Thursday, February 28, 2008

Donny Osmond Gets Ditched!

He's a lil' bit country and a lil' bit left behind! Donny Osmond was at JFK airport yesterday, where he signed some of his old records for fans, and waited for his ride. And while Donny was pretty nice, he got no love from the chauffeur who decided he wasn't picking him up!

Check out the video from TMZ.com by linking HERE.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008


Osmond's 50th Anniversary Reunion
Check your PBS Listings

It's time to start checking your listing for the 50th Anniversary Reunion which will appear on PBS in March. To find the times and dates for your area, visit the PBS website: http://www.pbs.org/tvschedules/

DVD copies of the show can be purchased at:
http://www.shoppbs.org/sm-pbs-the-osmonds-50th-anniversary-reunion-concert-live-in-las-vegas--pi-3031636.html

Photo hosted by the Denver Post

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Donny Backstage with Dancing with the Stars
on Thursday's Oprah.

To see his interview, visit ETOnline.











Merrill Osmond Talks About His Role in "Civil War" on KSL
Merrill Osmond takes pride in local musical role
February 20th, 2008 @ 5:23pm

Carole Mikita reporting. Photos by KSL.

To see the entire article, video interview and additional picture, visit the KSL website.







Sunday, February 17, 2008


Merrill Osmond in the Civil War

Another stage — Merrill Osmond tackles dramatic role in Hale's 'Civil War'

Published: Friday, Feb. 15, 2008 12:14 a.m. MST
It's a Monday night. Merrill Osmond has rehearsed for less than a week with the rest of the cast of "The Civil War." But he's doing all right, this veteran performer.

His gravelly voice blends nicely with the other actors' silky tenors. When it comes to negotiating the stage, he's not making many more mistakes than those who have been practicing together for more than a month.

Osmond's sword does clunk on the floor when he sits on his camp stool. But that's understandable. The swords are authentic replicas of those carried in the Civil War, and they are huge. Some of the other actors are also still struggling to get their weapons under control.

Later in the rehearsal, Osmond is late coming in for his duet with the Southern captain. But then, the Southern captain is late as well.

Director Andrew Barrus corrects Osmond and the other actor in exactly the same matter-of-fact tone. When corrected, Osmond doesn't waste time talking, he just heads back up the stairs and enters again. This time, he's on cue.

Sally Dietlin, executive producer at Hale Centre Theatre, says the other actors have been pleasantly surprised by Osmond, by his humility and by how hard he works. "There's no attitude with him," she says.

As for Osmond, he's impressed with the professionalism he's found at Hale. He mentions the singing, the acting. "And the choreography is the best I've seen."

The stage is in five sections, and it seems at least one section is submerged at any given time. A fall would be disastrous, Osmond realizes.

Still, "I don't think I've ever had more fun," he said. "I've always wanted to do this play."

His famous brother, Donny, became identified with "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," he points out. His famous sister Marie just made her mark on "Dancing With the Stars."

Merrill Osmond admits he would not mind being identified with this musical, "The Civil War." Osmond loves history, and he thinks Frank Wildhorn's script and songs are incredibly important just now, as our nation once again finds itself in a long war. He says he's seen at least one person cry during every rehearsal he's attended.

Osmond sought the role of Capt. Emmett Lochran. He and Dietlin agree that's the way it happened. Osmond talked to his friend Larry Gatlin, of the Gatlin Brothers, who was playing Lochran in a national touring production. Gatlin told him the musical was being performed in Utah later in the year. Osmond asked his agent to call Hale Centre.

Eventually, Dietlin and her husband, Mark, went to Branson, Mo., in time to catch Osmond's last performance there. They liked his voice. "He's solid," she said.

Dietlin says there was a third party involved in the negotiations as well, a mutual friend who offered to donate the amount Osmond would need for a salary. That clinched the deal for Dietlin, who adds that other actors are getting paid between $40 and $70 for each performance, which is more than Hale Centre usually pays.

She thinks the production will sell out. When he was hired by Hale Centre, Osmond had a couple of conflicts, performances he'd already agreed to in Las Vegas and on a cruise ship. Dietlin says the theater will be up-front with customers about which performances will be done by the understudy, David Weeks.

Osmond will be on hand for the majority of the run, she notes. "Including the student matinees. We were amazed."

Dietlin has wanted to do this play for years. She acknowledges that the "The Civil War" met with mixed reviews during its two-month run on Broadway. The script uses the actual words of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, as well as the poetry of Walt Whitman. Still, some critics didn't think there was enough of a story line.

But Dietlin has long pictured "The Civil War" in her center stage theater. Wildhorn's script and songs will succeed because of the intimacy Hale Centre can offer, she believes.

