They may be several decades removed from their first big TV success, but Marie Osmond is still “a little bit country” to big brother Donny Osmond’s “rock ’n’ roll.”
In the 30-plus years since “The Donny & Marie Show” helped cement their mostly squeaky-clean images, the two have added Broadway and pop to their repertoire, with Marie even throwing in a little opera.
“It’s a very eclectic show,” Osmond says of their joint act, which they will perform from Tuesday, July 31, through Sunday, Aug. 5, at Caesars Atlantic City. “Some people play a lot of instruments ... I sing all kinds of musical styles within the show.”
The siblings, the most famous members of the Mormon-raised family of entertainers, will be performing a version of their long-running act based at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas.
These stage veterans know how to work a room, offering a survey of their long careers as TV and music personalities, along with their trademark banter, comedy bits and spontaneous moments.
The twosome, who reunited in 2008 for the Vegas engagement, is currently signed until the end of the year at the Flamingo, and together plan a 10-date tour of the U.K. in 2013.
Marie, a mother of eight, talks about her special connection with Donny, her new daytime talk show and finding happiness again in her personal life.
Q: What’s the key to your chemistry with Donny?
A: There’s a familiarity that people can relate to. ... We know what the other one is thinking. If someone makes a mistake, the other one picks up for you. You have your back covered. We’re having more fun than we actually thought we would. We’re family. We love each other — sometimes — but it’s not the easiest thing to work with family. But in our case it’s been an asset.
Q: Having competed on different seasons of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” will you show off any ballroom moves, or are you bitter that Donny won and you didn’t?
A: No, I’m never bitter, I’m just better. Girls do all the dancing and the guys just stand there and pose and hold their arms while the girls do all the splits. I joke around in the show — Donny, do a split — and then I’ll take my leg and put it above my head, and say, do that, and he can’t. We have fun with it.
Q: You’ll be returning to TV this fall for your own daytime talk show on Hallmark Channel. Are you trying to be the new Oprah?
A: I would never compare myself to Oprah. I would never compare myself to anybody. It’s just me, my personality and the things I think matter. I never had a sister.
It’s important to have a sisterhood. I want it to be the kind of show where we complete each other and not compete against each other. I don’t want it to be talking about the red carpet, so much as I want women to feel like they’re walking their own red carpet in life.
Q: Having been in the doll business for more than 20 years, why do you think your line has enjoyed such staying power?
A: I think you have to go into something because you have a passion for it, and the success will come if you believe in it. I’ve always loved it because I believe it brought generations together. It’s something that a grandmother can talk with her granddaughter about, or an aunt with a niece, or a mother with her daughter. I think it’s a lovely thing.
Q: You’ve come full circle this year by remarrying your first husband, Stephen Craig. How do you strike a balance between your private and professional lives?
A: I’ve always shared my life. I feel like I don’t have secrets. I do think that my children’s lives are private — they’re not entertainers, their lives should be private. Who would have thought 28 years later and we’d be back together? It’s wonderful, it’s nice to be happy. The last marriage I had for 20 years was not a happy one. It’s nice to have peace in your life.
