Former Radio City Music Hall performer to explain how she saved the venue

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For some, Radio City Music Hall evokes the spirit of the holidays. Seaford Public Library will be getting into the holiday spirit this upcoming week with their first-ever virtual event about the history of Radio City Music Hall.

“Saving Radio City Music Hall: A Dancer’s True Story”, which will be held at 1 p.m. on Dec. 7 via Zoom, will welcome presenter Rosemary Novellino-Mearns, former dance captain of the Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company during the 1970s.

Novellino-Mearns will tell the true story of how Radio City Music Hall was saved from demolition in the 70s.

Novellino-Mearns, originally from Glen Rock, New Jersey, joined the Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company in 1966 and danced with the group for twelve years, according to The New York Preservation Project. In early 1978, former Rockefeller Center President Alton G. Marshall announced that the venue would close as it was not financially unstable. Reportedly, there were plans to transform the building into office space.

Novellino-Mearns led the effort that prevented Radio City’s downfall. She became the president of The Showpeople’s Committee to Save Radio City Music Hall. The Hall was later declared a National Historic Landmark, which saved the building and the professions of the thousands of employees that worked inside of it.

“I booked this particular event because with the upcoming holiday season, Radio City Music Hall is probably the most frequently visited landmark in New York City,” Adult Programming Librarian, Kristen Jording said. “ I thought it would be nice to have a program about how this particular iconic building became what it is today.”

Jording said Novellino-Mearns is expected to show live media coverage from the period to tell the “David and Goliath” battle story of how she motivated a small group of dedicated colleagues and friends to join forces and challenge the Rockerfeller establishment, saving the iconic Radio City Music Hall.

“Against all odds,” Jording said, “Rosemary led the fight to save the Showplace of the Nation.”

In addition to this presentation, Jording said the library will be hosting a bus trip to Radio City Music Hall to see the “Christmas Spectacular” on the following day, Dec. 8. The trip has sold out.

“Before going to the show I think it would be nice for our patrons to understand the backstory and acknowledge the fact that if it wasn’t for Rosemary, her colleagues and their bravery, many people wouldn’t have been able to experience fascinating shows like the ‘Christmas Spectacular,’” she said.

Library Director Frank McKenna said the event is critical to Seaford. “Having programs such as Saving Radio City Music Hall is important. … The patrons of Seaford are interested in a broad range of historical topics like this one. Seaford residents have attended many productions at Radio City, including the Christmas Show with the Rockettes.”

The library’s Head of Reference and Computer Services, Ida Zaharopoulos, said that she looks forward to the presentation “because Radio City Music Hall is a landmark of New York City.”

“As residents, we should be familiar with its history and its culture,” Zaharopoulos said. “We have previously done bus trips to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular including a tour of Radio City Music Hall, but many people probably don’t know the backstory to this landmark.”

The library aims to host more similar virtual events in the future, Jording said.

“Having these virtual events has been a savior during these difficult times,” she said, “and I will continue to plan a range of different events to educate our community on important topics like this one.”

Anyone interested can register for the event on the library’s website, https://www.seafordlibrary.org, or by emailing adultprograms@seafordlibrary.org. A Zoom link will be sent out on the night before the program. Guests of all ages are encouraged to attend.