Today on CBS News “Sunday Morning” they had a profile of Donny and Marie. The legendary sibling duo has been selling out dates at the Flamingo in Vegas for years, but this November they’re drawing their Vegas residency to a close. Marie, it seems, is becoming a panelist on the CBS daytime series “The Talk.” I can understand her decision; sitting at a table and arguing with people for an hour a day is a more “low-impact” gig than singing and dancing every night.
In 2012, I went to Las Vegas. I go there every couple of years, with my last visit in the spring of ’18. My 2012 trip was to be highlighted by seeing Donny and Marie–joy of nostalgic joys! Unfortunately, it was not to be.
Fortunately, the slots were good to me on that 2012 trip, so I decided to find a ticket to another show. The lady at the Flamingo ticket counter recommended “Donn Arden’s Jubilee” at nearby Bally’s, a classic Vegas-style revue with huge sets, wild costumes and a military-grade fleet of showgirls. I honestly can’t remember if she told me “Jubilee” was a topless revue, but I’d think I would recall that. (Oliver North, we salute you!)
For the first several minutes, I must confess it was–and Lord, forgive me for using this word–titillating to see this cavalcade of not-quite-full-frontal nudity. But the show runs 2 hours, so the novelty did wear off. The show itself was, as advertised, a revue–songs, dances and sketches set to themes like “the sinking of the Titanic” and “Sodom and Gomorrah.” It was mildly amusing.
“Donn Arden’s Boobilee”–sorry, “Jubilee”–closed in 2016. It had been running on the…uh… Strip for over 30 years, so–like Wayne Newton, Sigfried and Roy and 99-cent shrimp cocktail–it was truly a piece of Vegas history.
But what of Donny and Marie!? After being denied an evening with the Osmonds in 2012, I tried again in 2015 and…success!
It was a marvelous show…lots of great tunes together and separately….Marie sang “Paper Roses”, Donny sang “Puppy Love” and “Soldier Of Love”…and of course, they were still a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. I’m glad I got the chance to see them before they wrap things up.