Imagine this: You’re Donny Osmond. You’re recording a CD
featuring your renditions of songs from popular Broadway shows,
This Is The Moment. Wouldn’t you choose to include something
from your days in
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?
Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that Osmond doesn’t reprise any
of the songs he sang for over 18 months nonstop. After all, this
disc gives him a chance to stretch his creative legs and put his
own spin on 13 selections from such musicals as
Rent,
Jekyll & Hyde and
Sweeney Todd. Even if you’re not a fan of Osmond’s, you have
to admit he’s got the perfect voice for these selections. But for
all the praise I can offer
This Is The Moment (and there is much), I do find myself
wishing that most of these songs hadn’t had a pop spin put on
them.
Oh, it’s not that Osmond isn’t up to the challenge; he lovingly
takes on these songs as if he had been cast in the roles which
surrounded these numbers. Hearing him take on “This Is The Moment”
(from
Jekyll & Hyde), “Immortality” (from
Saturday Night Fever) and “Our Kind Of Love” (from
The Beautiful Game) convinces me that Osmond could easily
step into any role and turn it into something special. Even when he
takes a classic like “Luck Be A Lady” (from
Guys & Dolls), he’s able to transcend all other versions
and make this particular song sound like this was the first time it
was ever being committed to tape.
And it’s not that the pop stylings (as well as the production of
Phil Ramone) aren’t suitable at times. The two selections from
Seussical, “It’s Possible” and “Solla Sollew,” both work
well with this approach. (I still have the soundtrack to Seussical
to review – no, Beth, I haven’t forgotten – and it will be
interesting to compare the two versions.) Likewise, both Osmond and
Ramone know when to respect a song’s roots and leave the pop feel
at the door, a prime example being “At The Edge Of The World” (from
Riverdance On Broadway).
There are but two mistakes made on
This Is The Moment. The first is the selection of “Give My
Regards To Broadway” (from
Little Johnny Jones) for inclusion on this disc. It’s a nice
try, but even Osmond can’t bring this tired old song back to life.
It might have been better for everyone involved to have selected
something else than to try and milk this one for all it was worth.
The second comes on “You’ve Got A Friend In Me” (from the movie
Toy Story). I’m sorry, but if I never hear Rosie O’Donnell
sing again, it will be too soon.
As Osmond moves into middle age, he continues to prove that the
older he gets, the richer his voice becomes, making his work that
much more impressive.
This Is The Moment, even with the two ill-advised selections
(which I don’t blame on Osmond), is ample proof that Osmond is well
deserving of the accolades he receives, and will be a nice addition
to the collections of fans of Broadway music, as well as
adult-contemporary pop.
