Las Vegas Weekly

September 24, 2008 · 9:03 AM

Exclusive interview: Donny Osmond reveals back-stage secrets and spats with Marie as new Flamingo show celebrates gala opening tomorrow

By Robin Leach

Donny Osmond plays rock hero at the Flamingo.

Photo: Harrah's

For the first time in 29 years, brother-sister singing stars Donny and Marie Osmond have reunited for a resident headliner show on the Strip -- and the gala premiere is all set for tomorrow night (Thursday), with a VIP audience of well-wishers at the Flamingo. Entertainer Danny Gans, who is about to up from the Mirage for a new run of shows at the Wynn, is one of their producers and he’ll be in the star-studded crowd. Already, other stars have been in to watch the previews including country star Phil Vassar and co- headliner at the Flamingo, magician Nathan Burton.

Photo: Harrah's

Don Marrandino with Nathan Burton and Phil Vassar, all of whom have seen the Donny & Marie show at the Flamingo.

Now, with just 24-hours left before “curtain up,” I talked with Donny and we chatted about everything from the fireworks and sibling rivalry between them and the joy of working together again. CLICK HERE for our earlier interview about the show with Marie and CLICK HERE for our interview with Flamingo president Don Marrandino, who signed them to his showroom.

Robin Leach: Was it easy or awkward that first moment of rehearsals getting back to perform with your sister?

Donny Osmond: It was like riding a bike. Twenty-nine years and not doing a gig with Marie, but within those years, Robin, we had been working our butts off with solo careers, so it was just getting back on the bike.

RL: When two people have worked separately and then have to join together there has to be a little of that wanting to tell the other what’s best?

DO: Yeah it is a problem, we do two songs together, and then it is Marie’s segment. I didn’t cause any flak, I said, “Marie you go first, then I’ll do mine, then we will go together.” I shouldn’t disclose this; we both looked at both of our segments and made sure it was exactly the same amount of time. Then she wanted to put in this “Boogie Woogie” song and I said, “Excuse me, you will have a longer segment than I will,” and she said, “I will cut down the segment I do with the audience member,” I said, “You had better make sure it is exactly like mine.”

RL: That’s funny- but can you ever have serious differences?

DO: We will have some spats, but we respect each other’s professionalism at this point. It is a weird dynamic that we have got, we are siblings, but we respect each other as professionals. If Marie wants to do something, I will have my opinion, but I respect her opinion and she respects mine. I wanted to move up and take a bow, and she stopped me and said no do it right here. I followed her lead and there are times she follows my lead.

Very rarely does it get to be bigger than that but the fireworks fly once in a while. We don’t look at each other; we don’t talk to each other. That is why we both have separate managers; we let them fight it out.

RL: Marie has chosen to move to a Las Vegas home but you are still commuting to and from your home in Provo. Why didn’t you get a home here? What’s your schedule like?

DO: It is a simple fact that my kids are in school and I don’t want to disrupt their lives. Marie is a different story with her divorce and everything, she wanted a fresh start, she is the mom, she needs to be home everyday with the kids and I think it was the right decision for her, for me, it is a disruption in their personal lives. I come to Vegas Tuesday afternoon and I leave Sunday morning. I have three different ways I go home, I break up the monotony. I have a driver and I sleep in the back for the 6-hour drive, or I go commercially Sunday morning, or I have a private plane.

RL: Have you had time yet to go out to Marie’s new house and play “uncle”?

DO: I haven’t been out to her home, although she invited me out last night for dinner, so when Debbie and the boys come out during the school break next month, I will take them out there and have dinner at her place.

Photo: TVT

Donny & Marie, onstage at the Flamingo.

RL: The computer video wizardry you’ve built into the show is ‘”geek genius”.

:DO: Well thank you, I am still tweaking it, the system I have is pretty phenomenal, I have servers galore at my house in Utah and I operate them remotely here from my room at the Flamingo. As a matter of fact one of my provisions in the contract with the president is that he gives me high speed Internet access. When I was here to check it out the first time, it was too slow. So the system for the videos I have an editor in Utah and for my FTP sites all the files and audio files are transferred that way. Last night I put in a file minutes before the show.

RL: It’s the best on the Strip and is beautifully integrated into the show seamlessly so it doesn’t block or interrupt what you do best.

DO: : I am glad you said that. It was a big concern of mine. Sometimes when you have multimedia, people use it too much. It has to be a tool and not the end product, if you can use it as a tool. The same thing apples when you are recording, we had this problem in the 80’s, we got so computerized there was no heart and soul in the music anymore. I am not going to get into it. That is why punk music came it; it was a backlash to computer music. Alternative music came in as a continuation of the computer music. Then people get wise to it, and realize the computers are just a tool to compliment the talent within. That is why I am glad you say that about the video because I don’t want it to overtake the entertainers.

RL: : One doesn’t think of you being a 50-year-old grandpa because you have so much fun out there on the stage.

DO: : It is a blast, I have so much fun. I turn my head to the girls when they scream and it was 2 nights ago that I went into my hit songs segment and this lady screams out, “For a grandpa, you have a great butt,” I turned around and the band started playing … and I gave the butt moves.

Photo: TVT

Donny & Marie, onstage.

I am very happy with the show. I think we put the right people together. We have great directing, lighting, dancing and musical arrangement.

It all goes back to what Marie and I wanted to do with the show in the first place, -- back to the days of Sinatra, that is what we were trained on. You get out there with a mic, a spotlight and a great orchestra and sing, entertain. Raise the bar because people expect the lights and sound and toys on the stage, but get out there and entertain them, sing the song.

RL: : How long will you keep going? Do you ever think about retirement?

DO: : Till my knees give out. I think Sinatra was still going strong singing in his 80’s. I just don’t see it coming for a long time. I’m loving what we do. We’re having a tremendous time and we’re really happy to be back in Vegas for a long run. Marie and I are lucky. We do this meet and greet after every show. I take advantage of that time and ask where they are from and it is all over. Of course this is Vegas and it is the melting pot for all over the world, but people from all over the world, know Donnie and Marie. It is amazing. I have been in the business a long time to realize careers can be fleeting. Five years is a long career nowadays for some people and here we are still going strong after 40 years. Don’t think though that its all been smooth sailing. We have both gone through times when it wasn’t happening. Because of the ups and downs we appreciate what we have now. How many people get to have their faces on the side of a building that is 30 stories?

RL: : And in your room you can look out onto the Strip from her face on your window?

DO: : Well I stay close to her teeth, and it has never been far from her teeth anyway. Last night we did a live remote to a TV station in Los Angeles and they asked me to explain how it felt to see ourselves as giants on the side of the building. I look over there and they had checked someone into the room right where my eyes are and it looked like I had green eye shadow and Marie bless her heart she certainly made everybody watching aware of it.

RL: : Marie certainly doesn’t hesitate saying the first thing that comes out of her mouth.

DO: : She’ll eat you alive. It is embarrassing, but it is the Donnie and Marie brand. It is real and I think that is why it works.

RL: : What’s your own personal favorite part of the show? The singing or the dancing?

DO: : I think the Stevie Wonder portion. I love doing that. It kills me with the dancing, but it is a blast. I love singing Stevie’s music. With the dancing remember I am 50 come on but I am probably one of the fittest grandpa’s around.

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