Music--Q&A-Marie Osmond

FILE - Marie Osmond appears at the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Pasadena, Calif., on April 29, 2018. Osmond's latest album, "Unexpected," will be released on Dec. 10. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)

 Willy Sanjuan

Grammy-nominated, award-winning singer, songwriter and actor Marie Osmond will kick off the American Music Theatre's 2024 concert season Friday.

It's one of just a few scheduled performances on Osmond's 2024 calendar, but it's far from the first time she's visited here. Osmond has performed several times at American Music Theatre and has a personal connection to the greater Lancaster area, too. (Read on to learn more about that.) 

Osmond, 64, has performed in some capacity since she was 3 years old. Despite never formally being in her brothers' famed singing groups, Osmond made a name for herself in the music industry.

Osmond and her brother, Donny, hosted a variety show together in the 1970s, and again in the '90s/'00s, called "Donny and Marie." In her busy life, she has starred in "Dancing with the Stars" (winning third place in season 5), "The Bold and the Beautiful" and many other TV movies, talk shows and films.

Songs like "Paper Roses" and "Meet Me in Montana" have earned Osmond Grammy nominations. She also recently recorded an opera album, "Unexpected."

But even with those many accomplishments, her foremost focus is family. Osmond prides herself on being a mother to eight children (and a grandmother to several more).

A week before her concert in Lancaster, Osmond was in New York City, getting herself ready for dinner and sight-seeing. While she was in New York, we caught up with Osmond by phone about her soft spot for Lancaster, as well as her upcoming plans, ahead of her performance at American Music Theatre.

Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You only have a few performances booked so far for 2024. What made Lancaster an ideal stop?

Marie: I have felt very strongly about going to certain places. I think people have been through so much the last few years. It’s one of the reasons I don’t perform in Vegas. I feel like by the time they get tickets, the hotel and transportation, go to a show and all that, it’s just too much. I wanted to come back. I love Lancaster. I’ve been there several times, and I love the people. I love the audiences. It just worked out that way.

And, of course, as you know, your husband Stephen Craig was briefly in the former Lancaster Lightning continental basketball team. Have you spent any substantial time in Lancaster?

Oh yeah, I have. By the way, you’re good, that you would know that. … I would fly in. We were dating at that time. I just loved the town. I’m sure it’s changed over time. My husband actually got the flu; we were looking forward to going (to Lancaster), going around and seeing a few things together, but that’s not going to happen. It’s a beautiful place, it just reminds me of America, you know what I mean?

Yeah, it’s very home-grown here.

Right? I love it. I’m a little bit country, you know.

What should attendees expect to see at your show?

I am going to do six decades of music. We’ll hit a highlight through the years. … After all these years, I’m not someone who gets on stage and sings. I believe in being an entertainer. The show will be interactive and fun. We just finished our big Christmas tour, and it was such a fun time. I think this show will be even better. We would get like eight standing ovations in that show. It was so fun. Not for the standing ovations, but to me it was so fun to see the audience laugh and cry, just feel entertained. I tell everybody, ‘You will leave happy. You will leave and reminisce and make new memories.’ Really, it’s a thank you for six decades. … I’m a very odd creature in this business, because I have worked every year of my life since I was three. I’m just very grateful. … I learned from the greats. I learned from Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin and Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and all these people just taught me what entertaining is, not just standing there and singing.

Absolutely, and people don’t realize that the performer and the audience are often working in tandem.

It’s the entertainer’s job to engage. That’s the one thing I think through the years I’ve learned to do. I hope. I worked hard to do it. I hope that people enjoy it. … I don’t care what your age is, there’s something in there for everybody for sure. … It’s a multi-generational audience. I have a lot of great memories there and I’m looking forward to coming.

Well, if there’s anything Lancaster’s good at, it’s showing performers a warm welcome.

It’s funny … I have quite a portfolio. I’ve done pretty much everything you can do in this business, but I can honestly say that when I’m at the end of my life, it’s not the platinum albums or the awards that are going to comfort, it’s my children and grandchildren, and hopefully great-grandchildren. Those are the things I want to focus on more.

I saw on Instagram that you're crossing items off your bucket list. What are some activities slated for 2024?

I definitely have several things, so you’ll have to watch. I’m going to Brazil … There’s another thing that I really want to do. I sculpted dolls for 25 years. I don’t anymore. But I love art and creativity. When I was a young girl and I performed in Sweden, I went to The Glass Factory with my mom, and I watched them create vases and glasses. I want to blow glass. I’m not talking about making a little glass giraffe or anything. I want to blow large pieces of glass. I love the arts. It’s my passion. I’m very excited. … Life is short. … When you have your health, you have everything. It gives you the ability to want to try new things, because you don’t feel so exhausted and tired and lethargic. … I want to enjoy time with people I love and do things that, even if I suck at it, I want to try it. I don’t care about failing. I feel like you fail if you don’t try.

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