Press Releases

The Osmonds ***
PLAYHOUSE, EDINBURGH

"IT'S good to be a teenager again," said the middle-aged, kilt-sporting 'Little' Jimmy Osmond, encapsulating, in a nutshell, what it meant for the Osmond barmy army (or whatever they were called) to be at this nostalgia show. Some were waving old school banners, everyone chanting "we want the Osmonds" at the top of their lungs. Never have the desperate cries of grown women sounded so eerily adolescent.

The Osmond brothers - Jimmy, plus "rocker" Jay, silver fox Merrill and goofy eldest brother Wayne - appeared genuinely taken aback by theresponse.

It was the only unscripted part of this precision drilled show. But, after almost 50 years in showbusiness, it was probably too much to ask that they deliver One Bad Apple and Love me for a Reason with passionate conviction every night of their lives until they keel over.

These days the perma-grins have been dialled down a little, and the dance routines were delivered with a hint of knowing irony. The brothers came across as good sports more than anything else.

The Osmonds always boasted the most impressive musical range of any boy band, from the classically drippy And You Love Me and Girl to the pop Led Zeppelin of Hold Her Tight and the immortal Crazy Horses, all delivered at an overly cautious volume, so that their great bubblegum numbers fizzled rather than popped. Even the shower of sparks from Jimmy's portable keyboard was endearingly timid.

Their show may be as tame as your pet guinea pig, but at least it sent the crowd home with a grin as wide as an Osmond smile.