The Cher Show
Directed by Jason Moore
Oriental Theatre, Chicago
June 12–July 15, 2018
CHER FANS had a lot to celebrate this summer with her over-the-top cameo appearance in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again playing Meryl Streep’s mother (hey, it’s the movies). The sequel to the 2008 musical comedy hit Mamma Mia! is again set to the music of the 1970s Swedish synth-rock group ABBA. The pop goddess’ brief time onscreen comes well into the movie and is a total camp-fest, with Cher arriving by helicopter for the wedding of her granddaughter and singing “Fernando” to love interest Andy Garcia.
Also in Chicago, the Broadway-bound jukebox bio-musical The Cher Show, featuring over three dozen of the superstar’s hits, had its out-of-town tryout over the summer. Despite its stellar creative team—producer Jeffrey Seller (Hamilton), book by Rick Elice (Jersey Boys), and direction by Jason Moore (Avenue Q)—this Cher-apalooza was a bedazzling train wreck, with designer Bob Mackie’s costumes stealing the show.
Three different actresses portrayed the superstar at different ages:
In the musical, every new plot twist brings on another song, along with a dizzying array of Bob Mackie sequined and barely-there gowns and feathers. The star’s infectious pop ditties should have provided ample material to tell the story of this remarkable life. However, few of her songs were autobiographical, so it’s quite a reach to work them into the narrative. The plotline was stretched particularly thin when two actors portraying her former husbands, Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman, sing her fortunetelling song of revenge, “Dark Lady,” a number one single from 1974. Fun song, wrong moment.
Juke-box musicals such as Carole King’s Beautiful, ABBA’s Mamma Mia!, and the Four Seasons’ Jersey Boys don’t always have to make sense if the music and staging are truly spectacular. After the Chicago tryout, the creative team behind The Cher Show have their work cut out for them to shape-shift this vehicle into true fabulousness for its Broadway debut in November at the Neil Simon Theatre.
Fans adore Cher the survivor. Never the most beautiful or the most talented as a girl, she was certainly the most persistent. We love her, songs, showmanship, and resiliency. The preview I saw in Chicago got the requisite standing ovation, but it was not spontaneous. Cher herself (one of the show’s producers) told The Chicago Tribune: “Some parts of it are really fabulous. We’re going to work on the other parts. … And there were no parts where I wanted to gouge my eyes out.” Not the best way to sell tickets, perhaps, but a classic Cherism.
The diva extraordinaire, at 72, shows no sign of slowing down. In September, she released her 26th studio album, which features a confectionery’s delight of ABBA-licious covers. Another movie and a biography are in the works as well as going back on the road once again in January. Meanwhile, we can all enjoy her Twitter barrages of free association and anti-Trump screeds, which millions of her followers depend on for ballast and amusement.
John R. Killacky is running unopposed for a seat in the Vermont House of Representatives this November.
