Photo Courtesy of ITM Photos
SmartTalk Conversations concluded its 2013 New Brunswick series with Marie Osmond. The series is renowned for bringing inspirational speakers to the State Theatre, as well as other locations across the country. While some orators attract a few males to the theater, mostly women attend this evening making it a huge girls’ night out. After Magic 98.3 personality Debbie Mazella introduced Ms. Osmond, the fun began.
As her life flashed before our eyes on the screen, we were able to follow her showbiz career from her days as a little girl to present. As many know, Marie is the only girl of nine. The Osmond Brothers were extremely popular in the 60s and 70s. Marie began her own singing career at the age of 12, and in the mid-70s teamed up with Donny for a TV variety show.
Photo Courtesy of ITM Photos
After a trip down memory lane, she shared with us all what she’s been doing more recently. Osmond is the co-founder of the Children’s Miracle Network, which is the largest children’s charity in the U.S., and all the money made stays local; she has been making dolls for the past two decades; she suffered from postpartum depression, and was the first celebrity to write a book about her experience; her dancing skills helped her make it to the finalé of the fifth season of Dancing With the Stars; and Vegas is a second home since she’s been performing with brother Donny.
She made an interesting point. In life, you make decisions based on your self-esteem. If you have a low image of yourself, you’ll make choices that reflect what you think you’re worthy of, like the partner you marry. This was shared not only to explain her marriages, but to also to help us all understand why we might make bad choices.
Marie also shared her formula for life:
- Be Still – This way you can listen to your intuition
- Be Active in Learning – Feed your mind and continue to grow.
- Be Willing to Serve – Love thy neighbor as thyself. Be prepare to help those in need.
- Be Open to Prosperity and Humor – If you’re not, you might never be happy.
Photo Courtesy of ITM Photos
Mazella returned for the Q&A part of the evening. Some people traveled quite a distance for the show. She was asked about her dolls, singing career, her Vegas act, and Dancing With the Stars. At the end, she signed some autographs and proceeding backstage to meet VIPs, who were lined up well past the stage door for a chance to meet her. I must say, she’s very sweet, and her trademark smile is beautiful in person.
The SmartTalk Conversations series held in New Brunswick is always on a weeknight, which is not as convenient as being at McCarter on the weekend, but is worth the short trip. The show starts at 7:30, so that gives mothers of school-aged kids the chance to get dinner on the table before heading out. If you can take off by 5:30, you can have dinner with a group of girlfriends before heading to the theater.
After three seasons of attending this series, I can honestly tell you that everyone leaves with motivation to take on new challenges, or eliminate things that have held them back. The series starts again next January, so I hope to see you there next year!
All photos for the 2013 season have been provided by ITM Photos.