Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Donny & Marie bring down the curtain
DONNY and Marie Osmond’s finale Saturday at the Flamingo closed an 11-year residency on the Strip. But there was a nod to the future as Marie’s co-hosts from the CBS show “The Talk” were in the theater for the send-off.
Sheryl Underwood, Eve, and show moderator Carrie Ann Inaba attended the packed performance. Only
Sharon Osbourne was absent. The room was at capacity, a little less than 800 in the house.
“The Talk” production team was recording highlights of the final weekend for an appearance by D&M on Monday’s episode. The footage included a trip to the Linq Promenade’s High Roller, which Marie teased to on her Facebook page. That led to about a hundred fans lining up to witness the uncommon event.
Onetime teen idol Debbie Gibson, a Las Vegas resident and longtime friend of the duo, was among the preshow visitors. Gibson has known the duo since her teen years, as a supporter of the Children’s Miracle Network and a guest on the duo’s talk show in the 1990s.
Raiders owner Mark Davis sent a dozen roses, handing the delivery assignment to
Robert Dolan of Cashman Photo, who has worked more than 100 D&M shows.
Just before the finale’s opening curtain, the audience chanted, “We want the Osmonds! We want the Osmonds!” as if attending a music festival.
The duo kicked off the show with “It Takes Two” to a roaring standing ovation. “Are you ready for the last show?!” Donny shouted, to more cheering.
The night turned emotional, as expected, when Marie sat with the band for an acoustic run of “Baby, You’re Crazy.” A fan shouted, “We love you!” and Marie halted, her voice quivering.
“I look at all of you and think, isn’t it glorious what has happened here in 11 years,” she said to the audience. Marie turned 60 this year.
Offstage during a break in the show, as Donny sang from “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Marie said in a text message, “I’ve experienced some of my highest highs and some of my lowest lows while performing these 11 years at the Flamingo. I can honestly say I got through all of them because of the incredible community here in Vegas and because of all of our wonderful fans. I will miss you all tremendously! I’m a little bit country and a whole lot Vegas.”
Donny, 61, has been busy on his latest album, saying, “I’m not giving myself a deadline. When it’s ready, it’s ready.” Osmond plans to tour behind that new, untitled release, in 2020. Expect him to make a stop in Las Vegas, his first solo headlining appearance in the city.
Donny diverged from the script by bringing up his 5-year-old grandson, Benson, singing the “Happy Birthday” message he recorded for American Greetings.
“Do you want to be a singer?” Donny asked. The little boy sang out, “Yes!”
The original Osmonds are done performing concerts together, but there are more in line, for a long time.
Residency, residence
A hot Strip headliner is seeking a magic kingdom in Las Vegas.
Shin Lim, who has just expanded the “Limitless” magic show he fronts with guest star Colin Cloud, is becoming an actual Vegas resident during his Vegas residency.
The effort began this month, as Lim has extended his schedule at The Mirage through June.
“I’m moving here, I’m going to relocate from L.A., and I’m looking for places to live,” Lim said during the latest episode of PodKats! “It’s crazy. It’s a dream come true, obviously.”
Yahoo reported Tuesday that Lim was looking at estates in the same gated Lake Las Vegas neighborhood where Celine Dion resided during her headlining years at Caesars Palace. Lim has visited several mansions in the area, including one known as Water’s Edge that carries a listing price of $7.5 million.
That’s a pretty high water mark for Lim.
“Let’s just say we are looking into many other options,” Lim said Saturday, “and some more conservative than that Lake neighborhood.”
Channing chimes in
“Magic Mike Live” film star and stage-show co-producer Channing Tatum checked on the adult revue Saturday night at Hard Rock Hotel. The show ends its run at HRH next Sunday, moving to Sahara in January.
Perrico goes Latin
A Las Vegas lounge act made it to the national stage on Thursday night when David Perrico’s expanded Pop Strings Orchestra backed Bad Bunny at the Latin Grammys at Mandalay Bay Events Center. The 36-piece band of Vegas players performed behind Bad Bunny’s hit “Callaíta.”
Bad Bunny music director Sam Hyken was turned on to the Pop Strings by Vegas pianist Dave Siegel. Hyken reviewed video of the band during its Cleopatra’s Barge at Caesars Palace performances, and enlisted Perrico to contract the musicians and retool the arrangement played in the show. Ricky Martin ,a former Park Theater resident headliner, introduced the number. John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/ podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes @reviewjournal. com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.