured original music by Gene Autry

"Jack Frost," 1979, with songs written by Al Jolsen and Mel Tormé

What is The Nutcracker?

In 1890, following the success of the Russian ballets Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, composer Peter

Tchaikovsky, choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, and set designer Ivan Vsevolozhsky created

what would become one of the best-loved ballets of all time.

The Nutcracker, a full-length ballet, was based on The Nutcracker of Nuremberg, by Alexandre Dumas,

which he adapted from The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by German writer E.T.A. Hoffman. In

December 1892, the ballet opened at the Mariinsky Theatre of Russia to mixed reviews.

It wasn't until 1944 that an American ballet company performed the masterpiece. Choreographed by W.

Christensen, the San Francisco Opera Ballet produced the first full-length American production, with

Jocelyn Vollmar dancing as the Snow Queen.

So you’ve had your fill of Christmas entertainment trivia, and you’re hungry for more. Go to this website:

to learn more about holiday symbols, Santa,

traditions, Christmas tree trivia and more.

Publications International, Ltd. Christmas Entertainment Trivia. Retrieved December 20, 2011. Available at

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