As for Barrus, the director, he is so passionate about the script that he spent last summer visiting Civil War sites and taking photos. He is proud of the authentic costumes and props.

"It is a different style of play for us," Barrus concedes. It was a challenge to choose six or seven characters to highlight, he says. But he felt he had to make some characters stand out, to help the audience forge a relationship with them.

He notes that Wildhorn's other plays didn't last long on Broadway, either. But "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "Jekyll and Hyde" continue to be performed. As with those two, Wildhorn has continued to refine this play. It features songs that were not part of the original production.

Meanwhile, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Osmond Brothers. Fifty years ago, 4-year-old Merrill Osmond sang with his brothers for the first time on the "Andy Williams Show." This year Alan, Wayne, Jay and Merrill have planned a reunion World Tour, and they'll be joined by Donny, Marie and Jimmy on portions of it.

Osmond sounds bemused by the fact that he and his family are getting more offers than he expected they'd get for this reunion. The Osmonds are very big in the Ukraine, he says. He's turned down opportunities to perform this spring, he says.

He figures he'll eventually get to those other places. He is ready to follow the reunion as long as public interest holds out.

But first this, "The Civil War," at Hale Centre Theatre, in his home state. Osmond said, "I knew I had to make time for this in my life. I knew in my heart this was the right season."

If you go ...

What: "The Civil War"
Where: Hale Centre Theatre, 3333 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City
When: Tuesday through April 5
How much: $15-$25
Phone: 984-9000
Web: www.halecentretheatre.org

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695252947,00.html

Donny on College Road Trip

Don't forget that Donny has a featured role in this film due out March 7th. (Photo hosted by Walt Disney Pictures)

To see the trailer, click on:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0997047/trailers-screenplay-E36300-314

Friday, February 08, 2008


Jared Osmond fights fire with fame

To read the entire article from The Daily Herald,
click here.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

The One Heart Foundation Supports Warming Families

W
arming Families ~ Warming the homeless 'families' of the world, one warm item at a time!

Warming Families is a volunteer project with a two-fold mission:

1) Provide much needed warm blankets and other warm items (hats, mittens, scarves, slippers, sweaters, teddy bears, etc.) to homeless families and individuals in shelters (homeless, domestic violence, orphanages, etc.) throughout the world.

And,

2) Provide a mechanism where families as well as other community groups and individuals can work together to provide these warm items.

Volunteers deliver these items to local shelters to be used by or given to the people that they service. Only new, either handmade or store bought items are delivered through this project,
giving a person who has been displaced from their home something brand new with which to keep warm.

Volunteers are needed in all areas of the United States and Canada.

Free crochet, knit and quilting patterns as well as ideas on how to 'strengthen families through charity work' can be found on the Warming Families website.
Web address: http://www.warmingfamilies.org/

Contact: Kaye Rogers, Project Leader uswarmingfamilies@yahoo.com
if you'd like to know more or become involved in this worthwhile project.

Friday, February 01, 2008


Osmond Brothers - Country Rockers DVD

Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay Osmond live at The Church Street Station in Orlando (1984).

Description:

This magnificent performance DVD was recorded live at The Church Street Station in Orlando (1984). Alan, Wayne, Merrill, and Jay Osmond decided to change their musical direction and sound when they started singing country music just two years before this recording. Their transition from pop to country music proved to be very successful. Billboard Magazine honored them with the 1982 Breakthrough Award and also acknowledged them as the "New Singles Group of the Year". The Country Music Association recognized them with a nomination for "Best New Group of the Year" as well. This DVD is a fine example of their extraordinary ability.

Track Listing/Features:
  • TAKIN' COUNTRY TO THE CITY
  • YES MAMA
  • WHERE DOES AN ANGEL GO
  • HE AIN'T HEAVY, HE'S MY BROTHER
  • GONNA BE A HEARTACHE TONIGHT
  • IF EVERY MAN HAD A WOMAN LIKE YOU
  • AMERICAN TRILOGY
To oder a copy, visit: MVD Entertainment Company

Donny Tells the Truth

Donny is strapped to a lie detector then asked some very interesting questions on The Insider. To hear his answers, visit this website: http://www.theinsideronline.com/news/2008/02/15629/
Marie to Host New Talk Show 2009

Matt Lauer chatted with Marie on the Today Show this week about her new talk show scheduled to debut in the Fall of 2009. They also talked about Dancing with the Stars, heart disease, and Marie's son Michael. To read the article, or to see the interview, click on this link: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/22950359/

Additional information appeared in Variety at this link http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117979803.html?categoryid=2467&cs=1