Review – The Osmonds: A New Musical

*I received two press tickets to The Everyman, Cheltenham in return for an honest review of The Osmonds: A New Musical.

As a 30-something year old, my knowledge of The Osmonds is fairly limited. I vividly remember watching the Donny Osmond version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on VHS at school. I remember Jimmy Osmond being on Celebrity Big Brother. Past that, Puppy Love is about all I could tell you! And yet, here I am, 50 years after The Osmond Brothers were first discovered on The Andy Williams Show, searching up their hits on Spotify and being in utter disbelief at how successful they were, and how little I know about them! Despite my ignorance, it’s safe to say I thoroughly enjoyed hearing their numerous hits and watching their story when I was invited in to review The Osmonds: A New Musical at The Everyman, Cheltenham.

I HEAR MUSIC

After watching The Osmonds: A New Musical last night, I can say with complete confidence that had I been around in the 1960s, I’d have definitely come down with a dose of Osmondmania! Long before the days of Boyzone, Take That or McFly, The Osmonds presented themselves as a clean, wholesome family who could all do it all. Each brother (and later Marie) could sing, play instruments and perform with no one member really taking the lead, at least to begin with. What astonished me most was how the family, with father George at the helm, continued to work together for a common purpose of success – “it doesn’t matter who, so long as there’s an Osmond at front” becoming a recurrent theme throughout the musical.

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE

An incredibly talented cast bring the story of this unique musical family to life through the huge back catalogue of Osmond hits. The “Young Osmonds” are played by truly amazing young boys who are sure to have a long career ahead of them. For me, (and perhaps for millions more back in 1963) it was little Donny Osmond who stole the show with his rendition of “You Are My Sunshine.” It was as adorable as it sounds! However, just as with the original band of brothers, each of the cast members is as strong as the next and gave performances that I’m sure some of the audience felt were as good as the originals!

The Osmond’s “Number One Fan” Wendy, from Manchester, is a welcome character who brings the whole storyline together along with the character of Jay Osmond, who in real life wrote The Osmonds: A New Musical. Right from the start, I was in awe of the story. It felt like being taken on a journey of “who’s who” in popular culture with references of everyone from Mickey Mouse to Elvis, and from The Beatles to The Jackson 5. With a mantra of “Faith, Family, Career…in that order”, I was genuinely amazed at the personal sacrifices and emotional hardships that each of The Osmond family seem to have gone through, despite everything looking shiny on the outside. I was lucky enough to meet Jay Osmond in the interval and his passion for the music and gratitude for such supportive fans clearly shone through. Whilst his adoring fans (and there were plenty there!) clearly enjoyed the show as a trip down memory lane, even I felt a real sense of nostalgia and left the show longing for variety shows and family entertainment.

MAKE THE WORLD GO AWAY

The Osmonds: A New Musical was a real joy to watch. It’s as simple as that. In a time where the world continues to be an uncertain and somewhat scary place, a trip to the Everyman to watch The Osmonds was the perfect remedy. With hits like Crazy Horses, Puppy Love, It Takes Two and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, I was even surprised to find myself singing along to songs that somewhere along the way must have made it into subconscious. And for anyone who happens to be in their early 30s, the Osmonds’ rendition of Love Me for a Reason will truly have you pining for all of your old Boyzone records too! I won’t hide that I listened to The Osmonds, Boyzone, Take That and S Club 7 on my way home last night – a winning combination if you ask me!

HAVING A PARTY

Ultimately, whether you remember the Osmonds or just love an excuse to enjoy some great theatre, The Osmonds: A New Musical is a wonderful show. Sometimes I find that the things I have the least expectations of are some of the best things I’ve ever seen, and that was certainly true for this review of The Osmonds: A New Musical.

The Osmonds: A New Musical is showing at The Everyman, Cheltenham from 8-12 March 2022 and tickets can be purchased online. The show is also touring throughout the UK and more info can be found here.

The Everyman, Cheltenham has so many brilliant shows coming this season including the world premiere of The Great British Bake Off musical! For more info, go to their website. Why not also plan to go for dinner before your show? My suggestions of “Must-Try restaurants” in Cheltenham can be found here.