The best Christmas memories come from time spent with family and friends.

So say the cast members of "I Remember Christmas," this year's holiday show at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.

The sentiment is more than the theme of the "Christmas revue." It's a reality the performers will share with every audience.

The "holiday revue," produced by stage and screen performer Ellen Travolta, features an ensemble cast of five, which includes some of Travolta's own family members - her husband, Jack Bannon; and her sister, Margaret.

"One of the things I love most about this show is that it's so inclusive," said performer Patrick Treadway, one of the two non-family cast members. "It's so genuine. It's like having a small, actual, family Christmas."

"I Remember Christmas" opens Friday and offers a mix of story readings, music and old-time radio. It also features plenty of nostalgia from the Travolta sisters, who share their childhood memories of New Jersey with their other siblings: Sammy, Mary, Annie, Joey and "baby Johnny."

"The stories are all true, and they're very personal," Margaret said.

Margaret, an actress and Coeur d'Alene resident since 2009, recalled a special Christmas gift she and her sister, Annie, received when they were little girls. It was a cardboard store, with boxes of food and a cash register.

"We had to share it," Margaret said, with a smile. "But for us, Christmas was always about the people. You remember who was there, you remember things like getting your $5 from Uncle John."

Ellen said many of her favorite Christmas memories were made after the Travoltas finished their holiday meals. "The whole family would sit around the table, and tell stories, and do imitations, and make each other laugh," Ellen said.

Director Troy Nickerson said the strength of this year's holiday show comes from its ensemble cast.

"It really uses the best of each of these performers," Nickerson said. "It's not just a bunch of Christmas songs."

Each cast member is a versatile, veteran performer with an extensive body of work.

Nickerson said actor Jack Bannon - best known for his television work on the "Lou Grant" series from 1977 to 1982 - is one of the best story readers he has ever heard.

The director said Spokane actor Treadway does a spot-on impersonation of Bing Crosby.

Treadway, who also portrays Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy in the holiday revue, said he's often called a "multimedia artist." His professional profile on the LinkedIn social media site states he's an actor, freelance theater director, teacher, puppeteer, makeup designer, caricaturist, graphic artist, voice-over contractor, impressionist and more. He has served as an adjunct instructor at North Idaho College.

Nickerson said Seattle-based actor, singer and pianist Katie Strohmaier - the other non-family cast member - is a fantastic "cabaret lady."

Strohmaier was referred to as a "golden-voiced songstress" by Seattle columnist David Edward Hughes in his 2012 review of Seattle Symphony Pops' "The Cocktail Hour: Music of the Mad Men Era." Her solo, Hughes said, was "scintillating." Strohmaier has performed throughout the Northwest. Her first professional production was with Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre.

She does a bit as Rosemary Clooney in "I Remember Christmas," and said she loves the very personal feel of the show.

"I think it's all things most people can relate to," Strohmaier said.

"I Remember Christmas" opens Friday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, and will run through Dec. 21 with performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and 5 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets are $25 for reserved, cabaret-style seating.

Purchase tickets at cdachristmas.com or (844) 257-9047.