Donny Osmond is returning to ‘Joseph’ ... but not as Joseph

Lottie Elizabeth Johnson
·3 min read
Donny Osmond, star of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” is pictured in Toronto where the play was being staged on July 17, 1992. Following more than 2,000 performances as Joseph in the 1990s, Osmond is returning to the production in a new role later this year.
Donny Osmond, star of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” is pictured in Toronto where the play was being staged on July 17, 1992. Following more than 2,000 performances as Joseph in the 1990s, Osmond is returning to the production in a new role later this year. | Marty Reichenthal, Associated Press

Donny Osmond still has the coat of many colors he wore when he starred in more than 2,000 performances of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in the 1990s — but he won’t be donning it when he returns to the production this year.

Instead of singing “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door,” Osmond will be taking on a new role in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical he’s been strongly associated with for three decades: the Pharaoh.

“I always knew I would return to ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,’” Osmond shared in a statement, per Broadway World. “Having starred as Joseph in over 2,000 performances in this magical musical, I am now ready to channel my inner Elvis.”

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Donny Osmond returns to ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’

Taking on the role of Pharaoh means Osmond will be singing one of the production’s biggest crowd-pleasers, “Song of the King (Seven Fat Cows),” which involves the Pharaoh recounting a troubling dream to Joseph with some rock ‘n’ roll flair.

“SURPRISE! I always knew I would return to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Osmond shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Osmond will star as Pharaoh for roughly three weeks in a production at Scotland’s Edinburgh Playhouse. The musical, which runs Dec. 3-29, will mark Osmond’s first U.K. appearance in a stage version of the production, Broadway World reported.

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The singer starred as Joseph in U.S. and Canadian productions throughout the 1990s, and his portrayal was preserved in the 1999 film starring Joan Collins and Richard Attenborough, among others.

“Few shows bring the generations together the way Joseph does, and we are honoured to have an icon of the show join us to create a magical moment for families this Christmas, who will cherish the experience for years to come,” producer Michael Harrison said in a statement, per Broadway World.

Although he hasn’t performed in “Joseph” for more than two decades, Osmond has embraced the musical over the years. At the start of the pandemic, he wore his multicolored coat in an online sing-along of “Any Dream Will Do,” the Deseret News reported. A few months later, he officiated a Utah wedding in the coat of many colors.

What else is Donny Osmond up to?

Osmond recently extended his Las Vegas residency at Harrah’s, with shows running all the way through November of this year. He also recently took part in a pair of competition shows, “Generation Gap” and “Claim to Fame.”

On “Claim to Fame” — where contestants spend the season guessing each other’s celebrity connections — Osmond’s son, Chris, came close to winning the whole thing. But a Donny and Marie lunchbox gave him up.

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“My dad is my hero,” Chris Osmond said with emotion after his celebrity connection was confirmed, noting that his dad has 33 gold records and is still going strong after six decades in the music industry.

“He’s an old man but he looks really good,” he laughed. “I’m just happy that I get to represent him and the entire Osmond family, for that matter.”