The Osmonds Musical - UK Tour

Does anyone have a full list of the songs in this?

Come on then, our david, we're all waiting. Did you have your thigh gently stroked, and what time did the Liverpool Empire finally throw you out?

"Sir, Sir, the performance ended 1 hour 15 minutes ago. We think it's time you stopped dancing and went home."

It was a great show last night at the Empire theatre. A brilliant cast performing those classic Osmond songs with plenty of energy and slick choreography.
The kids playing the young Osmonds were just fantastic alongside the older cast. It's a shame that there didn't appear to be any notice about which of the kid's groups were on last night.

For the adult cast, I couldn't really fault them for their performance. They all seemed to be having a great time on stage last night, having a lively and enthusiastic audience certainly helped to have a great night out with plenty of sing-along moments particularly during Act 2. Thankfully the audience didn't take over and ruin the songs.

I'm not a massive Osmond's fan by any means and the Osmond era was just coming to its end when I was born, so I only going into the show knowing a few of their hits and a little of their back story. Thankfully the book by Jay Osmond was certainly easy to follow. I have to say, their dad certainly seemed really tough on them growing up and shaping their careers. The "Wendy from Manchester" plotline I thought was a nice touch and the ending got a nice cheer from the audience.

Despite a basic staging for the show (very much in the same mould as Jersey Boys), some great lighting and costumes brought a lot of colour to the stage and the band sounded great as well and not overpowering either the kids or adults.

I am not really one for mid-show SO, but last night was one of the rare exceptions. The Act 1 closer was a particular standout as well as "Puppy Love"

By the end with everyone along with myself on their feet singing along to "Love Me For A Reason" and "Crazy Horses", this was a certainly worth a watch and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket this show if it comes to a theatre near you in the future.

Rating - 4 Stars.

In the 70s, my sister took Jackie magazine, replete with posters of The Osmonds and David Cassidy. I used to nick it for pictures of The Sweet and Slade which adorned my bedroom wall. I loved Jackie's point-scoring, self-assessment quizzes. So in homage to those:

Q1) The Osmonds – A New Musical …
(A) is a fascinating warts-and-all insight into the back-story of the Osmonds family as told through the eyes of Jay Osmond;
(B) has no story of significance to tell, so concentrates instead on celebrating the music with a tribute act show;
(C) spins out a threadbare but saccharin-heavy, rise-and-fall narrative over two-and-three-quarter hours interspersed with the hits or bits from them.

Q2) The script and book …
(A) convey gritty realism;
(B) are of no importance – this is about the music;
(C) give the fictional writers of Acorn Antiques a run for their money.

Q3) The staging and choreography …
(A) are as stunning as in Thriller Live;
(B) are not the point – The Osmonds didn’t dance much;
(C) are caught between imitation of the staid original concert performances and half-hearted musical theatre augmentation.

Q4) The set design …
(A) brilliantly evokes a trip down memory lane with slick changes between scenes;
(B) Why do we need a set?
(C) is pared back to the cheapest most basic design that the touring budget will allow.

Q5) The sound design …
(A) blows the audience away with its impact and clarity;
(B) blows the roof off and makes your ears bleed;
(C) is seriously underpowered, and cast members sometimes find themselves talking with microphones off or at a volume lower than others.

Q6) The lighting design …
(A) dazzles the audience with invention and creativity;
(B) is state-of-the-art and makes Abba Voyage seem old-hat;
(C) What lighting design? Do you mean the focal characters walking through unlit shaded areas of the stage, or follow-spots missing their mark or being off when they are supposed to be on?

Q7) The show as a whole …
(A) is a superb piece of drama;
(B) is an exhilarating, kaleidoscopic trip;
(C) is overlong, quite boring in Act 2 in fact – appropriate given that it deals with the period when The Osmonds had largely been forgotten in the UK – and there is far more drama off-stage than on.

Q8) The well-attended Tuesday night performance at the Alex in Birmingham …
(A) held the audience rapt throughout;
(B) was so exciting that several ambulances had to be called to deal with fainting elderly fans;
(C) was too much for two ladies who the show had to be stopped for, revealing that the Alex has no equipment (wheelchair, stretcher) for extracting collapsed patrons from their seats other than to bundle them into a regular portable chair and get two burly blokes to carry it out.

Mostly As – You saw a great musical. I wish I had.
Mostly Bs – Wow! What a crowd-pleaser for the fanbase. In someone’s imagination maybe.
Mostly Cs – Were you there too?

Two stars.

Act 1: 19:31-20:13, 20:23-20:50 (including stop for audience medical issue)
Act 2: 21:12-21:49, 22:03-22:41 (including stop for second unrelated audience medical issue)

I certainly enjoyed my visit to Woking to see this back in March (despite braving rail replacement buses) and would recommend it, though unlike FrontrowverPaul I probably won't have another chance to see it.