Mannheim Steamroller - The Christmas Angel: A Story on Ice

This tale of good versus evil takes place in a magical land where toys come to life and evil is transformed into good. What makes The Christmas Angel especially entertaining is the combination of graceful skating by such well-known talents as Dorothy Hamill and Elvis Stojko and the emotive music of Mannheim Steamroller. The story tells of an evil gargoyle named Gargon (Stojko) who steals the Christmas angel (Tonia Kwiatkowski) from atop a snowy village's Christmas tree, thereby preventing the arrival of Christmas. A young mother (Hamill), along with a host of toys-come-to-life, follows Gargon into the dark otherworld in an attempt to rescue the stolen angel. In the end, the angel is freed along with a host of lost souls and Christmas is saved. Unfortunately, this engaging 45-minute story is given a hokey framing sequence of Olivia Newton-John and Chip Davis posing as parents reading a Christmas story to their children.

The costuming and sets are fun, bright, and absolutely captivating. The skating is spectacular, offering an optimal mix of solo and ensemble performances. Favorite Mannheim Steamroller renditions of classics like "Good King Wenceslas," "Angels We Have Heard on High," and "Greensleeves" add a pathos and drive to the story. DVD special features include a five-minute (minimally informative) interview with composer and narrator Chip Davis, brief textual biographies of the primary skaters, a video clip of Mannheim Steamroller: Christmas Live, and a short, written history of American Gramaphone. --Tami Horiuchi