What can you say about the everlasting CHER that hasn’t already been said over the last 60 plus years this singer, actress and activist has been in our lives. The truth is nothing, or so you’d think.
The stage musical THE CHER SHOW opened last night at the New Theatre in Cardiff and as well as being two hours plus of Cher heaven, it was also pretty revealing on her life, particularly that with Sonny Bono, whom she met and later married. At the time she was 16 and recently divorced Sonny was 27.
What made the show incredibly powerful however, was the determination of Cher to break through all the barriers put in her way. She was, and is the most determined of women, and that life affirming philosophy is something I definitely took away from the story.
Okay, that’s the worthy part over.
The Cher Show is crammed full of hit after hit, glitzy Las Vegas glamour, wigs (lots of those), bare bellies, skimpy costumes, and so much camp that you pitch your tent and stay for the week – which is exactly how long the show is in town. And you know what? I loved every God damn minute of it.
Let’s kick this review off with the slightly hyped-up audience, who we spoke to at the end of the show. As you’ll see, it’s unusual for a theatre production to encourage an audience to get out their mobile phone and start filming, but when stage Cher says ‘Come on you bitches, get our your phones’ it would be rude to not do as you’re told………..
Just to give you a little heads up before you go see the show, there are three Cher’s on stage, and most of the time together. Like me, you’re probably wondering how this works. Without giving too much away, I can only say superbly. The way they interact with each other is clever and perfectly fits the way the story is told.
At one point Cher number one tells Cher’s two and three “I’m a Goddamn Goddess Warrior,” and that pretty much sets the theme of the show.
DEBBIE KURUP is ‘Star’ Cher number one. DANIELLE STEERS is Lady, Cher two. Finally, the baby of the trio is MILLIE O’CONNELL as Babe, Cher three. They each portray our star at various times during her life and career, they also hop in as narrator as and when needed. What I really loved were the moments when the three of them were arguing with each other, or themselves, depending on your take on the tale.
There’s a couple of other real-life characters I want to point out to you as they could pass you by. Me being a die-hard music lover and closet Cher fan, I picked up on them immediately, even though their appearances were relatively brief. The impact they had on Cher’s life was immense and can’t be measured by their stage time in this production.
Gregg Allman (him of Allman Brothers fame), was with Cher for a while and was her second husband. They really did make an unlikely pair when they got together, she was a pop icon while he was a rock superstar. And the combination proved to be a volatile mix, largely because of Greg’s (or Gregory as Cher liked to call him) issues with substance abuse.
Robert Camilletti was another of Cher’s romantic interludes, who also features. Then there’s Phil Spector, who’s character seems to pop up in a few musical bio-pics. What you may not know is that Cher worked as a back-up singer for Spector’s acts The Righteous Brothers and The Crystals in his 1960s heyday.
Each of those characters are played by SAM FERRIDAY who deserves a special mention for the way he portrays them, great job Sam.
Also Bob Mackie is featured throughout the show, played suitably flamboyantly by JAKE MITCHELL. Bob designed costumes for some of the biggest stars in the world, Lucille Ball, Marlene Dietrich, Elton John, and of course Cher.
For me, the show is all the better for this little trip through 20th Century pop culture. I noticed a few members of the audience acknowledge these revelations with a little whisper of – ‘I didn’t know that’.
So, let’s get on to the real reason we go to see anything which has the Cher name on it – incidentally, this show is completely supported by Cher herself. You can see in this video, she not only watched the production on Broadway, but got up on stage and joined the cast for a little sing-a-long – CHER ON STAGE.
The Cher Show includes 35 hit songs by Cher and a few of her contemporaries, all of them absolute bangers (as the kids would say). The songs all sound as fresh today as when they were released, which says a lot about the quality of tunes like ‘I Got You Babe’. Millie’s voice is pretty spot-on Cher and captures all the fun and romance of this 1960s hit.
Which is a good time to mention Sonny Bono (LUCAS RUSH). There’s no question that Cher loved this man, as he did her. But the control and abuse he displayed would have been hard for anyone to handle, and the fact she did, for so long, is a testament to her amazing character.
Lucas captured the enigmatic side of Sonny perfectly, but in a heartbeat the switch is flicked and we see a much darker, manipulative side to him. You can see our interview with Lucas HERE. Having said all of that the chemistry between them was everlasting and conveyed a real love and friendship which continued till the day Sonny died.
I had a chat with Lucas at the end of the show, and he told us it was nice to be back in Cardiff and especially the New Theatre, a place he has performed many times. Good to have you back Lucas.
The songs all seem to identify with Cher’s life at some point or other, whether that is really the case, or it’s just damn good writing by RICK ELICE I’m not sure. I’d like to thing that ‘Strong Enough’, ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, and ‘Believe’ were chosen for their deeper meaning as much as their hit-factor.
The show has a pedigree of star names working on it, notably Strictly’s OTI MABUSE who looks after the brilliant choreography, and self-confessed massive Cher fan ARLENE PHILLIPS (DAME) who directs the production. It’s clear this is another project she has put her heart and soul into.
Everything about The Cher Show is an audio and visual delight. The set is very much Cher inspired, with costumes and wigs everywhere, taking us on a journey of Cher through the ages. There’s a bit of hippie 60s moving into the glam and glitter of all things 70s. I would like to say that it’s heavenly OTT but that would be an understatement.
The pictures below are by Pamela Raith Photography.
Before you say Mamma Mia- Here We Go Again with another jukebox musical, just hold on a minute. To say The Cher Show is just that is grossly unfair. Yes, it does have songs we know, love and will definitely sing-a-long too, jukebox style. But amongst all the glamour, buried beneath the smiles, costumes and wigs, is the story of a woman with a dogged determination to succeed.
The more Cher was told no, or made to feel inferior in a predominantly male-dominated industry, the more she went on to prove them wrong. Cher had a pretty c**ppy time in her early life, with prejudice, bullying, and more than her fair share of romantic heartache, but that only served to make her more determined and focused. She truly is a Goddamn Goddess Warrior.
Although the show doesn’t labour on these issues it most certainly doesn’t shy away from them either, and it’s all the better for highlighting them.
The cast are superb, particularly our trio of Cher’s. They each bring a different side of her character to life yet achieve a seamless integration into one woman. They sing pretty damn perfectly too.
By the end of the show we were grateful for the obligatory MegaMix which seems to appear at the end of these productions. This one was a goodie however. We’d waited for 35 songs, performed brilliantly on stage, for our chance to get on our feet and let go with some very loud, and very out of tune (me that is) singing to Cher’s hits.
‘Believe’ me when I tell you THE CHER SHOW is a great night out at the theatre. It dazzles, inspires and uplifts even the most hardened soul. The Cher Show is a night of ‘Cher-Delight‘ which I’d happily watch again, and again. In fact a lot of the audience we spoke to have already re-booked for later this week.
I was thinking about Cher’s life as I left the theatre and remembered PRIDE CYMRU returns to the city this Bank Holiday weekend. It seems accidentally appropriate this show is playing at the New Theatre in Cardiff till Saturday given Cher’s support and inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community. I know that her story has been a motto for many to live their lives by.
THE CHER SHOW runs through till Saturday 27th with performances at 7:30pm each evening, apart from Saturday when it takes to the stage at 8pm. There are matinee performance at 2:30pm today (Wednesday) and Thursday, and a 4pm show on Saturday. Tickets range from £26 to £49.50 and you can get yours HERE.
