It’s ‘Naked’ time for Donny Osmond at Harrah’s
Donny Osmond has claimed, “I’m a little bit rock ‘n’ roll” since the late ’70s, when he co-starred with his sister, Marie on national TV.
This isn’t just a piece of a song or a promo campaign. Osmond’s 1989 comeback single, “Soldier Of Love,” was pop-rock-ish. A few years earlier, he contributed a terrific rock vocal to the video of Jeff Beck’s “Ambitious.”
At 2 p.m. Friday afternoon, Osmond re-enters the rock realm. The 66-year-old entertainer joins the 100th “Naked Lunch” podcast at Harrah’s Showroom, home of Osmond’s residency production.
The show is co-hosted by rock-music journalist David Wild, best known for his lengthy career with Rolling Stone; and Phil Rosenthal, creator of the Netflix doc series “Somebody Feed Phil,” and the long-running CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
Wild became acquainted with Osmond, and the star’s world-class charisma, during the release of “Soldier of Love.”
At the time, Wild was writing for for Rolling Stone of Osmond’s return to the charts. Wild was also in a health crisis, undergoing surgery to remove a gallstone and was hospitalized for days.
“Somehow, Donny heard about this, and was the first person to call me,” Wild says. “I’m basically in a room, being brought back from surgery, and I hear the nurses hanging up on some guy, saying, ‘You’re not Donny Osmond.’ ” The nurses became convinced the real Donny Osmond called when flowers from Aerosmith soon arrived in Wild’s room.
Friday’s “lunch” will actually be a cake furnished by the hotel, commemorating the show’s 100th episode. A recording superstar has cut a video for Osmond, who continues his run at Harrah’s through Nov. 15-16. He’s also announced an extensive “Direct From Vegas” U.S. tour, 46 dates from June through August. And Osmond is coming back to “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” this December at Scotland’s Edinburgh Playhouse.
“The Naked Lunch” has hosted a range of celebs, including Jimmy Kimmel, Graham Nash, Carl Reiner, Jeff Bridges and Sheryl Crow. Wild has seen in Osmond the same qualities we’ve appreciated in nearly two decades of covering him, and Marie Osmond, in Las Vegas.
“What you really want to deal with is someone who’s like an ultimate pro,” Wild says. “The Osmonds, every time I’ve dealt with them, have made it clear they what they are doing. They know what they want. They know who they are. They are great to work with, because they’ve grown up in the business.”
Cirque du Bernie
I experienced a first on the Strip on Thursday, attending “Absinthe” with legendary Vegas entertainment official Bernie Yuman on Thursday night. It was the first time the longtime manager of Siegfried & Roy had seen the show since it opened in April 2011.
Yuman was effusive — effusive, I tell you! — in his praise for the show, even while shrugging off Gazillionaire’s inevitable S&R shtick.
Yuman’s family is circus-centric, beyond the Siegfried & Roy production. For 23 years his wife, Candace, was a member of the trapeze ensemble The Flying Cavarettas at the Circus Circus Midway show. The popular family act also toured internationally.
And Yuman of course is co-producer of “Awakening” a circus of high-flying ingenuity at Wynn.
T.C. back to ‘JB’
Former “Jersey Boys” cast member Travis Cloer finally made it back to the musical’s reboot at Orleans Showroom on Saturday night. Cloer wheeled in with his wife, Jennifer; manager, Jeanne Bavaro and yours truly.
Cloer was jazzed to see the show again, having portrayed Frankie Valli for more than 2,500 performances, including his eight years in Las Vegas.
“Seeing it again just reminds you of how good it is,” Cloer said during intermission. The veteran Vegas showman was out of his seat several times in the performance, and afterward met current that night’s Valli performer, Jared Chinnock; along with principal players Tyler Matthew Burk (Tommy DeVito), Jonathan Cable (Nick Massi) and Kit Treece (Bob Gaudio).
“It’s surreal,” Cloer said as he met the crew backstage. “I haven’t seen this show since Graham Fenton played Frankie right before we closed.”
That was reference to Cloer’s fellow Las Vegas cast member, recalling the show’s finale in September 2016.
Cool Hang Alert
Tyriq Johnson’s masterful Earth Wind and Fire tribute, Serpentine Fire, is back at Myron’s at the Smith Center at 7 p.m. Tuesday. ““September,” “After The Love Is Gone,” “Reasons” and the band’s name sake are all in the set list. Grooving is encouraged, but be careful out there. Go to TheSmithCenter.com for intel.
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 X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
