REVIEW – The Osmonds A New Musical (UK Tour) – You’ll Love This Nostalgic, Joyful Hit For A Reason!

Date of performance – 7th October 2022.

Venue – New Theatre, Cardiff

War in Ukraine, climate change, Brexit, Liz Truss, Cost of Living, strikes left – right – and centre in almost every industry imaginable, the death of Her Majesty The Queen, and the threat of Covid still bubbling away in the background……. it’s fair to say that the world we live in today is filled with tragedy, turmoil, gloom and doom. Do we really need (or want) our entertainment to reflect this “real – life?” No, we don’t – certainly not all the time. To me, when we want to be entertained, we also usually want to “escape.” And the musical that I saw yesterday offered the PERFECT escape – Osmond style!

‘The Osmonds – A New Musical’ is, you guessed it, a new musical about The Osmonds! Now, as a 2000s’ baby, I was not that familiar with this 70s’ American – as – apple – pie musical group growing up, but I wasn’t oblivious. My Aunt adored Donny Osmond back in the day (Mum never seems to let her live it down!), and I got introduced to him via the film version of ‘Joseph’ when I was about twelve years old. I’d heard about Donny and Marie (thought they were husband and wife!!), and I knew Puppy Love off by heart thanks to Aunty Jane (but at first, I thought it was sung by a girl!)…….. but that was about it. So, when I heard about this musical, I decided to Google a bit – and I promptly found myself staring at a bunch of young, good – looking men with the biggest, whitest teeth I had ever seen in my life. With the help of my trusty Alexa, I also had a listen to some of the (vast) Osmond back catalogue so, in case the evening should pose any opportunities to sing along, I’d be prepared. Along the way, I also discovered for myself that 70s’ Donny Osmond was VERY handsome indeed, but (ahem) we won’t get into that. So, I was intrigued to learn more!

Story

I love a good jukebox musical, but it soon became clear that The Osmonds wasn’t merely that. I’d describe it as quarter jukebox, quarter concert, quarter tribute act and quarter family history piece as well. So, tributeactconcertfamilyhistoryjukeboxmusical? No, let’s just say biographical musical, shall we? Because that’s just what it is. The musical takes us on a whistle – stop tour through Osmond history, and my goodness, what a fascinating history it is. From the brothers’ humble belongings as kid barbershop quartet singing to raise money to buy hearing aids for their two eldest brothers (born deaf – no I didn’t know either!), to meeting and singing for Walt Disney (!!!!), to their appearances on the Andy Williams Show, evolving into a rock band (with their father’s reluctant agreement, more on him later). From here, the only way is up – as we see the boys recording countless chart – topping albums, performing sold – out worldwide tours, and making award – winning television appearances. They even had their own Saturday morning cartoon for goodness sake! In a nutshell, they dominate the world. Basically, in the 70s’ (when most of this action happened) the Osmonds were BIG. They even had their own phrase inspired by the mass hysteria at their concerts – “Osmondmania.” (Sounds familiar? Yep, a riff off “Beatlemania.” Yes, The Osmonds were compared to The Beatles! Now, THAT’S big.) On route, we learn how ‘Donny and Marie’ came to be, and how the boys encountered and such icons as the Jackson Five, Olivia Newton John and even the King himself, Elvis!

The script by Julian Bigg and Shaun Kerrison is in the main nicely paced (particularly in the second Act) and manages to balance joy and upbeat moments with emotion and vulnerability. Yes, it wasn’t all joys and plain sailing even for this big happy family – in particular, there was one scene towards the end that packed an almighty punch (let’s just say, The Osmonds got into some BIG financial trouble) and even leading up to it, there were plenty of family dramas, riffs and disagreements if you paid close enough attention – usually centred around the boys’ military – like upbringing, and Donny’s growing popularity (one of the most prominent family mantras, “It doesn’t matter who’s out front, as long as it’s an Osmond!” caused a LOT of jealousy among the boys). Just because drama wasn’t put at the forefront or was “salacious” in its’ nature (the family’s religious beliefs meant that there were no sex, drugs or alcohol – or swear words for that matter), doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. And, in true Osmond style, everything turned out alright in the end.

The musical was co – written by an actual Osmond – but not the one you might expect. Not Donny, not Marie, not even Jimmy, but Jay Osmond (the “one in the middle,” by his own admission). Therefore, it’s only natural that his character (played by Alex Lodge) narrates the show as well. So, you would expect some aspects to be personally biased somewhat. However, I found the narration balanced, and fairly neutral – always stopping short of putting the blame on someone. Moreover, Osmond fanatics will know that the family were devout Mormons – but this is never explicitly stated in the show, instead represented through one of the most prominent family mottos “faith, family, career.” I think this was a smart move – if religion was placed at the forefront, it would’ve almost certainly put some people off!

