It wasn’t a silent night at the Rockefeller Center. In fact, it was lit!
NBC’s biggest stars were on hand in New York Wednesday for the 87th annual lighting ceremony of the “most famous Christmas tree in the world,” said “Today” host Al Roker, including “The Voice” coaches Gwen Stefani and John Legend, members of the “Saturday Night Live” cast and legendary rocker Jon Bon Jovi.
And the chilly 35-degree weather didn’t stop anyone from getting into the holiday spirit during the star-studded, two-hour “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” extravaganza.
If you missed the joyful performances, festive fashion and whopping 50,000 light bulbs, don’t get your sleigh bells in a bunch, because USA TODAY’s got you covered. Here are the top five moments from the Christmas celebration:
Jon Bon Jovi
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer gave a powerful performance of “Unbroken” in front of dozens of uniformed service members from all branches of the military. The new song, which is featured in the Netflix documentary “To Be of Service,” is an anthem for veterans struggling with PTSD.
“Did anyone else just see Jon Bon Jovi perform this? WOW it gave me goosebumps,” tweeted @donna143241.
‘Saturday Night Live’
Bah humbug. “Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson didn’t bring joy to the world when he opened the winter spectacle.
“Santa works one day a year and I work, like, a million. How did he get that deal? I need his agent,” Thompson said while walking around the sketch show’s empty studio, right there in Rockefeller Plaza.
The Grinch Thompson then poked his head out of a window that overlooked the ceremony and yelled, “Hey, happy people, cut it! It’s cold, it’s crowded and you people got trees in your houses, so why don’t you go look at those? Some people are trying to work!”
He added, “Christmas is for children and old people.”
But, Thompson’s co-stars – Aidy Bryant, Michael Che and Colin Jost – were able to change his mind and get him excited to rock around the (77-foot) Christmas tree.
‘The Voice’
Stefani kicked off the festivities by singing “You Make It Feel Like Christmas,” and later performed “White Christmas” as it started to drizzle at the end of the festivities.
She was followed at the top of the show by fellow “Voice” coach Legend, who performed his holiday-inspired hits “Bring Me Love” and “Christmas Baby.”
Legend shied away from performing his new, controversial remake of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Kelly Clarkson. (Legend performed the updated holiday classic on “The Voice” Wednesday.)
But, his Rockefeller Center performances scored him at least one little fan, who was overcome with the Christmas spirit. “Apparently Jett is a @johnlegend fan,” user @JGelnar7 tweeted alongside a video of the tot dancing and clapping along.
See the new lyrics: John Legend, Kelly Clarkson’s ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ gets mixed reviews
Julianne Hough
Hough returned to NBC for the first time since her and Gabrielle Union’s controversial exit from “America’s Got Talent” amid reports of a toxic work culture.
The dancer, who is set to star on NBC’s “Holidays With the Houghs” on Dec. 16, appeared in high spirits as she sang “All I Want for Christmas Is Love” with Jordan Fisher.
More: Julianne Hough weighs in on her ‘America’s Got Talent’ exit, controversy
Her brother, Derek Hough, was not far behind. He performed a high-energy rendition of “Sock it to Me, Santa.” The performance scored mixed reviews on Twitter.
Billy Porter and Idina Menzel
Porter had more than love to keep him warm.
The “Pose” star showcased his signature flare in a long fur coat during his duet of “I Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” with Idina Menzel. As if it were not cold enough onstage, Porter accessorized his neck with some ice: a large diamond(?) necklace.
‘I get cocky’: Idina Menzel hits another risky high note in ‘Frozen 2’
The Rockefeller Christmas Tree
But the real star of the show was this year’s tree, a 77-foot Norway Spruce planted 60 years ago in Orange County, New York.
The tree was adorned with more than 50,000 colorful LED lights and topped with a 900-pound star made of more than 3 million Swarovski crystals. (Yes, you read that right.)
