The Osmonds - A New Musical is currently on a UK tour and last night I went to The Orchard Theatre, Dartford to see it. Written by Jay Osmond, the musical tells the story of the Osmond family from his perspective, offering insights into their family dynamic, faith and work ethic. Packed with songs from their incredible back catalogue, the auditorium was packed with enthusiastic theatre-goers having a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
As with a lot of these biopic style musicals, we saw The Osmonds starting out as small children, following their incredible story right up until the present day. We were treated to an incredible cast of children, who had talent and professionalism beyond their years, and exuded confidence. The child cast included: Herbie Byers as Donny (his rendition of "You Are My Sunshine" was jaw-droppingly good), Jayden Harris as Alan, Austin Redwood as Wayne, Dexter Seaton as Merrill, Miles Redwood as Jay and Austin Riley as Jimmy (who received a raptuous applause for his joyous performance of "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool".
Maybe it's because I have a young son myself, but seeing children up on stage holding their own with the grown-up performers really pulls at my heart strings, especially in this story where the young Osmonds were put under so much pressure by their father.
As I mentioned earlier, the story is told from the perspective of Jay Osmand, played by Alex Lodge. He narrates us through the events of their childhood and beyond whilst joining his fellow "brothers" / "bandmates" at certain stages of the story. The actors playing The Osmond brothers are outstanding, singing intricate close harmony melodies, with incredible range all whilst performing high energy, tight dance routines. At times I really felt like I had been transported to the 1970's and even though I wasn't familiar with a few of the songs, I was pulled straight into their world and I enjoyed every minute.
All of The Osmonds had fantastic voices, but I particularly loved Alex Lodge's performance of "Crazy Horses" which had the audience up on their feet, dancing and singing along. It is probably no surprise to anyone that "Puppy Love" by Donny Osmond (Joseph Peacock) received raptuous applause, shouts of "Donny I Love You" and an auditorium wide sing-along. It is smiles all-around with this musical, whilst touching on the tough side of their careers (no spoilers for anyone who isn't familiar with their story), some incredibly emotional performances from the actors, the audience still left with a spring in their step, whistling and humming the infectious music.
Another highlight for me was Marie Osmond (Georgie Lennon), her voice was flawless and every time she sang, she received big cheers from the crowd. Paper Roses was stunning. The high-energy delivery from all the actors on stage was exciting and impressive, they certainly aren't holding anything back.
Lucy Osborne’s set is simple yet effective, with two moveable staircases and a balcony area, which is used to great effect, particularly, I felt, when showing the Osmond's with their younger selves, as they reflect upon more difficult aspects of their military style childhood.
If I was to sum up this musical, I would say it is a joyous, high-energy reflection of The Osmonds lives and careers, with incredible close harmony vocals, accompanied by precise and energetic dance routines. Everyone on that stage, from the very little to the grown, gives their all with grace and talent. I highly recommend this musical to anyone, young or old, whether you are familiar with their music or not, it is a fantastic evening of entertainment.
The Osmonds- A New Musical is on at The Orchard Theatre until Saturday 19th November 2022.
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