- The actor wrote a letter encouraging the venue to stop using animal performers
- He claimed the animals were kept in cruel conditions and exposed to 'loud noises and disorienting lights'
- A spokesperson denied the claims, calling Baldwin “incorrect in his assumptions”
Actor Alec Baldwin wrote a scathing letter denouncing the use of live animals in Radio City Music Hall's iconic Christmas show.
On Thursday, Golden Globe winner and animal rights activist group PETA wrote a letter to James L. Dolan, CEO of Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation (MSG), which owns the entertainment venue.
“Nothing is more magical than a visit to New York City during the holidays, when people from all over the world come to watch the Radio City Christmas Spectacular,” Baldwin wrote.
“But as someone who cares deeply about animals, I was disappointed to learn that the show features not only dazzling human performers like the Rockettes, but also camels, sheep and donkeys, who are forced to participate in the nativity scene.”
The actor, who has worked with PETA for more than 30 years, expressed concern about the camels and goats being “subjected to loud noises and disorienting lights.”
Thursday's letter urged MSG to reinvent the show without the use of animals, like other successful productions
The animals are part of a 'living nativity' that goes on display every year, but the actor and PETA claim they are kept in cruel conditions
Baldwin claimed that the group got its animal artists from Dawn Animal Agency – a claim that was quickly rebuked by an MSG Entertainment spokesperson
Alex Baldwin wrote a scathing letter to Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corporation urging them to stop using live animals in Radio City's annual Christmas show.
The letter encouraged MSG to reinvent the show and make it animal-free.
That evening, a group of PETA activists stood outside the music hall, dressed in elf costumes and carrying wheelbarrows full of coal.
Some held signs reading “Radio City: End Animal Acts Now!”
Baldwin pointed the finger specifically at Dawn Animal Agency, claiming that MSG is working with a group that “has been frequently cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violating federal law for denying animals even basic necessities.”
However, a spokesperson for MSG Entertainment denied that the company supplies the animals used in the show.
'Mr. Baldwin is wrong in his assumptions,” the rep said. 'The safety of the animals in the beloved “Living Nativity” is always our priority.
'Their well-being is crucial and they will receive exceptional 24-hour care throughout the show's limited run.'
Since its opening in 1933, Radio City Christmas Spectacular has played to an audience of more than 70 million people.
The show includes a live nativity scene and 90 minutes of dancing.
On Thursday evening, PETA protesters stood outside Radio City Music Hall, dressed in elf costumes and carrying wheelbarrows full of coal
Baldwin has worked with the animal protection group for more than 30 years
The Christmas Spectacular is a tradition dating back to 1933 and has evolved with the times to include a drone light show
This year marks the second debut of the Dance of the Frost Fairies, a song in which drones fly above the audience.
Last month, the tenth Archbishop of New York stood outside the music hall to bless the animals before their first performance on November 17.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan braved the blustery 90-degree weather to splash holy water on the four-legged performers. Present were a camel named Humphrey and a sheep named Phil, as well as several Rockettes.
Dolan even led the group in a prayer.
“Lord, we need a little Christmas. Whatever faith we have, even if we don't, our hearts long for warmth, love, peace and reconciliation. Christmas can bring that and will we ever need it,” he said.