If there’s one thing about the Long Center staff, it’s that we’re crazy about art. We’re a collection of music nerds, moonlighting performers, passion project enthusiasts, and no matter who you talk to, there’s a high chance that you’ll hear about a past life in the arts that sounds too dreamy to be true!
And such is the case with our Box Office’s very own Anne Mason. As Group Sales Manager, she helps our patrons bring big groups to see a show at the LC. But before becoming a ticketing extraordinaire, she lived the life of a dancer, namely as one of the fabulous, iconic, Radio City Rockettes.
Considering that Thanksgiving is just a couple days away, we found it fitting to catch up with Anne in this Mid-Week Intermission to learn about her dazzling days of dance. ✨
Long Center: Welcome to Mid-Week Intermission! We usually like to ask folks for a song to go with their interview – anything come to mind?
Anne Mason: I guess the first song that comes to mind is Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York! Even though I was born and raised in Houston, that song has always had a special place in my heart.
LC: Firstly, would you care to tell folks a little bit about yourself and what you do here at the LC?
Anne Mason: I was a theatre kid. At the age of 19, I moved to New York to pursue a career as a dancer (hence my love of the song New York, New York!) I had a 20-year career as a professional dancer performing in Broadway shows, Off-Broadway, National Tours, Industrials, Television shows, etc. Working at the Long Center feels like coming home. I love being back in a theatre, even though I am now in a behind the scenes role. I am the Group Sales Manager, so if you have brought a group of 10 or more friends to a show in the last 5 years you have probably talked to me on the phone!
LC: What’s the best part about working in our Box Office?
Anne Mason: One thing that never gets old… every morning when I walk into work, I get to enjoy the stunning view of downtown Austin! My favorite part of the job is getting to interact with our wonderful Long Center patrons. I enjoy meeting new people, and being able to welcome groups to our beautiful venue is always a pleasure. I also love the wide variety of performers… I know I’m partial, but there’s nothing like live theatre! I am proud to be a part of the great team we have here at the Long Center.
LC: Word on the street is that you’ve got a pretty cool background…as one of the iconic Radio City Rockettes! Can you give us the rundown on what that really means as a dancer?
Anne Mason: I appreciate the shout-out from folks on the street! It’s funny… after multiple jobs and a second career as a mom, I sometimes look back and wonder if that was my life or a movie I watched. Some of my fondest memories are from my time as a Rockette. I performed with the troupe for 12 years, and I can honestly say that it was the pinnacle of my dancing career. What I love the most is that people from all parts of the country seem to know the Rockettes and have fond memories of seeing them at Radio City or on television in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
LC: How did you find yourself becoming a Rockette? Can you share a bit about your path in dance and your audition experience?
Anne Mason: I know it sounds like a cliché, but I did want to be a Rockette as a child. Actually, as a very young child I wanted to be a Kilgore Rangerette, but then I saw the Rockettes on television and that was it for me! In high school I performed in every musical production, and I also studied after school with a professional dance company in Houston. When I moved to New York, I attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in the Dance Department, and I also studied briefly with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. My training was primarily in modern dance, but when I received a scholarship to a dance studio in Upper Manhattan, I had the opportunity to study tap which brought back fond memories of my childhood tap classes and all the aspirations that went along with them. I saw an ad in the trade paper for an audition for the Radio City Rockettes. I went to an open call with about 700 other dancers who probably had the same childhood dream as I did. It was a long, grueling audition, and at the end I was put on the waiting list. Not deterred, I auditioned again two years later and finally got the gig!
LC: Do you have a favorite memory from your high kick days? Any career highlights?
Anne Mason: I loved touring with the Rockettes. I was on the road for a year and a half, and I have been to every state except four… Maine, North Dakota, Alaska, and Hawaii, I will get to you someday! I guess I’m a gypsy at heart, because I loved the adventure of exploring every new city. A highlight of my Rockette career was getting to perform with Liza Minelli at Radio City. The Rockettes backed her up with a kickline as she sang New York, New York. There’s that song again!!
LC: 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the Rockettes! What does this dance company mean to you, and what is it that makes it so special?
Anne Mason: I am on the Board of Directors for the Rockette Alumnae Association, and in honor of the 100th anniversary we are planning a Charity Ball in New York City just prior to Thanksgiving. It will coincide with events that are being planned by Radio City Music Hall. A lot has gone into the planning, but for all of us it is a labor of love. We will be reuniting women who danced in all decades going back to the 1940s! Being part of such a great legacy is what makes being a Rockette so very special. Everyone who has danced as a Rockette is part of a lifelong sisterhood.
LC: And finally, can you teach us at the LC how to high kick?
Anne Mason: I have the bad knees that accompany a 20-year dancing career, but I can try. 😊
Thanks, Anne!
Be sure to say hi to Anne the next time you visit the Box Office, and Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the Long Center!
At the Long Center, we’ve always got a new partnership or something cool we know you’ll want to check out! Find and follow us @longcenter on your social media platform of choice, and we’ll see you real soon.
