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After a successful end to 2018 – with a role in Mamma Mia 2 (arguably one of the highlights of the movie) followed by a successful album of ABBA covers, the debut of The Cher Show on Broadway and receiving the Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime of contributions to the performing arts – 2019 is set to continue to be the year of Cher with preparations for a US tour underway and rumours that she is working on an autobiography with a biopic to follow. There is no doubt that Cher has cemented her legacy in pop culture – and American culture for that matter – and earned every award and accolade she has received along the way.
One of my Christmas gifts was a ticket to The Cher Show (the perfect gift) at the
Neil Simon Theatre. The Cher Show’s official site describes the
production as: “35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands,
a Grammy, an Oscar, an Emmy, and enough Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequins
shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical”. From the opening number (If I Could Turn Back Time – dancing sailors and dangerously skimpy leotard
included) until the very last number, the musical is the perfect homage to Cher.
The show portrays Cher’s evolution as an artist, from the
early days with Sonny and the duo’s meteoric rise to fame, followed by her
career as a solo artist who dominated the charts with disco, pop and rock hits,
and concluding with her critical success as an actress and a musical comeback
at the start of the 21st century that reminded the world of what a
legend she is. The storyline also portrays
the vulnerability and fears that persisted behind Cher’s tough and glamorous
exterior as she navigated the highs and lows of fame.
It is non-stop energy and unapologetically camp fun and showcases
fabulous over-the-top costumes and iconic looks spanning Cher’s career,
courtesy of Bob Mackie. The three women who
play Cher throughout the show, Stephanie J. Block, Teal Wicks and Micaela
Diamond, do an amazing job of capturing that indefinable Cher essence. There were too many highlights to mention,
but the saloon-themed Just Like Jessie
James (co-inciding with Cher’s initial encounter with her second husband, Gregg
Allman) and the jaw-dropping Dark Lady
tango sequence were two of my favourite scenes.
The show concluded with the title of the beautiful and
moving You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me
(taken from Burlesque) – words which
sum up Cher’s longevity and resilience throughout the past six decades and
which will no doubt continue to define her career for years to come.
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