We reviewed the current production of 'The Cher Show' earlier in its run. This review is an updated version of a previously published one.
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.
One thing I did question when I took my seat this evening was whether I could get any more from this production than I did when I saw it's previous visit to the West Midlands. Part of me was hoping that, knowing the story and understanding the narrative would give me the opportunity to spot things I'd missed first time and really take time to remove my 'reviewers cap' and just enjoy the show.
The Cher Show is a jukebox musical with a book by Rick Elice, which differs somewhat from similar productions in that the part of Cher is played by three actresses. The first portrays the musician 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 throughout the show.
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 - and the production has been overhauled for its UK tour.
The music of Cher has been as present in my life as anyone else's, and some of her songs are my guilty pleasures - and this show is nothing short of mesmerising, first time round, or second...or probably event fiftieth!
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 and that's thanks to a stage setup that feels as choreographed as the performances. This is a well oiled machine which continues to run beautifully.
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!
Guy Woolf stepped in as Sonny Bono this evening - the man who arguably brought Cher into the public eye but was half of an incredibly fractious relationship. Woolf excelled in the role and very much made the part his own with a beautiful characterisation and a believable chamistry with all three of our diva's.
However, alongside Sonny you need his Cher - and not only were our three performers this evening still a world class trio - I'd argue they've grown better with time.
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. The concept of spanning generations through different performers, rather than just changing one actors wig and hoping for the best is an inspired one. Allowing the audience to quite literally see Cher change as a person through her life story was such a clever idea.
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. This show is so much more than a vehicle to peddle out popular music to get bums on seats - and so many of its contemporaries do that with a thread-bare story to hold it together. The Cher Show is a fascinating trip through the life of a stand-out performer - something that I don't think you need to be the world's biggest Cher fan to enjoy.
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 Wolverhampton's Grand Theatre until Saturday 22nd October 2022. For more information, or to get your tickets, visit grandtheatre.co.uk.
