The Osmonds A New Musical
“An explosion of colour and classic Osmond’s hits”
Having seen this show earlier in the tour, I was really excited to revisit and experience Osmond-mania all over again. It’s fair to say that this show is a total crowd pleaser for a demographic of people who remember The Osmonds in their glory days. They take the opportunity to sing a long to some of the hits and by the end are all up on their feet dancing along to ‘Crazy Horses’ and ‘We’re Having a Party’, me included at this point!
This new musical, with story by Jay Osmond himself, tells the story of one of the most famous family bands in the world starting from their childhood where they were propelled to fame on the Andy Williams TV Show. We then follow their journey into later life and experience the trials and tribulations along the way.
We meet the mini Osmonds in their family home and discover their very regimented way of life courtesy of their ex-Army Father George (Charlie Allen). The young boys were woken at 4.30am every day to “work on their smiles” and of course to hone their craft. Each of every one of the young performers deserve a mention as their acting and singing skills were outstanding. We saw Herbie Byers as Donny, Jayden Harris as Alan, Austin Redwood as Wayne, Dexter Seaton as Merrill, Miles Redwood as Jay and Austin Riley as Jimmy. Their harmonies were on point throughout, and they are a real credit to the cast.
We meet Jay Osmond played superbly by Alex Lodge. He acts as the narrator throughout the show, as after all, it’s his story. We are introduced to each of the Osmonds as they perform together singing some of the classic hits synonymous with the band. Merrill Osmond played by Ryan Anderson has the most incredible voice and takes the lead on many of the songs. Alan Osmond played by Jamie Chatterton, Wayne Osmond played by Danny Nattrass and Donny Osmond played by Tristan Whincup were also full of energy and of course as soon as the first few bars of ‘Puppy Love’ are played, the crowd goes wild! The only female member of the Osmonds, Marie is played by Georgia Lennon. A beautiful rendition of ‘Paper Roses’ ensues, and Lennon delivers this exquisitely.
I must make mention of Alex Cardall who played Andy Williams. Cardall has great stage presence and captures the smooth and suave persona of Andy Williams, with a voice to match. One to watch for sure!
Of course, with most families there are disagreements and arguments, the biggest of which comes at a point in their career when under the management of Alan and Merrill, the family lose all of their $80 Million fortune. Their Father takes back charge and over the course of the next few years they pay their debt back and start again from zero. The family work ethic is always strong and as the well-oiled machine their father created, none of the Osmonds are work shy, doing what they need to do for each other. A wonderful sentiment to show the power of family.
The dance routines, choreographed by Bill Deamer are high impact and full of synchronisation. The ensemble cast work very hard to create a fun and upbeat vibe throughout. The costumes by Lucy Osborne are as you would expect from the 1970’s. Colour is a constant throughout with this also being the main feature of the staging too.
Without a doubt, this musical is a must for any Osmonds fan. There are people in the audience with scarves they wave above their heads, transporting themselves back to the 70’s and enjoying every minute. As a jukebox musical this show is perfect. There are moments when the audience just wants to join in, as is the norm these days, especially with jukebox musicals, whether I agree with that or not is for another time, but theatre is about the joy it can bring, and this show certainly sends you away with a smile on your face.
If you’re ready to party, head down to the Alexandra Theatre before the 29th October! Tickets are available here: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-osmonds-a-new-musical/the-alexandra-theatre-birmingham/
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
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