The stage is set for ‘Dancing with the Stars’ finals

SHARE The stage is set for ‘Dancing with the Stars’ finals

So it’s here —- the finals of Season 9 of “Dancing with the Stars”…. and none too soon.

This hasn’t been one of my favorite seasons in terms of line-up and especially the scoring process, but finals must take place, and tonight we will watch Donny Osmond, Kelly Osbourne and Mya compete for that fabulous mirrorball trophy.

Donny Osmond and Kym Johnson will be competing tonight in the finals of “Dancing with the Stars.”

According to an ABC press release, here’s how it will go down tonight:

“In the final performance show, the couples will face off against one another with three more dances. They will each perform the last Ballroom or Latin round dance they have not yet performed on the show, as well as the freestyle dance and then the megamix challenge. In the megamix, the three finalists will face-off at the same time in a group number made up of three dance styles, the Viennese Waltz, the Samba and the Jive, all choreographed by “Dancing with the Stars” alum Nick Kosovich. The judges will rank the couples in this performance.”

So there you have it.

Come Tuesday night, ABC sums it up quite nicely:

“In Tuesday’s two-hour Finale, all 16 couples from Season 9 will return to the dance floor for some special performances. “Iron Chef America” star Mark Dacascos and UFC champion Chuck Liddell battle it out in a dance floor face-off, while Season 2 competitor Jerry Rice and this season’s Michael Irvin take their good natured rivalry to the dance floor for a dance-off. “Roast Master” Jeffrey Ross returns to induct Ashley Hamilton to the “Loser’s Club” and Adam Carolla returns as “The Coach” for the finalists. Also returning this season are The Muppets, made famous by Aaron Carter and Karina Smirnoff’s quickstep in week 2.”

Couple all this with a performance by Whitney Houston on Tuesday night, and after what will seem like an eternity, the winner will be announced.

As I blogged last week, Mya should be the champ on Tuesday night, unless she performs miserably tonight. (Like that will happen.) Can Donny survive THREE performances again in one evening? Will Kelly be able to get over her lack of confidence? Why are we still pondering these questions at this stage of the game?

Because Donny, who is great at what he does as a showman, shouldn’t be in the finals. His fans put him over the top and they may very well put him past Mya when all the votes are tallied up. Kelly, who I have cheered for since the very first night, likewise seems to be coasting on her fan base, despite having improved unbelievably as the weeks went by. But the finals? The finals should have featured Mya, Joanna (who was every bit as sexy and graceful and exciting to watch as Mya) and Aaron (who proved he could do it if he put his ego and silliness aside and concentrated!). Not because the trio were my favorites, but because they truly displayed dancing skills either honed in their “real” worlds or acquired and polished during the season. I also think the finals field would have been much more difficult to handicap and much more unpredictable under this scenario (and the fan bases might have been much more even).

So here’s to tonight; no matter the outcome, there’s always next season to look forward to.

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