DONNY AND MARIE at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas!

Fun exceeds the legal limit at the Hollywood Theatre!

We bought our tickets for Donny & Marie at the MGM Grand back in November 2007. We figured we'd get good seats and it would force us to get away for at least a weekend in July 2008. As it turns out, it was a brilliant idea. I don't think we would have gone away for our "Hot and Sweaty 08" vacation in the desert if we hadn't bought those tickets. Of course at the time we didn't know they were going to also do a six month gig at the Flamingo Hotel starting in September!

At the time we also bought tickets that included going to the sound check before the show. That was very cool. About 75 people got to go into the theatre around 6:30pm, and Donny and Marie came out and chatted with us. Donny gave occasional sound notes (Hey guys, I'd prefer a real acoustic guitar for "The Twelfth of Never") but mostly it was just hanging around, eating a quick snack before the next show. Marie came out first munching on some ice cream. She looked amazing. She's lost over 40 pounds and looks fab. I asked her if she was considering doing Broadway again (She did THE KING AND I and THE SOUND OF MUSIC). She said she's had three offers but is really looking for a day gig since she has 8 (count 'em, 8!) kids, including a five year old. I knew that as a youngin' I had a huge crush on Donny, but what I didn't know was that my husband had (or should I say "has") a huge crush on Marie! It never occurred to me that she was a teen heartthrob - duh! So needless to say he was dumbstruck during the sound check and didn't ask any questions. It was like his "Mark Hamill moment" when he saw Luke Skywalker in the lobby of the Marquis Theatre in New York and stood frozen! But I digress…

We came back for the show at 8:30pm and had a-mah-zing seats! The theatre seats about 1500, but we were at a table that had a railing in front of it so there wasn't anybody in front of us at our eye level. It was as if Donny & Marie were performing just for us (weren't they?). The couple sharing our table was from Utah and their daughter had actually dated Donny's son, Brandon. Too cool!

The audience might have been made up of 40+ women and their husbands, but we screamed like teenyboppers when Donny & Marie came out singing. They had singers and dancers and a great band. They did a few rockin' numbers together (eg. Dancing in the Streets) and then each did their own segment. First Marie went and started with (of course) "Paper Roses" and then went on to do a varied set of rock, country, Broadway and opera! I never realized what a versatile, powerful voice she has! Marie invited one lucky male audience member up on stage with her and challenged him to a water chug (he won the first time, they tied the second time). Apparently she prides herself on her water chug! Then of course she had to sing her Broadway medley with a belly 'o water! Did you know her "Dancing with The Stars" partner Jonathan choreographed her dances for her segment? Now you do!

Donny started his segment with "Soldier of Love" his 80s comeback hit (he was helped in that stage of his career by Peter Gabriel - who knew?) Of course we all sang along for the "na na na na na na na na I’m a soldier of Love' bit. Did you know Donny has two grandkids? Now you do. Then he did a medley of hits from his favorite singer, Stevie Wonder and really danced up a storm. Did you know Donny broke his neck body surfing and had to have his neck fused? Now you do! Then he gave us a medley of his hits (Go Away Little Girl, Puppy Love etc.) When he sang the lyric "someone help me, help me" my table mate and I stood up and screamed "I'll help you!" . Sort of like the time my Swedish friend and I chased Rene Simard to his limo. But I digress…

Donny finished his segment off with "Any Dream Will Do" from JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, which he toured for six years! I saw him twice in Toronto. It seems like such a long time ago!

Then Donny and Marie got back together for a dance off (Marie won) and "I'm a Little Bit Country/I'm a Little Bit Rock and Roll" and a medley of the hits they had together. They ended with their classic goodbye song from their tv show:



May tomorrow be a perfect day

May you find love and laughter along the way

May God keep you in His tender care

Til He brings us together again…Goodnight everybody!



<sigh> Back to reality…