Great music, terrific voices, elegant costuming and a festive yuletide set are all rolled into one glittery holiday package in the American Music Theatre's Christmas 2008 extravaganza.

Writers-directors-choreographers Brad and Jennifer Moranz and a stellar cast, led by longtime AMT veterans Wess Cooke and Michael Minor and musical director Charles B. Ancheta, have put together another of the well-paced, high-quality, professional musical revues that have made the American Music Theatre an entertainment jewel.

The show, which runs through Dec. 30, kicks off with a mist-enshrouded stage as the cast sings "Carol of the Bells."

Then Minor and Michelle Mishler, another AMT veteran, team up in a warm rendition of "Christmas Day," while "Jingle Bells" gets a new treatment that's part Latino and part Valkyrie, complete with singer Angela Walker, a recent addition to this strong cast, doing an operatic Brunhilde.

Walker gets several chances throughout the production to showcase her terrific voice, including a lovely version of "Ave Maria."

After a two-year absence, it's good to see Amy Banks back on stage for AMT's Christmas show, and her duet with Todd Mitchell, "Winter Wonderland/Let It Snow," is warm and enjoyable.

Banks also does a super job on "Winter Weather" and the 1950 Bing Crosby-Andrews Sisters hit "Mele Kalikimaka," although it might have been more appropriate to give this number to Hawaiian-born AMT regular Johnny Fortuno.

Several "celebrities" make appearances throughout the show, including the Chipmunks — Simon (Mitchell), Theodore (Randall Frizado) and, of course, Alvin (Minor) — who perform a rock n' roll version of their hit "The Chipmunk Song" ("Please Christmas Don't Be Late").

Even Elvis Presley makes an appearance in the form of Fortuno, who not only bears a strong resemblance to Elvis, but sounds so much like him that, if you close your eyes, you'll swear "The King" is on stage.

In one of my favorite numbers, the male singers — Frizado, Cooke, Minor, Mitchell and Fortuno — team up for an a cappella version of the African-American spiritual "Children Go Where I Send Thee." The harmony these five guys put together is a little slice of heaven itself.

Hollywood comes into play in the second act, with a tribute to Irving Berlin's "White Christmas." While the AMT's screens display clips from the 1954 Bing Crosby-Danny Kaye movie of the same name, the cast, dressed in costumes to match the actors on screen, sings a medley of the film's songs.

Minor and Cooke team up with Clarence the Moose for a very funny "Must Be Santa," which includes an audience singalong. Minor introduced Clarence several years ago and has honed his ventriloquism skills to razor sharpness. Together they've become a sensational comedy duo.

Of course, it wouldn't be an AMT show without Ancheta's fantastic piano medleys. The AMT's musical genius tickles the ivories in "O Holy Night" and "Angels We Have Heard on High." Thanks to well-placed cameras, the audience can watch Ancheta's fingers fly over the keys with blazing speed.

And speaking of brilliant musicians, 20-year-old violinist Cayley Schmid, in her first professional show, cranks out several numbers with Celtic flare. Her "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," is magnificent.

As usual, AMT pulls out all the stops for this production, making for yet another in a long line of successful original shows.

If you can't get into the holiday spirit after seeing this show, then move over Mr. Grinch because it ain't gonna happen.

E-mail: lalexander@lnpnews.com