Donny And Marie Osmond Change Up Their Hit Show At The Flamingo
Las Vegas Weekly
by Robin Leach
May 18, 2011
Marie Osmond and Donny Osmond perform
at the Flamingo on May 17, 2011.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but brother-and-sister duo Donny and Marie Osmond last night went against that old showbiz rule. They premiered their new look, sound, lighting and wardrobe production at their Flamingo theater and pulled off yet another winner.
There’d been nothing wrong with their previous show. Critics praised it, and fans loved it. So when you’ve got 48 years of showbiz experience, why risk major changes that could jeopardize what was already working well?
“After three years of doing it, we had many repeat fans. Some seven and nine times. One man 40 times,” Donny told me backstage before curtain up last night. “We had to change it up, and with our new album together, the first in over 30 years, it was the right time to marry the changes altogether.
“It’s 75 to 80 percent completely different now. But our father taught us this work ethic. It’s old school but you must give the audience more than they paid for. We give our heart and soul to every performance, and it was time for us to refresh ourselves, too.”
Donny Osmond, center, performs at
the Flamingo on May 17, 2011.
Donny and Marie began their run on the Strip with just a 6-week contract. “We were ridiculed for spending so much money for such a short run,” Donny said. “But it paid off, and here we are now in a contract that runs through the end of 2012.”
Last year, they worked the Flamingo stage with sold-out shows for 44 weeks. This coming final year, it will be 36 weeks, and they’re touring at the end of August. They play a week in Detroit and three weeks in Chicago with their Christmas show, which will be updated from last year’s run on Broadway. They’ll also squeeze in a Toronto engagement.
“We’re not going anywhere,” said Donny, reassuring me they weren’t thinking of upping and leaving. “The Flamingo will always be our mother ship, and even though we’re getting very interesting offers, including many from overseas, we’ll make it all fit in. We don’t know the specifics of it all yet, but we love performing in Las Vegas and always will. It’s our home. Marie lives here, and even my hotel suite here feels like home now.”
The duo were shocked when I told them that with nearly a half-century of showbiz behind them, they’ve outlasted all the Las Vegas greats such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and even Elvis Presley -- all of whom they worked with in their careers. “We never thought about it in those terms,” Marie laughed. “Here we are still going strong. We are truly blessed.”
Marie Osmond and Donny Osmond perform at
the Flamingo on May 17, 2011.
Marie proudly showed me her new wedding band and engagement ring. She wears them on separate fourth fingers of both hands. “They look way too busy together on the same finger. They are both so special, I keep them apart so they are doubly meaningful.
“I didn’t think we’d get married, but our son got us back together saying we were perfect for each other. I guess now we’re both wiser and smarter. Yes, Robin, love is better the second time around. It is really nice after being alone for so long to go home to a loving, caring husband.
“We kept it as secret as possible. We kept it secret in case anything went wrong, as we got to know each other all over again. We kept it quiet so we wouldn’t disappoint the children or have it reported as a failure.”
I complimented Marie on how stunning she is looking and that obviously marriage agrees with her, and Donny cut in: “She’s the happiest she’s ever been.”
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