Review – The Cher Show: A New Musical

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The New Theatre kicks off their Autumn/Winter programme with a bang; The Cher Show is a huge new musical with an even bigger sound.

Spanning decades to chart the life and music of Cherilyn Sarkisian, The Cher Show directed and choregraphed by Arlene Phillips and Oti Mabuse, respectively, is a mammoth display of stamina and talent.

It takes a little while to settle with the opening being slightly camp and some of the cheap humour doesn’t always hit. Upon first introduction, the three Chers is frantic and disorientating but ultimately, is a concept which actually works very well throughout the show. Three actresses play the role of Cher and they do it with absolute triumph.

Young Cher credited as Babe is played by Millie O’Connell and she pulls it off! Her performance is perfectly suited to the hippy and quirky Cher of the 1950s-1970s although she does sometimes appear somewhat manic with her ragdoll makeup and robotic movements. Nevertheless, her performance of The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss) cements that the talent on show will be spectacular.

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The second Cher (Lady, played by Danielle Steers) has the least physical and vocal resemblance yet she has an amazingly powerful voice. Her accent is well crafted and to be fair, she does have perhaps the ‘least recognisable’ period of Cher’s life to portray. Her stage presence is huge and she showcases Cher’s role as a fashion icon with flair.

Gabriella Slade’s costume design is genuinely spectacular. The glitz and glamour of Cher’s unique looks is conveyed excellently. The diverse range of costumes from black sequined bodysuits to pastel cowgirl glamour and plunging, sparkling dresses is a feast for the eyes.

The main and final Cher is Star (Debbie Kurup), and her vocals are uncanny. From her opening number If I Could Turn Back Time, her powerful and distinctive tone is a great likeness for the star herself. She carries this part off with ease with her acting and vocal abilities. Just Like Jesse James, a duet sung with second husband Gregg Allman (Sam Ferriday) was great too. His smooth voice perfectly complimented Star’s distinctive belt.

The different versions of Cher get a fair share of the vocals; the musical numbers aren’t necessarily as they all overlap and intertwine with each other, reprising songs throughout the show and singing alongside their counterparts. A Song for the Lonely sung by the trio, which closes the first act, is particularly good. All three were utterly incredible. Flawless vocals and astounding characterisation to boot.

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With a lot of time frames to cover the years move fast but the show makes use of a clever timeline with dates set into props, resulting in smooth transitions between scenes which keeps the audience on track.

Of course, Cher’s life story would not be complete without her Sonny (Lucas Rush) who does a great job of impersonating Sonny’s whining tone both in speech and in musical numbers such as I Got You Babe. Together with Cher, they comically portray “the world’s first hippies” as the husband-and-wife folk duo. Lucas Rush also deserves credit for effectively showing Sonny’s darker side; an opportunity for the audience to see the ugly side of showbusiness and witness his controlling nature.

The show also shines a light on Cher’s struggles and pitfalls with being a woman in the industry at the time. Her autonomy and female independence are executed well but not without emotional and wonderful explorations of her internal struggles. For example, Danielle Steer’s rendition of Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) is powerful and moving with a great arrangement and staging.

The show doesn’t shy away from other important issues too such as race (Cher’s discomfort as a child at being called “a half-breed”), and dyslexia; Debbie Kurup conveys Cher’s vulnerability at not being able to read during her Broadway audition with conviction.

Despite this, the show is funny in parts, lots of quips and jibes – often towards herself – which are delivered with great wit and timing, even if Sonny and Cher’s comedy hour accurately shows the terrible one-liners that made them TV icons!

The show has a self-awareness throughout, from referencing Cher’s academy award with a Moonstruck “snap out of it” slap, to a change of the opening number which later results in the perfect timing of a Believe reprise. The lyrics carry much more weight and in fact, knowing Cher’s backstory gives all of her songs a deeper meaning, often sounding poignant and emotional in new contexts.

One of the closing numbers You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me, belted out by Babe, Lady and Star, is a show-stopper. The big finale is a glitzy affair, replicating a full-blown Cher live concert. The three Chers don a blonde wig and goddess headdress to prompt a mass singalong and party atmosphere, reinforcing what a Queen, a badass and a success Cher is.

The Cher Show is at the New Theatre until Saturday 27th August and it is well worth a watch!

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