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Mackenzie Tatananni writes for Dailymail.com
Updated at 01:00 on December 25, 2023, 02:33 on December 25, 2023
- The actor writes a letter encouraging venues to stop using animal performers
- He claimed the animals were kept in cruel conditions and subjected to “loud sounds and confusing lights”
- A spokesman denied the claims and said Baldwin “was wrong in his assumptions.”
Actor Alec Baldwin has written a scathing letter condemning the use of live animals in the iconic Radio City Music Hall Christmas show.
On Thursday, the Golden Globe-winning animal rights activist group PETA wrote to James L. Dolan, chief executive of Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSG), which owns the entertainment venue.
“There’s nothing more magical than visiting New York City during the holidays, when people come from all over the world to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” Baldwin wrote.
“But as someone who cares deeply about animals, I was disappointed to find that this show not only featured dazzling human performers like the Rockettes, but also camels, sheep and donkeys who were forced to participate in a nativity scene.”
The actor, who has worked with PETA for more than three decades, expressed concern about camels and goats because they are “affected by loud sounds and disorienting lights”.
The letter also encourages MSG to completely revamp the show so that it no longer contains animal ingredients.
That night, a group of PETA activists stood outside the concert hall, dressed in elf costumes and pushing wheelbarrows filled with coal.
Some held signs that read “Radio City: End Animal Behavior Now!”
Baldwin specifically blamed Dawn Animal Facility, claiming MSG works with an organization “regularly accused by the USDA of violating federal law by denying animals basic necessities.”
However, a spokesperson for MSG Entertainment denied that the company provided the animals used in the show.
‘gentlemen. Baldwin’s assumptions are wrong,” the representative said. “The safety of the animals featured in the beloved Nativity scene is always our top priority.
“Their health is of the utmost importance and they receive exceptional care around the clock during the show.”
Since its opening in 1933, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular has attracted more than 70 million viewers.
The show features a vivid nativity scene and 90 minutes of dance.
This year marks the second debut of Dance of the Frost Fairies, a show that features drones flying above the audience.
Last month, New York’s 10th Archbishop stood outside the concert hall to bless the animals before the first show on Nov. 17.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan braved 30-degree windy weather to sprinkle holy water on the four-legged performers. In attendance were a camel named Humphrey and a sheep named Phil, as well as several Rockettes.
Dolan even led the group in prayer.
“Lord, we need a little Christmas. Whatever our faith, and even if we don’t, our hearts long for warmth, love, peace and reconciliation. Christmas can bring that, whether we need it or not,” He said.
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