A Crescendo of Sights, Sounds for the Season

No wonder they’re called Mannheim Steamroller. Composer/drummer Chip Davis and his band of players have leveled virtually every rival presumptuous enough to compete for the Christmas listening audience.

The group, which makes its only Southland appearance Tuesday at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, already has sold more than 18 million Christmas albums--including “A Fresh Aire Christmas,” “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas,” “Christmas in the Air” and “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Live.”

What, exactly, is a Mannheim Steamroller? The name is a whimsical title referring to an 18th century composition technique for creating a crescendo (steamroller) and the orchestra (Mannheim) that made it famous.

The ensemble is Davis’ basic small group, usually supplemented by a string section, playing frothy, melodic music that mixes light classical elements with accessible pop rhythms. And its annual holiday tours have become celebratory seasonal events for millions of people.

This year is no exception, and Davis characteristically has put together a performance that stretches the holiday genre. Although the current Mannheim Steamroller Christmas production was seen in other parts of the country last year, this is its first visit to the Southland. And Davis intends to make it a memorable event.

“Here’s a little overview of what to expect,” Davis said. “As the audience walks into the arena, they’ll be greeted by two children’s choirs singing Christmas carols. Then they’ll be met by 50 costumed characters--Snowman, Gingerbread Man, characters like that--along with giant candy canes and a steamroller that kids can sit on and have their pictures taken on.

“We also have a giant surround-sound system, with wind sounds whipping around the theater, the jingle of sleigh bells and a music box playing. Then, as people get to where they can see the auditorium floor, they’ll see a 6,000-square-foot Christmas village, with a real train going around it--it’s the largest electric train in the country.”

And if that’s not enough, Davis also is using snow machines generating flakes of soap foam that disintegrate by the time they reach the arena floor.

“I wanted it to have the feeling of those little glass globes that you shake and make the snow fly,” he said. “And I think we did it. We light it up high and it almost looks like a blizzard. It’s really incredible.”

In addition, huge video screens--the largest 60 by 40 feet, over the stage, with two others, 20 by 40 feet, along the sides of the auditorium--will show scenes of a Christmas feast in 1185.

And Davis, a bearded, bear-like man with a warm and jovial manner, has one final element in the show--perhaps the element about which he feels strongest.

“Our instructions say, ‘Bring your cameras. Flash allowed.’ ” he said. “Bring your cameras and take pictures with our characters or in our village. Isn’t that the way it should be? I mean, isn’t it really silly that people come from miles around to see artists and then they’re not allowed to take pictures? Why wouldn’t an artist be happy to have their picture be on someone’s mantle?”

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Davis, 50, whose American Gramaphone Co. is based in Omaha, Neb.--not exactly a hotbed for the entertainment industry--has made a practice of going against the grain and doing things his own way. His mid-’70s advertising jingles eventually led to a recording contract and the release of the 1975 hit “Convoy,” which sold more than 10 million copies.

Despite these successes, his subsequent creation of the Mannheim Steamroller ensemble evoked total disinterest from record companies. Until, that is, he founded his own label, American Gramaphone, and distributed his initial album, “Fresh Aire” as a stereo demonstration disc. There’s no telling how much equipment the recording sold, but it generated thousands of orders from around the world. (Ironically, even today Mannheim Steamroller--despite its decade of successes--is rarely listed in any of the standard pop music reference sources.)

Davis again sidestepped conventional wisdom in the mid-’80s, when he released a Christmas album. At the time, the general view was that seasonal releases weren’t worth the effort because of the limited sales period. But Davis’ instincts again were right on target. “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas” sold more than 6 million copies and received a Grammy Award nomination.

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Still insistent on following his own path, Davis has just completed another unusual project--a television special titled “The Christmas Angel,” scheduled to air Dec. 19 on NBC.

“We did it ourselves,” he said. “Bought the time, produced the show in Omaha and sold the advertising spots. It’s a Christmas special, of course, based on a pop-up book I wrote and recorded with Olivia Newton-John. Along with our readings, and the Mannheim Steamroller music, we have the story enacted on ice by Dorothy Hamill, Elvis Stojko and 18 other skaters from different countries, with choreography by Randy Gardner.”

In addition to all the music and production projects, Mannheim Steamroller and American Gramaphone have expanded into other areas, with 70 employees, and a catalog business with merchandise ranging from hot chocolate and barbecue sauce to party music and pop-up children’s books.

It’s a remarkable achievement for a self-described “country boy.” Davis, the offspring of a family of musicians in rural Ohio, graduated from the University of Michigan as a classically trained bassoonist. But his vision has always been unique in the entertainment business, always oriented toward the creation of music that encompasses his belief in the importance of family values.

“We work all over the world, but it sure is nice to come back to our farm in Nebraska,” Davis said. “It really helps keep things in perspective. Sitting out in the garden at the end of the day, having a glass of wine, looking at the Nebraska farm country and watching the sun go down. It’s a pretty good way to live.”

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Davis makes sure that everyone in his ensemble has an opportunity to have a family life. Even during Mannheim Steamroller’s busiest holiday season, the ensemble takes off four or five days so the musicians can be home for Christmas.

“We don’t want to greed out on this,” he said, “and then forget what it’s all really about.”

* Mannheim Steamroller performs its Christmas program Tuesday at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, 2695 E. Katella Ave. 8 p.m. $25-$55. (714) 704-2500.