On Wednesday July 6th Donny and Marie Osmond brought their re-vamped Vegas Act to Toronto's Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, and Toronto welcomed them back with open arms and glorious enthusiasm. Dancap is presenting this show for two weeks only, and so far people can't seem to get enough of Donny & Marie! On opening night many stars of Canadian musical theatre came out in support of the dynamic duo, including Colm Wilkinson, who also attended their Vegas show prior to it moving north. Director Richard Jay-Alexander was also on hand to oversee the changes he has made to the production including the introduction of a fantastic montage from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat that had the audience going wild.
I must admit, I didn't know what to expect going into this show, but I left with a huge smile and an extra bounce in my step, feeling just a little bit country and a lot of rock n roll. I can honestly say that I haven't seen that kind of enthusiasm from an audience at a "theatre" show in a long time. People were clearly re-living their youth with the two stars, whether that be from Donny's days with The Osmond Brothers at the CNE, The Donny & Marie show from the 70s, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat or Dancing with the Stars. There truly was something for everyone, including stellar video footage to assist in transporting the audience back in time.
Perhaps the most memorable parts of the evening stemmed from the pair's interaction with the audience, they really know how to play off each other and off the people watching the show. Donny delighted many women as he pulled them up to dance with him or high-fived them whilst running through the aisles. Marie was not to be out-done though as she clearly had the men in the audience in the palm of her hand. At one point during opening night she brought a man up on stage to sing with her, and his giddiness was infectious. He received a standing ovation - and the admiration of just about every female in the house.
Whether you grew up with Donny and Marie, know them from their extensive Broadway work or perhaps have only heard of them from the random musings of your parents, you owe it to yourself to check out this show. Donny and Marie Live is a class-act, and something unlike anything Toronto audiences have seen or are likely to see again in a long time. BWW is thrilled to bring you these exclusive photos of their opening night, including some from the after-party hosted by Dancap Productions and The Tundra at The Hilton Downtown Toronto.
When and Where?
Dancap Productions Inc presents DONNY & MARIE LIVE
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M5H 4G1
Performance Schedule:
July 5th - July 17th, 2011
Tuesday - Saturday at 7:30PM
Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2PM
Tickets range from $52-265 and can be purchased by phone at 416.644.3665 or 1.866.950.7469 or online at www.dancaptickets.com
