Also hitting the stage at the annual event which are hosted by 'Today' anchors are John Legend and Diana Ross among others.
- Nov 29, 2018
AceShowbiz - December is only a few days away, but it's never too early to kick off the holiday season. NBC aired its annual "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" Tree-Lighting Special and featured performances from the likes of Pentatonix, John Legend and Diana Ross. "Today" hosts Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Craig Melvin hosted the holiday event.
Pentatonix took the stage to perform some of their Christmas covers without a musical accompaniment, while jazz singer Diana Krall and Tony Bennett joined forces to deliver rendition of "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "The Christmas Song".
EGOT winner John later took the stage to belt out two songs off his Christmas album, "What Christmas Means to Me" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". Joined by a band and a trio of backup singers, he showcased his powerful vocals in a long camel-hair coat with a popped collar over a classic black tuxedo.
The special didn't only feature musical performances Howie Mandel took the stage to deliver two comical gigs. Interacting with audience, the "America's Got Talent" judge asked a guy named Tom to press a "Deal or No Deal Button" and told him he could light the tree. It obviously lit after the guy hit the button. Darci Lynee also graced the stage to entertain the audience with her ventriloquism along with her rabbit puppet Petunia.
Closing out the show, Diana delivered a medley of Christmas songs such as "Someday at Christmas", "Wonderful Christmastime" and her own song "Home".
This year's holiday tree is a 72-foot tall, 45-foot wide Norway Spruce that weighs over 12 tons and is around 75 years old. It was wrapped in approximately five miles of containing over 50,000 multi-colored LEDs and topped with a 900-pound star covered in Swarovski crystals.
1. No Backup Band, No Problem!
Even without any musical backup, Pentatonix still managed to wow audience with their performance.
2. Show-Stopping Performance
The chilly weather didn't stop dance group The Rockettes from performing their best.
3. Christmas Spirit
Wrapped in a red dress underneath a black coat, Kellie Pickler delivered rendition of holiday classics.
4. Breathtaking Scene
The giant Christmas tree still looked gorgeous and beautiful even from a far.
5. Brightening Star
The tree was topped with a 900-pound star covered in Swarovski crystals.