Cast

Hats off first to the shining star of the show, Alex Lodge, who is uber – charming, enthusiastic and utterly terrific as the musical’s most prominent brother, and our narrator, Jay Osmond. He was hardly off the stage for the entire show, and his energy was seemingly never – ending. Strong vocals, and great dancing too. As soon as he breaks the fourth wall to introduce himself to the audience (winks and sheepish grins aplenty), we’re in his capable hands. Overseen by Lodge, we were soon whisked away to the 60s’ and introduced to the Osmonds’ younger selves – played by an exceptionally strong child cast. There are three teams who rotate – and at this performance we had the pleasure of seeing Oliver Forde (young Alan), Louie Stow (young Wayne), Jack Sherran (young Merrill) and Lonan Johnson (young Jay – with THE cutest smile) – all destined to light up the West End in the future, I have no doubt. These young boys, dressed immaculately in identical blazers and bow ties, all had beautiful voices (mastering those barbershop harmonies), incredible poise and cuteness in spades. Every boy had a distinct personality that was a joy to see, and they all displayed exceptional emotional maturity for their age in revealing “flashback” scenes with their father. Young Merrill attempting to overcome a stutter was particularly moving. Special shoutouts to Nicholas Teixeria (young Donny), who was exceptionally adorable and extremely confident for his age (his sassy duet of “You are my sunshine” with Andy Williams was a cute early highlight), and, my personal favourite of the child cast, Lyle Wren (“Little Jimmy”) whose cheeky rendition of “Long haired lover from Liverpool” almost stopped the show. All this time Lodge’s Jay was always there, looking back, sometimes mimicking the moves of the youngsters. It genuinely felt like the real Jay reminiscing on his childhood.

As for the adult Osmonds, altogether they worked as an incredible team – producing the most sublime harmonies, executing the groovy 70s’ dance moves (oh Bill Deamer, you are AMAZING. I think this chorography is the most FUN I’ve ever seen in a musical!) without making a single mistake, and all with toothy grins and spot – on American accents. However, they also shone individually. As well as Lodge, one of the main standouts for me was Ryan Anderson as sweet, troubled perfectionist Merrill. Of all the brothers, Merrill’s storyline was definitely the most emotionally charged. Anderson portrays this beautifully through his acting (very fragile), as well as his incredibly versatile vocals (his falsetto is INSANELY good!) – his desperate longing to be with his girlfriend and get married (shown through heart – achingly beautiful renditions of “The Proud One” and “Let Me In”) proved particularly heartbreaking. I just wanted to hug him!

My other standout was Tristian Whincup (understudying Joseph Peacock) as the most popular Osmond, Donny. Wincup was appropriately loveable throughout and his vocal range really impressed (some of those high notes, whew!). Witnessing Whincup’s Donny serenading a mainly female audience with a swoon – worthy “Puppy Love” was an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget – he really gave it his all and you could tell he was having so much fun with it. The atmosphere of this moment was infectious, and I couldn’t help singing (and screaming) along, just as if I had been around at the time of the originals and could remember it all. Note to self – I was definitely born in the wrong era.

Anyway, the two remaining brothers also gave strong performances – Alex Cardall (understudying for Jamie Chatterton) as Alan, the “leader” of the group (much to the others’ chagrin!) and Henry Firth as Wayne Osmond brought heartfelt vocals to “Rainin,” lamenting the family’s change in creative direction in the late 70s.’

I also absolutely adored Georgia Lennon as the only Osmond sister, Marie, who was decidedly more country than rock and roll. Lennon’s voice was luscious – her vocal control was absolutely incredible, and she used a sublime country twang that really suited her character – particularly when she sang “Paper Roses.” Crucially, her voice also complimented Whincup’s really well, and they had excellent chemistry during the “Donny and Marie” scenes (one of my favourite parts of the show)! She brought a sassy, feisty side to Marie that I loved (and after watching some episodes of the ‘Donny and Marie Show’ on YouTube, I can confirm the real Marie was indeed like that. Poor Donny!). She was SO good that I really wanted to see more of Marie because outside of these moments…. she wasn’t really used at all. She appeared on the stage at times (such as when the brothers lay down tracks in the studio) but didn’t actually do anything. Apart from being sweet (and slightly sassy), we didn’t get any further insight into Marie’s character, or what sort of a person she was. However, this may just be wish fulfilment on my part, as I realise that the main focus on the show was on the brothers and giving Marie the same amount of stage time might have made it drag unnecessarily on. Also, the creators had time constraints to work with!

Contrary to media representation, The Osmonds didn’t have the easiest or most enjoyable of childhoods. Their disciplinarian father, George (portrayed brilliantly by Charlie Allen), treated them like they were soldiers – to – be growing up in the army; waking them up with a bugle early in the morning to rehearse their act (and smiles), having them stand to attention and insisting that they address him as “Sir.” “We were the Mormon Von Trapps,” Lodge sheepishly told us at one point, and indeed, George’s parenting style brought really strong “Sound of Music” vibes – though he makes Captain Von Trapp look like a pussycat! Yet, underneath the tough exterior, you could tell that he genuinely loved his children. He really instilled a strong work ethic and sense of self – discipline (whether he went about this the right way or not, I’m leaving it up to you!), and remember that infamous “faith, family, career” saying? It actually proved to be a lifesaver to the family in the end. Meanwhile, the boys’ mother Olive (a nurturing Nicola Bryan) provides a nurturing touch to counterbalance the discipline, comforting her children when it all got a bit much.

