This Is The Moment
Donny Osmonddidn't let himself be deterred by a disastrous Broadway debut in 1982 (George M. Cohan'sLittle Johnny Jonesclosed after opening night). A decade later he starred in the North American tour ofJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and now his 2001 solo album,This Is the Moment, further proves that teen pop's loss has become musical theater's gain. Assisted by legendary pop producer Phil Ramone, Osmond puts a contemporary spin on a wide variety of Broadway tunes (though nothing fromJoseph), emphasizing shows from the previous decade:Rent(a funky R&B; "Seasons of Love"),Jekyll & Hyde(a smooth "This Is the Moment"),Aida, evenRiverdance.Osmond also parlayed hisAndrew Lloyd Webberties to include songs from two shows that hadn't yet hit Broadway:The Beautiful Game's "Our Kind of Love" (in its first commercial recording, though the tune falls short of Lloyd Webber's usual catchiness) andWhistle Down the Wind's "No Matter What."  Particularly inviting areSeussical the Musical's "Solla Sollew" andSaturday Night Fever's "Immortality."  Finally, Osmond closes the book onLittle Johnny Jonesby ending with a grand, sweeping arrangement of the show's "Give My Regards to Broadway," in which he vows he'll be there ere long.  We'll be waiting, Donny.--David Horiuchi