Donny Osmond Extends to 12/24 in Beauty and the Beast

Donny Osmond will continue flexing his biceps on Broadway as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast through December 24. He began his run on September 19 and had originally been scheduled to depart on November 21.

In a statement, Osmond said, "New York audiences have welcomed me with open arms, and I couldn't think of a more special way to spend the holidays than on Broadway." During a recent interview with Broadway.com, Osmond said of Gaston, "The character goes on a journey from being sort of an amusing idiot to being the bad guy. In rehearsal, I had thought that if I do this right, people will applaud at the end when the bad guy dies. At the very first performance, I heard applause when I fell to my death. It was music to my ears."

CBS recently announced that Osmond will host a new prime-time version of the game show Name That Tune. He is also in the process of recording his 55th album, scheduled for release in March 2007, and the first-ever DVD release of the Donny and Marie variety show will be in stores on November 7. Due to previously scheduled commitments, Osmond will miss Broadway performances on December 5 and 6 and December 13-17.

Beauty and the Beast currently stars Steve Blanchard as the Beast, Sarah Uriarte Berry as Belle, Stuart Marland as Lumiere, Jeanne Lehman as Mrs. Potts, Christopher Duva as Cogsworth, Jamie Ross as Maurice, Meredith Inglesby as Babette, Mary Stout as Madame de la Grande Bouche and Aldrin Gonzalez as Lefou. Trevor Braun and Marlon Sherman alternate the role of Chip.