April 10th, 2012

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Marie Osmond, a little bit Broadway.(Marie Osmond continues to receive an undue amount of criticism, despite her latest commendable theatrical effort as Anna in ‘The King and I’)(Brief Article) go to site marie osmond wedding

Newsweek February 2, 1998 | Peyser, Marc People still love to pick on Marie Osmond. Maybe that’s the price of starring in one of the corniest TV shows of all time and saying ridiculously wholesome things like how she turned down the starring role in the movie “Grease” on “moral grounds.” But isn’t there a statute of limitations on potshots? In November the Star ran a story headlined Marie Osmond: My diet disease nightmare, complete with details of her M&M fixation. When she was touring in “the Sound of Music” a few years ago, she opened a small Canadian paper to a nasty review. Osmond called the writer and asked why. “He never saw the show!” she says. “He just wrote that Marie OSmond is trying to do `Sound of Music’.” In fact, Osmond is trying to be a theater actress. And–believe it or not–she’s succeeding.

Last month Osmond, 38 debuted on Broadway as Anna in the “King and I.” It’s a blatant typecasting–another Rodgers and Hammerstein goody-two-shoes. But after Broadway’s obsession with stars with stars with scant stage experience–Brooke Shields, Jerry Lewis, Lucy lawless–it’s nice to see someone sing and act with grace, charm and a believable British accent. Osmond is more convincing as a Broadway baby than when ever was when she insisted she was a little bit rock and roll.

It’s not so surprising. Despite her toothy, innocent image–she still says “golly”–Osmonds has made a 35-year career of survival. As a teen, she struggled with her weight, something consuming only lemon water for days. At 25 she got divorced–a major Mormon no-no. (She’s remarried and has six kids.) And she’s scored a commercial success, too/ She turned a hobby, making porcelain dolls, into a multimillion-dollar business. this web site marie osmond wedding

Osmond’s next careers move may be the trickiest. When she leaves. “The King and I” this spring, she’s off to work on a new version of “Donny and Marie.” This incarnation will be more talk show than variety hour, competing every day with Oprah and the gang. That’s not the only difference awaiting diehard Osmond fans. “Because she was Marie Osmond, she was raked over the coals,” says Donny. “That built up a callus that will be a challenge for me. She’s not a follower anymore.” Maybe this show won’t be so bad.

Peyser, Marc