Talk about your melting pot: Israel Baline, son of a cantor, is born in a Russian Jewish village in 1888. He comes to the U.S. with his family and grows up poor on New York's Lower East Side. Then he composes a big chunk of the Great American Songbook, including a much-loved patriotic anthem, "God Bless America," and our most popular Yuletide song ("White Christmas").

The latter tune by Irving Berlin (nee Baline) is also the title of the fancy-schmancy holiday musical at the 5th Avenue Theatre and the 1954 movie it's based on.

A hit for the 5th Avenue in 2006, the live "White Christmas" follows the same tinsel-thin storyline as the Bing Crosby-Danny Kaye film.

But it adds in some extra Berlin standards — a welcome relief from the broad, cornball humor and schmaltzy love stuff.

This year's encore brings back much of the 2006 cast, including the engaging Michael Gruber and fleet-footed Greg McCormick Allen, as the stars of the '50s song-and-dance team of Bob Wallace and Phil Davis.

The pair take a sudden December detour to a Vermont inn to romance a sister act (Taryn Darr's Judy and Christina Saffran Ashford's Betty), and put on a really big show in (natch) a converted barn.

Given the show's soggy book (adapted from the movie by David Ives and Paul Blake), the best reasons to catch "White Christmas" are its shamelessly gaudy retro look, and its gleefully old-school production numbers, dispatched with polish and pizazz by the large, ingratiating cast.

Staged with verve by director-choreographer James A. Rocco and co-director David Armstrong, some are delightful "42nd Street"-style tap extravaganzas.

An ingenious rendition of "I Love a Piano" has the dance chorus costumed as black and white piano keys. A trippy "Blue Skies" number with powder-blue trimmings is another knockout.

And for sheer camp, there's a medley of "How Deep Is the Ocean" and "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me" set in a swanky, crystal-chandeliered nightclub, with chorus boys doing Martha Graham moves in black unitards.

There are more than 15 splashy, spiffy numbers in all. You just have to endure the stretches of groan-worthy wisecracks, silly plot turns and blatant flag-waving in-between.

Other relief during this 2 1/2 hour kitschfest: the dignity Frank Corrado supplies as an unhappily retired Army general, and the expert tomfoolery of Carol Swarbrick, Clayton Corzatte and young Lauren Carlos (who alternates with Drea Gordon as a stage-struck wisenheimer).

It's also hard to resist that Currier and Ives ending with the faux snow — a touch that old softy (and quintessentially American) Berlin would surely appreciate.