We also had ‘Wendy from Manchester’ (an exuberant Sophie Hirst – that accent was spot on!), a very sweet side character who served to represent the Osmonds’ many fans. She appeared periodically, reading letters written to her favourite (Jay, naturally), initially as a schoolgirl and ageing throughout the show. A really nice “full circle” moment came at the end when the now middle – aged Wendy finally got to meet her hero. Sweet!

Also, to be commended – Matt Ives who covered about ten smaller roles with panache, Adian Harkins who effortlessly channels Andy Williams and the small – but – perfectly – formed ensemble. Not “One Bad Apple” among them!

Music

You’d expect any musical about a pop/rock group to have good music, and this production is no exception. In terms of music, this show was jam packed, and I mean jam packed. THIRTY songs in total. The majority of the Osmonds back catalogue was included, and all great tunes – ‘Love Me For A Reason” (my favourite) “Down By The Lazy River,” ” (We’re) Having a Party,” “One Bad Apple,” “Let Me In,” “The Proud One,” and headbanger “Crazy Horses” – along with the aforementioned solo hits “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool,” “Paper Roses,” and “Puppy Love.” That’s just to name but a few! The songs are mainly performed chronologically which meant we got everything from early barbershop numbers (like “Side by Side,”) to fun duets in the “Donny and Marie Show” days (such as “I’m Leaving It All Up To You” and “It Takes Two.”) Most of these were played by an able offstage band (conducted by Will Joy), but sometimes backing tracks were used for maximum authenticity. And it all ended with a fabulous megamix, like the best musicals do.

Costumes, Set and Technicalities

The set was simple but just right for this show. Cleverly designed by Lucy Osbourne, it looked like a very colourful television studio (TV cameras on wheels also added to this effect), literally capitalising on the fact that The Osmonds grew up on TV! it was also full of colour (The stage floor was divided into stripes of different colours – corresponding to the colours of The Osmonds. Purple for Donny, yellow for Merrill*, green for Jay, orange for Wayne and blue for Alan. I loved that each of the brothers stayed in their own stripe most of the time). One of my favourite set pieces was actually the colourful curtain at the start when we were taking our seats – this really set the scene of the whole show! The costumes also helped to evoke the different eras perfectly – I particularly loved the brothers’ black jumpsuits, and Marie’s cowgirl outfit with jeans (I actually fancied this for my wardrobe!) Oh, and I wouldn’t mind one of those psychedelic shirts that the boys were wearing during “Having a Party.” 🙂

As for lighting and sound, apart from “Jimmy’s” microphone not working at the start of “Long Haired Lover from Liverpool” (but he carried on like a trooper – and the audience were only too willing to sing for him!), I couldn’t spot anything amiss. Considering that this is (currently) a touring musical, the production values are incredibly sleek, like it could’ve come direct from the West End. And that’s exactly where I think this deserves to go.

Atmosphere

I don’t usually comment on a show’s “atmosphere,” but for this, I feel like I must – because it was unlike anything I have ever experienced before! Now, naturally, this performance’s audience was mainly made up of longtime fans of The Osmonds and, for one night only, you’d think they had all reverted back to their teenage selves all those years ago. Singing along to the biggest hits (but not so loud that I couldn’t hear the cast), swaying, cheering in all the right places, murmuring “Oh, I remember that” and “I didn’t know,” and on their feet dancing at the end. You could almost “feel” them connecting with the songs and events playing out on stage, and this created such a special “buzz.” That’s the only way I can really describe it, but it really made my heart happy, and pushed up the star rating to five. I think that by the end, they had forgotten that they weren’t watching the REAL Osmonds. Magic. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what theatre is all about. I also have to mention the LOVELY lady sitting right next to me, who was kind enough to share her memories and have a little sing – song with me. Tracy, wherever you are, it was an absolute pleasure!

The JazzyHands Verdict

It doesn’t take much to realise that I ADORED this musical. The joyous feeling in the theatre was just so, so infectious. It really put into perspective to me how much The Osmonds meant (and continue to mean) to millions – and I’m now a BIG fan! Even my parents, who weren’t keen on the originals, really enjoyed themselves. I even caught Mum swaying along to “Love Me For a Reason” (I’ll never let her live THAT down)! I think that’s all I need to say, and why I believe this feel – good piece of theatrical magic is destined to light up stages in London, and then, all over the world – hopefully sooner rather than later. Yes, it’s a must – see for fans, but even if you’re not (or, are like me, too young to remember them), I think you’ll absolutely love this! It’s light-hearted, fun, catchy, sometimes poignant, sometimes cheesy (yes, I admit it, but what’s wrong with that? Besides, cheese is my favourite food!) but always full of joy, laughter, familial love and smashing music. Something very, very special indeed.

*The REAL Merrill had black, but I believe the creative team came to the conclusion that this colour wouldn’t show up well on the stage.

What are you waiting for, you Crazy Horses! Check to see if the show is coming to a venue near you, and book tickets here – Tour Dates | The Osmonds : A New Musical (theosmondsmusical.co.uk)