Donny and Marie Osmond — both of them — have made it official. Their hit show on the Strip is ending after 11 years on Nov. 16.
The duo who opened their run at Flamingo Las Vegas in September 2008 are indeed calling it closed. Donny and Marie appeared together on “Good Morning America” this morning for the collective announcement.
Donny has talked of projects outside of the duo’s stage show, especially his 62nd album over his 50-plus-year career, which he plans to release as he turns 62 on Dec. 9. He’s also mused about the possibility of serving as a judge on “The Masked Singer,” the FOX singing competition show. Donny, dressed effectively as the Peacock, finished second to T-Pain (as the Monster) in the nine-week series.
“It’s very, very hard,” Donny Osmond told “GMA” correspondent Paula Faris in a clip recorded at the Flamingo.
“People come from all over the world to see us in Vegas,” Marie said, and referred to her brother. “He has been my rock.”
Marie went through a “terrible divorce, a terrible custody battle, here,” in talking of the decade-plus residency. She also mentioned overcoming the death of her 18-year-old son, Michael Blosil, in 2010, just a little more than year into the residency.
Marie is expected to create a new show for the Strip, possibly with a new partner. This month she added “Flower Duet” to the production, an operatic piece in which she sings to a video of herself.
The news that the show would close dates to Oct. 19, when Donny let the news loose unexpectedly, and without his sister’s participation, during an episode of “Morning Blend” on KTNV Channel 13. As co-hosts J.J. Snyder and Shawn Tempesta looked on, apparently shocked, he said, “We’ve been talking about it for quite a while, but definitely, our countdown has started.”
The announcement caught Marie off-guard. She later said, “It ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings, and I’m on NutriSystem.” Originally, those who had followed the duo through their run on the Strip expected Donny might be joking — he annually made similar comments about the show closing, only to renew for another year. But not this time.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Las Vegas Review – Journal
