MANCHESTER, NH – I was somewhere between 11 and 12 when the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour premiered on TV, and, while memory does not serve me that well, I am sure I was front and center to our Motorola color console TV set for the weekly show. It was right up my alley, and I quickly became a fan of both Sonny and Cher. They were perfect together – he, sort of dorky and funny and not afraid to be the bumbling comic relief while Cher, no matter what else, was always glamorous, witty, and seemingly in charge.
Their energy was kinetic but easy – natural entertainers together.
And those Bob Mackie outfits!
So when I had the chance to see “The Cher Show” at the Palace Theatres last weekend, of course I was excited to go. I had no preconceived idea of what the show was about, but guessed it would be a showcase of Cher’s biggest hits.
And it was.
But it was so much more – it was a musical documentary taking us through the story of Sonny & Cher, particularly Cher – punctuated by all the hits her fans know and love.
There are three actors playing Cher through the different phases of her life, Chloe Fox as “Babe,” or young Cher, Jordan Gold as “Lady” and Chloe Fox as “Star,” mother of all Chers.
These three actors, each individually, showcased their powerhouse vocals while convincingly exuding Cher’s unique mannerisms and spirit. Together, they embodied the evolution of Cher, and each delivered with equal finesse.
There were so many highlights throughout the two-act performance that I tried to scribble them down in my notes, in the darkened theatre; they were hard to read in the daylight, but there were more than a few moments that unexpectedly tugged on my heartstrings, like “Believe” in three-part harmony, and moments that wowed, like the choreography during “Dark Lady,” and Cher as a goddess warrior, and learning that despite dyslexia, Cher managed to carve out a second career for herself as an award-winning movie actress.
I left the theatre with a new appreciation for how Sonny and Cher got their start and together, realized a dream that should have been out of reach. Together they were lightning in a bottle – and even after Cher got the courage and savvy to separate from Sonny and strike out on her own, she never stopped caring for the man who recognized her star quality.
There are two weekends left of The Cher Show, and I would say whether you are a casual Cher fan or whether you know all the lyrics to “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” by heart, this high-energy show will stick with you – the acting is superb, the music is incredible, the costume changes are whirlwind and full-on Bob Mackie glam, and the feeling you leave with is somewhere between empowered, enchanted and star struck.