Let’s get something straight: Even though they have one of the most successful shows in Vegas, Donny and Marie Osmond do not do acrobatics in their show at the Flamingo. Neither one flips (although Marie is dipped) or swings on a silk rope across the stage.
But what the pair of siblings does is create a warm, energetic show that draws the audience in, simultaneously reminding (us) where the Osmonds started and how far they’ve come.
Donny and Marie Osmond started this foray into Las Vegas back in 2007 for a limited run. Those shows proved so popular that the next year, they opened at the Flamingo—and have been here ever since.
Like the television variety program that the two starred in during the 1970s, this Flamingo show incorporates dancing, some lighthearted comedy and a lot of singing. The two open together, with eclectic songs from “It Takes Two” to “Get the Party Started” and “Dancing in the Street,” backed by a nine-piece band and eight dancers.
Each of the Osmonds takes a turn onstage alone with solo numbers stretching across their respective careers. Marie brings her sparkly style onstage, changing outfits to match every number, from her breakout “Paper Roses” to a mashup of “Walk This Way” and “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,” plus her more famous country hits. Donny comes on with “Puppy Love,” “One Bad Apple” and “Soldier of Love,” followed by some of his personal favorites: “My Cherie Amour,” “I Love You” and “I’ll Be There.”
That’s probably more than most singers fit in a two-and-a-half-hour set, but they’re not done. Marie showcases her range with selections including “Nessun Dorma,” “All That Jazz” and “Cabaret.” Both of the Osmonds have spent a fair bit of time on Broadway, and they fit in songs from Beauty and the Beast, The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Wicked.
And all of it’s accompanied by dancing! Both appeared on Dancing With the Stars (Marie in 2007 and Donny in 2009). Those dancing skills are still sharp, and both are justifiably proud of the accomplishment, which is the source of a bit of sibling rivalry. Donny gets in a little dig while introducing Marie: “Just saying, I don’t know what it’s like to come in second on Dancing With the Stars… Marie can tell us…”
During a quiet medley of their duets, “Moon River,” “Make the World Go Away” and “Deep Purple,” she gets him back, questioning the role of the male partner in dance and ribbing him about an injury he sustained last summer to his derrière. “Scarbutt!” she says.
Throughout it all, an appreciation for their fans comes through, fans that fill the audience night after night, and who have followed Donny and Marie through radio, concerts and Broadway and every silly sign off they’ve ever done. Good night, everybody.
Flamingo, 7:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., $104.50-$286 plus tax and fee. 702.733.3333
