The Cher Show
6 / 10
Directed by Jason Moore, the show whirls through six decades at a dizzying pace that disguises, up to a point, that it doesn't have much to stand on. We are told a dozen times that Cher is 'shy,' and her mother's advice-'The song makes you strong'-is repeated more than once. But unlike the songs in, say, Beautiful, Cher's actual hits can't support that task: They are likeable but skimpy pop ditties. Rick Elice's script responds to this challenge by skipping past most of them quickly: We hear only snippets before the musical hurries on to some new montage, narration or set change. The show covers so much ground that it can't dig into any one narrative, and although Cher is known for self-exposure, the storytelling is guarded.
