Donny Osmond Embodies A Slick Vegas Showbiz Americana At Ongoing Harrah’s Residency
The world may be going to hell in a hand-basket, but there’s Donny Osmond to remind us of a seemingly more innocent time. And he does this really well at his Vegas residency at Harrah’s Showroom. No surprise. He’s been performing in Vegas since he was seven-years-old, as he noted from the stage, starting with the Osmond Brothers, when they opened for Sinatra + Presley.
Donny embodies a slick Vegas show-biz Americana and has fun with it. At 64, he’s an ace all-around entertainer who delivers the goods: he sang well, he danced, he was self-effacing, he expertly interacted with the packed audience, and his new rhythmic pop songs (from his, unbelievably, 65th album, 2021’s Start Again) fit nicely alongside his solo and Osmond Brothers hits.
The choreography was sharp, the lighting dazzled, and the production didn’t lag. Plus the archival TV footage and images of old album covers were well-integrated throughout. I noticed on one of the album jackets a track listing that included “Sit Down, I Think I Love You,” a Stephen Stills song by the Buffalo Springfield (not in this show’s set list). He recorded the tune for a 1971 solo album. Who knew?
Dates for Donny’s show at Harrah’s are listed online through November 2022. It’s definitely a feel-good night out, right down to the finale’s confetti blast. Whenever the end of the world rolls around, I want to go out wearing Donny Osmond’s sequined jacket.