We are all celebrating Christmas a little different this year, but Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is doing its part to make it the fun and festive holiday we have come to expect.
While Hard Rock’s decorations, rocking holiday soundtrack played throughout the casino and Executive Pastry Chef Thaddeus DuBois’ massive chocolate display will all make you feel holly and jolly, the biggest antidote to avoid having a Blue Christmas is Hard Rock’s all-new show, Motor City Live: A Motown Christmas.
The 60-minute holiday-themed production features a slew of Motown goodies and soul-fueled Christmas classics in a safe, socially distant setting. That’s right: You can have fun and be safe at the same time thanks to the combined efforts of Hard Rock’s Safe + Sound Protocols that were updated for larger-scale live entertainment.
For starters, the Sound Waves Theater capacity is reduced to 10 percent, meaning no more than 150 people can attend each show. Attendees will be able to purchase tickets in sets of two or four only. Everyone will be seated at tables with their party only, socially distanced at least 6 feet apart from other tables. Other precautions include temperature checks before entering the casino, one-way directed traffic patterns, mandated facial coverings unless you are enjoying a cocktail while seated at your table, and cocktail servers replacing walk-up bars. Hand sanitizer is available throughout the venue, and even the show’s dancers wear face coverings.
Now, back to the show!
If “Motor City Live: A Motown Christmas” sounds familiar, it should. The show was produced in the casino’s inaugural year, 2018. But this version is re-energized and re-imagined with at least 50 percent of the setlist changed thanks to the fun and creative minds of Producer Allen Valentine and his team, who have brought several fun shows to Hard Rock since its 2018 opening.
Featuring eight vocalists, four dancers and a five-piece band, A Motown Christmas’ stage is decorated with poinsettias and Christmas trees as well as a giant LED screen that serves as a backdrop for the show, displaying images such as Santa being pulled by his reindeer or the traditional flickering fireplace.
Expect to hear plenty of familiar Motown staples from The Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Ike & Tina Turner and many more alongside memorable holiday tunes in the R&B spirit including “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “My Favorite Things” and a show-stopping rendition of “O Holy Night” featuring amazing harmonies from the whole vocal cast.
A Motown Christmas must-see holiday show this year, and it will also bring a sense of normalcy – and hope for future entertainment – to everyone who attends.
A Motown Christmas will be performed inside Sound Waves through Dec. 30. Tickets are $29 and available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.