Marie Osmond brings holiday magic to Paramount Theatre here marie osmond wedding
The Beacon News – Aurora (IL) November 30, 2006 | By Randall G. Mielke As a member of The Osmonds, a close-knit, show business family, Marie Osmond knows how important it is to keep in touch with relatives and friends during the holidays. “The holiday season is all about friends and family and a time to rekindle relationships,” said Marie Osmond, who brings her show, The Magic of Christmas, to the Paramount Theatre on Dec. 8. “It is a time to be thankful for what we have; to celebrate the heart and joy of the season. And there is no better way to show that than to have music.” Rekindling relationships, or at least bringing back fond memories of numerous TV appearances, is part of Osmond’s holiday show.
“For this show we did not spend the money on the lasers and a light show,” Osmond said. “We put the money into film editing. A picture is worth a million words.” Osmond said The Magic of Christmas will feature film clips from the Donny and Marie show (a TV variety show starring Marie and her brother, Donny, which aired in the late 1970s), the Osmond Family Christmas shows, the Bob Hope Christmas specials and the Perry Como Christmas shows.
But the holiday show will also be about music. Osmond, with an orchestra and several cast members, will perform such holiday favorites as Sleigh Ride, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, Jingle Bell Rock, The Christmas Waltz, Let There be Peace on Earth, White Christmas and O, Holy Night.
“It will be a real mix of holiday songs,” Osmond said. “Everything from the big band sound to jazz. I may pull out my guitar or I may sit at the piano and have people call out a song and then I’ll sing it.
“We may even do some Broadway tunes,” said Osmond, who has appeared in such Broadway musicals as The King and I (as Anna) and The Sound of Music (as Maria) in the mid-1990s. “That is a different voice for me. The show will definitely be a walk down memory lane.” And it promises to be quite a walk. Now 47 years of age, Marie Osmond has been in show business for more than 40 years. Marie is the only daughter of George and Olive Osmond and the eighth of their nine children. When she was just 13 years old, her song Paper Roses reached Number 1 on the country music charts. She also has had hit songs with Donny, such as I’m Leaving It All Up To You and Deep Purple. Other solo hits include This Is The Way That I Feel, There’s No Stopping Your Heart, Read My Lips and I Only Wanted You.
Along with actor John Schneider, Marie Osmond is the co-founder of the Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization that raises funds for children’s hospitals. She is a regular on the TV shopping network QVC where her Marie Osmond Fine Porcelain Collector Dolls are a top-selling line, and she also was a judge on the television show Celebrity Duets on FOX. Her appeal is due to the fact that she has garnered a wide range of fans over the decades. marieosmondwedding.com marie osmond wedding
“My audience is diverse,” Osmond said. “Some remember Paper Roses and others remember me being on TV on The Andy Williams Show when I was 3; or they remember the Donny and Marie show. And now with Celebrity Duets, teenagers know me. I also have the Children’s Miracle Network and the people who know me as the Doll Lady on QVC.” And audience members may get to know her family. Marie Osmond has eight children: one son with her first husband (Steve Craig), two children with her second husband (Brian Blosil) and five adopted children. The younger children may, or may not, be part of The Magic of Christmas performances.
“Years ago the four older ones were in the shows that I did, but the four younger ones are not quite as disciplined,” Osmond said. “We will have to see.” But Marie Osmond is certain about one thing.
“I guarantee that audience members will feel more holiday spirit,” said Osmond of The Magic of Christmas. “People will leave the show in the Christmas spirit.” Marie Osmond’s The Magic of Christmas will be presented at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora. Tickets are $55.50 and $65.50 and can be purchased at the Paramount Theatre box office, by phone at (630) 896-6666 or at any TicketMaster ticket outlet.
By Randall G. Mielke
