A crowd gathered in Beacon Court at the Bloomberg building in New York City late Monday afternoon, just before sunset. They were eagerly anticipating a performance by one of Broadway’s brightest stars, Idina Menzel. Bloomingdale’s was about to deliver a holiday gift to the city in the form of a free concert featuring Menzel and dancers from the Broadway techno light show, iLuminate. Menzel took the time to meet many of her fans earlier in the day at Bloomingdale’s when she signed copies of her new album, Holiday Wishes, in the store. The day’s festivities are all part of Bloomingdale’s All Wrapped Up holiday campaign. The store is using the symbol of the classic Mylar bow to communicate the spirit of the season in everything from gift giving to giving back.
This year, Bloomingdale’s has established three ways to give back through a marketing program that benefits the Child Mind Institute (CMI). Their collectible Little Brown Bear is back for 2014 and $2.00 of each sale goes to CMI. A percentage of the sales from a specially designed Little Brown Bear Charm Bangle from Alex and Ani and a collection of holiday gifts designed by Michael Aram will also be donated to the charity.
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| iLuminate (Photo Isabelle Erb) |
Just as night was falling, the show got underway. The concert was also streamed live on Live Nation at Yahoo.com/Live. The opening performance by illuminate combined state of the art special effects with fast paced choreography and a pulse-pounding soundtrack. Finally it was time for Menzel to take the stage. The much celebrated, TONY award-winning actress has garnered additional fame of late for her performance of the song, Let It Go, from the mega hit film, Frozen. Menzel, wearing a black fur jacket and slim black pants, immediately added a touch of intimacy to the outdoor scene, chatting casually about herself and waving to the fans gathered in the office windows above. She performed selections from her new holiday album and, to the delight of her fans, closed the show with the afore mentioned hit from Frozen.
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| Store window (Photo Rhonda Erb) |
Following the performances, everyone made their way to Lexington Avenue to see Bloomingdale’s holiday windows and enjoy treats from the Coolhaus food trucks. This year, the store’s windows give onlookers an interactive experience, featuring games based on the holiday Gift A Bow theme.
– Rhonda Erb
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