RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SHOW TICKETS NEW YORK 2009 show review

Quick, name three New York icons! Easy: the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty and the Rockettes.

The precision dance troupe now dominates “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” so much that the show should be retitled “the Rockettes Spectacular.”

Oh, there’s still plenty of yule spirit, with Santa serving as our guide through an entertaining holiday pageant filled with gifts, kids and happy tourists dressed like extras in a Gap commercial.

But make no mistake: The main attraction is the Rockettes. They perform eight numbers and are the soul of the show — which is overall more spirited, energetic and plain beautiful than ever.

Credit should go to Linda Haberman, who’s helmed the “Spectacular” since 2006. For starters, she’s tightened up the pace to 90 brisk minutes; even the “Living Nativity” scene blazes by at lightning speed.

She’s also brought the production into the 21st century without betraying its origins in Ziegfeld-esque razzmatazz: There’s now spectacular digital projections and high-tech effects, but also good old-fashioned tapping and high kicks. The Rockettes perform more varied dance moves than ever, as well as the rigorous ensemble choreography they’re famous for.

The most inspiring part of the “Spectacular” is the way it connects Christmas with New York itself through those leggy beauties. They’ve been part of the city since 1932, and they make you fall in love with it all over again.