Review: THE CHER SHOW at The Stifel Theatre

The Stifel Theatre, in collaboration with Fox Associates, welcomed THE CHER SHOW on Wednesday for the first performance of a two-night run. Winner of Tony Awards for Lead Actress in a Musical and Best Costume Design of a Musical, THE CHER SHOW tells a five-decade story of the pop culture icon who worked to reinvent herself and remain relevant. THE CHER SHOW is an eye-popping trapse down memory lane that suffers from drive-by storytelling. While far from perfect as a full-fledged Broadway musical, there are plenty of wildly entertaining moments that make this show more enjoyable than it should be. It is the casting, strong vocal performances, Bob Mackie’s over-the-top costume design, Charlie Morrison’s concert-like lighting design, and Jonthan Infante and Kelly James Tighe’s visually interesting video design that give this production an entertaining musical revue feel. 

Cher’s story is told using a storytelling convention that has been seen in other biographical jukebox musicals. A trio of actors with exceptional vocal abilities, Ella Perez, Catherine Ariale, and Morgan Scott each portray Cher at different ages. Perez is a teenaged version of Cher. Scott plays the older iconic diva, and Ariale is sandwiched in between the two others as the mid-20s version of the singer. All three women inhabit their roles without creating a caricature or a campy imitation. Ariale and Scott each give their songs the stylistic panache that would satisfy any Cher fan, but Perez is the vocal standout among the three talented singers. In her first national tour, she handled her parts of the score with a perfect balance of head and chest voice. She is likely to become a performer well known for her impressive belt voice. Credit casting director Alison Frank for selecting these three exceptional actors, and Lorenzo Pugliese who is terrific as Sonny Bono, to fill the principal roles.  

Bob Mackie recreates all the iconic looks he designed for Cher throughout her career. There are over 650 different costumes used throughout the show, including the outrageous Oscar gowns and vintage clothing from Cher’s more than 50-year career. But it is not just the costumes adorning the three actors playing Cher, but the intentional choices and detailed work on the cast of more than two dozen performers. Mackie has created a costuming masterpiece, and his work is certainly among the most visually stunning costumes ever created for a Broadway musical. Costume coordinator Janine Loesch and her team of backstage dressers must be working at a frenetic pace to keep up with the hundreds of quick changes required throughout the show.  

Morrison's Tony nominated lighting design, coupled with Infante and Tighe’s video projections create vibrantly stunning images that nearly make up for the minimalist set design. Their nod to the set of the Sonny and Cher TV variety show created a warm sense of nostalgia for older audience members. But elaborate lighting and video projection is a poor replacement for a full-blown set design. There has been a trend with other recent biopic musicals for the creative team to skimp on set design and rely solely on projection effects as a backdrop. It's less noticeable in this production due to the moving layered panels that give the stage more depth, but large prop pieces like a stand-up piano, desks, chairs, a bed, and large clothing racks filled with hung costumes do not a set design make.  

Lack of set design isn’t the biggest flaw with THE CHER SHOW. It's the fly over narrative from Rick Elice’s book. Elice paints Cher’s entire life with a script that is thinner than watercolor paint. He has written a nostalgic piece of memorabilia that lacks any real substance. He touches on everything, without focusing on anything. There is no doubt that he penned a script to support a score that included every one of Cher’s hits throughout her career. Which is why THE CHER SHOW works as a musical revue, but not as a Broadway musical with a compelling story.  

Fans of Cher will not be disappointed with this production. There is plenty of music, talent, glitz, glamour, and fun to satisfy. There is one additional opportunity to catch THE CHER SHOW at the Stifel theatre tonight, Thursday April 11th at 7:30 PM. Click the link below to purchase tickets.  

PHOTO CREDIT: Meridith Mashburn Photography 

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