Review: Louise Mandrell's Christmas Show

NASHVILLE - Louise Mandrell strolled on-stage in a pure white gown, broke into a stylized rendition of the "Joy to the World" Christmas carol, and ended the extended medley with a rift of the Hoyt Axton/Three Dog Night song with the same title. Okay. This is not your typical Christmas show.

It is, however, the newest version of Gaylord/Opryland's annual Christmas dinner show. Previous versions of this annual event have featured soloists Linda White and Pam Tillis, but Louise Mandrell puts her own stamp on the venue.

Her version of this family-oriented show featured her own family. Nephew Matt Dudley - oldest son of sister Barbara - greeted the audience and answered audience questions before the show. His wife, Christy Sutherland, was a featured soloist. And autographed copies of Barbara's tribute CD were available for sale in the lobby.

But "Joy to the World" is Louise's chance to shine. And that she did, mixing glamour with humor and tossing in a touch of patriotism and dancing.

Most of the show had strong religious overtones, with Mandrell noting that the holiday celebrated the birthday of Jesus. She added that Barbara, the oldest of three siblings, often reminded her sisters that she was born in Christmas Day and that "her mother's name was Mary."

Consistent with the theme, Mandrell's song list included classics such as "Silent Night," "O Holy Night," "Away in a Manger," and "The Little Drummer Boy."

The latter number was particularly impressive, performed in a patriotic outfit that paid tribute to veterans in the audience. She closed it by engaging one of the band members in a spirited session of dueling drums.

There was also the occasional secular song. The highlight of these was a harmonized version of "Silver Bells" with a country arrangement.

One particularly memorable portion of the show was called "Joy Ride Around the World" - a musical exploration of Christmas in a variety of cultures. This segment allowed Mandrell to display her musical versatility, playing a number of instruments including the fiddle and steel drum.

And she briefly put aside her glamorous look to appear as "Lou the Mailman," a woman assigned to delivery children's letters to the North Pole. The humorous skit presented a chance to display some acting skills she probably developed while performing on the Barbara Mandrell TV show in the 1980s.

The climax of the show displayed another talent - dancing. The 54-year-old performer (it's okay to tell, she mentioned her age on stage) is amazingly agile and performed a number of acrobatic moves.

That set up the finale in which she introduced two guests in the audience - Billie Goodman (wife of Rusty Goodman, from Gospel music's The Happy Goodmans) and Kathy Troccoli (author of Spaghetti for the Soul). She closed with another rousing rendition of "Joy to the World."

The audience had dined on chicken, beef, and potatoes before the show. Mandrell's performance seemed to fit well with their appetites.