Over the last decade, it's become increasingly more apparent that the back catalogue of a music icon can make a decent soundtrack for an autobiographical show. Think Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia, The Bodyguard and We Will Rock You for starters...and then throw in The Cher Show which, in many ways, reigns supreme.
Cher is undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of the last seven decades and is often described as a musical icon. Having sold 100 million records, she's also one of the world's best-selling artists and her achievements include a Grammy, an Emmy, an Academy Award and three Golden Globe's.
She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in six consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s and it's fair to say that most of her hits are sing-a-long classics that still ring true today. The Cher Show takes those classics - 35 of them to be precise - and uses them to punctuate her life story.
The show itself is a jukebox musical with a book by Rick Elice. The part of Cher is played by three actresses: one portraying her in the 1950s and 60s (nicknamed "Babe"), one for the 1970s (nicknamed "Lady"), and one for the 1980s and 90s (nicknamed "Star"). The three interact with each other and help each other out at various points.
The Cher Show had its world premiere in Chicago in June 2018 and opened on Broadway in December of the same year, closing just over a year later on August 18 2019, despite winning 2 Tony Awards. The production has been overhauled for its UK tour.
If I'm honest, I was in two minds about whether this was the show for me. Don't get me wrong - the music of Cher has been as present in my life as anyone else's, and some of her songs are my guilty pleasures. However the concept of having three Cher's and a 'different take' on telling her story made me question whether this was another 'easy win' to get audiences in based on a celebrity brand.
I need to stop listening to myself as much - because this show is nothing short of mesmerising.
The staging, lighting and costumes deserve special note. Guiding us through the years, the ability to take a single backdrop and create such a wide variety of locations purely through mirrors and lights is an incredible feat and one which The Cher Show excels at; this show looks stunning. With just the right mix of over the top camp and subtle emotional anguish, The Cher Show both tugs at the heart strings and gives you moments of laugh out loud humour almost consecutively with little to no breathing space!
Lucas Rush (Rock Of Ages) gives us an exceptionally poignant performance as Sonny Bono - the man who arguably brought Cher into the public eye but was half of an incredibly fractious relationship. Rush's ability to give us a Jekyl and Hyde characterisation without overplaying the role was welcomed and, at times, brought the auditorium to a point where you could hear a pin drop.
However, alongside Sonny you need his Cher - and our three performers this evening were, quite simply, world class. Millie O'Connell (Rent, 42nd Street), Danielle Steers (The Bodyguard, We Will Rock You) and Debbie Kurup (Chicago, Sister Act) bring the sass, the talent and a mesmerising effortlessness to their performances, however to try and separate them would be futile because their genius and chemistry came from their work as a trio.
Whilst their individual vocals are a forced to be reckoned with and their ability to 'become' Cher, again without becoming a caricature, was first class, it was when they came together that the power and harmonies gave you goose-bumps all over.
I don't think you need to be the world's biggest Cher fan to enjoy the production. Sure it helps, but this isn't a gig at Wembley. It's a story of a shy, retiring, scared 16-year-old who followed her dreams and went on to become probably one of the most famous performers on the planet.
The cast and creative team deliver the material so beautifully that this becomes a story of empowerment and risk taking as much as anything - and probably one of the best things touring the UK at the moment with a standing ovation at the end on a level that I don't think I've ever seen before.
The Cher Show plays at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 6th August 2022. For more information, or to get your tickets, visit birmighamhippodrome.com.
