“George, a camel, stepped on the foot of a Rockette; six sheep came off the elevator as three kings bearing gifts got on. ... Human Christmas trees bumped into eight maids-a-milking at the water cooler and an elf came down with the flu!”

This is Bill Geist of the New York Times reporting backstage at Radio City Music Hall during the famous Christmas show.

People often ask me what I think is the actual geographical center of New York City. Sometimes I am tempted to say Shubert Alley and the theater district, and other times, I say it could be 57th Street and Fifth Avenue.

But for me, the center of New York at Christmastime is Radio City Music Hall and the annual Yule extravaganza featuring the incredible Rockettes. This is such a delicious treat that I am amazed at how many jaded New Yorkers just let themselves grow old too fast and stop going to see it. They don’t keep the childlike joy that comes with once again experiencing this vital, amazing and constantly updated offering in America’s biggest, most beautiful theater.

The powers that be keep on improving this phenomenon. Now Santa appears in 3-D for his swooping opening visit from the North Pole right onto the big stage. Every year the Rockettes give us the old favorites (the dancing reindeer, the toy soldiers being shot down) and at least one or two new numbers to sizzle us in our seats.

I watch it each time with a new gang of children, young and old, and take them afterward a few blocks up what I still refer to as “Sixth Avenue” to the famous Circo restaurant on West 55th where the maitre de, Bruno, has those baby pizzas waiting and a big Italian feast.

I believe even most atheists, agnostics and others who are not of the Christian faith can gain a lot from enjoying the yuletide and experiencing the religious denouement in Radio City as the shepherds come to worship the babe in the manger and camels, sheep and magi merge onstage.

Radio City Music Hall, where the Christmas show opened only a few days ago, continuing until Dec. 30, is my own personal, private, and very much loved real re-entry to the season. Radio City presents a better show than you can usually see on Broadway. If it doesn’t get you in the mood for Santa, nothing will!

Buy online at

www.radiocitychristmas.com

or

www.ticketmaster.com

, or buy in person at the Radio City box office or Madison Square Garden box office. Call the Christmas hotline at 866-858 0007. Groups can call 212-465-6080 or visit

www.christmasspectaculargroups.com

. There are special discounts for groups over 25. This year I recommend the Christmas Spectacular Pop-up Book, where in 32 hardcover pages, we get to see the Rockettes doing their stuff. This is a $35 gift of gifts for those who love this show.

Radio City offers at least seven other coffee table works honoring their traditions, plus ornaments, collectibles, snow globes, CDs, DVDs, cups, T-shirts and all the rest. Go online to

www.radiocity.shop.musictoday.com

or to Radio City itself. My favorites? The toy soldier Christmas ornaments.

E-mail Liz Smith at