Floating Scenery: Charice to Ride the Largest Float

The 82^nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Rides Down Broadway On Theatrical Moving Stages

(Excerpts of Article) - New York, NY- November 2008 - Magical scenes float down Broadway as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes to the streets with a fleet of fantasy. It’s theatre down the street as the majestic floats in the annual family favorite transport spectactors from a woodland gathering to a castle of dreams. From foam, wood, metal, paint and the creative magic of the artists of the Macy’s Parade Studio, larger-than- life scenes take shape aboard moving stages.

A convoy of 28 floats including 8 new additions will make the scene on Thanksgiving. The freshman line-up takes us on the cross-country journey of Bolt, Princess fantasies at the Castle of Dreams, the lights of Tokyo subculture on Harajuku Lovers, a representation of the creation story on the True Spirit of Thanksgiving, bright optimism of the Shine On float, the smurftastic world of The Smurfs, the wonder of believing on Winter Wonderland, and the joy shared during a Woodland Family Gathering.

The magic comes to life straight from the imaginations and hard work of the Macy’s Parade Studio team. The floats of fancy are created every year by a team of designers, carpenters, painters, animators, and electricians who work year-round to construct the Parade’s moving stages. The magic begins from a pencil sketch. That initial concept guides the designers through a process that includes creating working models of the float, drafting blueprints and finally constructing the finished product. A host of creative and technical considerations guide the design and construction of a Macy’s Parade float. Not only must the float be a magical wonderland that will delight millions of spectators, but it must also be expertly engineered to collapse to no more than 12 ½-feet tall and 8-feet wide in size, which enables them to be transported through the Lincoln Tunnel to New York City from the Parade Studio’s home base in Hoboken, NJ on Thanksgiving eve.

For the Studio team, it’s all about the details. From the intricately painted facades to the thousands of flecks of glitter, the floats are born from the ground up, hand constructed, painted and weatherproofed for their big debuts. Once the floats are ready for the big day, the entire fleet is transported to the starting line at 77th Street and Central Park West, via GMC Truck, (the official truck of the Macy’s Parade) and re-assembled overnight in preparation for the step off at the sound of Let’s Have a Parade™!

But before the big day, the floats are kid-tested by hundreds of very lucky children at Macy’s Studio Day. Taking place this year on Tuesday, November 18th, Macy’s invites local New York and New Jersey school children to “test-drive” the new fleet giving the Parade’s target audience a sneak peek at the magic in store for Thanksgiving.

MARION-CAROL SHOWBOAT GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SEAL

In celebration of Macy’s 150th Anniversary, the Marion-Carol Showboat will sail once again down Broadway with a special honor this year. In commemoration of generations of longstanding commitment to quality family entertainment, Macy’s is the first-ever recipient of the “Honorary Good Housekeeping Seal.” With the official Seal from Good Housekeeping, which was just redesigned for its 100th Birthday, the Showboat, the largest vessel to ever float down the line of march, will join in the revelry. Measuring 33-feet tall, 16-feet wide and 42-feet long, the masterpiece of craftsmanship comes complete with an authentic looking paddlewheel and twin smokestacks. For the holiday trip the Showboat will carry special guests on board- Captain Macy, Macy’s own Ooh!, Ahh! and Wow! Bears, as well as singing sensation Charice.

Source Link: Macy’s East; Submitted by Archiemr4;