Welcome to Bismarck, where the Linebackers dress in evening gowns.

They giggle, too, in gleeful anticipation of ringing their little silver bells.

Behold, the magic of Christmas.

'Tis that time of year, when the Belle is dressed in her holiday best, the state Christmas tree fills Memorial Hall with that wonderful pine smell and Lorie Line and Her Pop Chamber Orchestra come to town.

The three events kick off the Christmas season here every year. With the first two already completed, it's time for Line to light up the Civic Center. She'll perform her annual show on Saturday evening, and more Linebackers than ever will be there with bells on.

Line's truest fans show up with bells every year, to jingle along with a specific portion of the show. She said Wednesday that this weekend's performance - the 17th annual - will be her largest ever in Bismarck.

"I'm just thrilled to get there," she said, prior to her Wednesday night show in Minot. "Everyone loved the traditional theme of last year's show, so Ithought I could bring it back and do it one more time. The audience has been so great; they've loved it."

This year's theme, "The Glory of Christmas,"may still be traditional in scope - what Christmas show isn't? - but it's entirely new. Line arranged every note in every piece of music. She also helped design the stage, the costumes (she has four wardrobe changes) and the choreography.

"I'm not as nervous before Igo out on stage this year,"she said. "I think it's because I wrote every note of the material this year. I know it so well. If I'm playing someone else's arrangement, it's hard for me to own it. I always want to play a perfect show, and I'm on a roll now where Ihaven't hit any wrong notes. You want to do that for the audience every night - plus, those kind of mental things help keep you going."

Sometimes it takes a boost. Line and her cast and crew perform 47 shows in 47 days in 30 cities.

She sleeps in the coach between shows, awakening each morning in a new auditorium.

It's an interesting profession, Line said, one where she has to know as much about the trucking business as she does the ivories. Gasoline prices are up 30 percent this year from last, so Line reduced her traveling fleet by a third. She's the first one in to work every morning and the last one out each night, usually in jeans and a T-shirt.

But when the audience filters in and the stage lights come on, it's all glamour, she said.

"I have to know about truckers and riggers and everything that goes on," Line said. "But then each night I bring make believe to the stage and fantasy to the stage. I love it."

This year, "The Glory of Christmas" takes the audience back to the birth of Jesus. Joseph gets to tell his side of the story in Nazareth, and then the set changes to Rome for a visit from Caesar Augustus.

The audience will be invited to sing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, and kids age 4 and older will be asked to take the stage to visit St. Nicholas and participate in a little acting of their own.

Though Line's Bismarck show has sold better than ever, there are still some tickets available. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35, $42 and $49. They can be purchased at the Civic Center box office, through all Ticketmaster outlets or ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 222-2121.

For more information, visit http://www.lorieline.com.