Donny Osmond will miss the Strip show, and also that building wrap

Osmond had agreed to step in to host the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation’s Danny Gans Champions Run for Life for one year, a decade ago after Gans’ passing. The Donny & Marie show was still a comparatively new production at Flamingo Las Vegas; Gans was a well-established star in Vegas and headlining Encore Theater. Gans’ production company brought the Osmond siblings to the Strip residency in 2008.

“We became close in a short period of time and would text back and forth a lot,” Osmond said Saturday. “I offered to do this for a year, but I fell in love with the kids and it became an annual thing.”

Annual appearance

Osmond held the host role continually through Saturday morning’s run at Town Square. Osmond described the event as “bittersweet,” and said he will plan to return for select events, schedule permitting, after the Donny & Marie show closes in November.

Osmond said he also has conflicting feelings about the coming months. He is passionate about his upcoming album, no release date set, which has a real contemporary club vibe. Osmond is sad to be leaving the D&M show after 11 years, though he is the one who initiated the final decision to shut the show down to return to his solo career.

“I’m glad I’ve got something going in the future, and I’ve been through a lot of closing of chapters,” Osmond said. “But I always want to be pursuing the things I am passionate about.”

The final performance for the original Osmond Brothers was to be Monday afternoon, when Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay are to performing together for the last time on “The Talk.” The show is a celebration of Marie Osmond’s 60th birthday, which was Sunday. The brothers debuted on the “Andy Williams Show” in 1959.

Donny Osmond made a surprise appearance during the taping of the show. The two shared a long hug as the audience roared.

Final show Nov. 16

Donny & Marie’s closing show at Flamingo on Nov. 16 is to be the final time any of the original Osmonds will perform together in a ticketed show.

Osmond will miss that long-standing Donny & Marie building wrap looming over the Strip. The duo have been featured on the side of the hotel throughout their 11-year run.

”After 11 years, going to hurt not seeing that up there,” Osmond said, laughing. “Whenever I have bad day, I just walk outside and feel better! Get your picture on a building! It fixes everything!” PodKats! coding

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 Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.