Run and Tell That: The Cher Show

Note: Wowza. By now ya'll know that I'm a terrible editor. So be prepared for me to be editing this AFTER I upload it. Also, I'm not a professional reviewer nor do I try to be in these. I'm simply stating what I thought. Also, I apologize for the first chunk of this review because it sounds like I'm going to just absolutely trash the show, but I promise I'm not.

"Even in the midst of all the glitz and the glamour Elice's book managed to be a personal and sometimes intimate experience"

To be completely honest I had never really been a Cher fan. I knew that many people in the gay community loved her, but I just wasn't one of them. I was aware of Cher and a few things she had done. I watched her in Burlesque and thought she was good. I also knew of her because at every school dance

Teal Wicks, Micaela Diamond, Stephanie J. Block
and Ensemble

"Believe" was one of those standards that was played. (Looking back, it was a super weird choice considering my town's demographic, but whatever.) So, I was aware of Cher, but I wasn't a "Cheraholic" as I like to call her fans. My first thought when I heard that Cher was going to have a Broadway musical based off her life was "WHAT THE F*CK?!?!? WHY???? WHY DO WE NEED ANOTHER BIO MUSICAL? WHY DO WE NEED ANOTHER JUKEBOX MUSICAL STOP!!!!!!" (In case you can't tell I was against it at first.) Then news of the workshop came around and I heard that three different women were going to play Cher, much like Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, and the three women for the workshop were Lesli Margherita, Lena Hall and Abby Mueller. I sat confused staring at my computer thinking "How on Earth are these three completely different women, with three completely different vocal styles going to play the same woman?" Anyway, then time passed, and I heard that they were having a Chicago Out-of-Town Tryout before coming to Broadway and it was soon announced that Stephanie J. Block would be one of the three women to portray Cher. My first thought was "No Stephanie! You just did this amazing

Female Ensemble

show, Falsettos, and now you're going to do this?" However, my tune quickly got turned around when more info started to come out about The Cher Show and specifically the book. The script is penned by 3x Tony nominee Rick Elice, the man behind The Addams Family, Jersey Boys and Peter and the Starcatcher. Elice was writing the musical as if Cher were doing a variety show of her life. I found this incredibly interesting because it's a completely different way of telling someone's life story. Elice's book is filled with witty and zingy one liners along with some great campy jokes, and plenty of gay ones (all of which were tasteful.) Even in the midst of all the glitz and the glamour Elice's book managed to be a personal and sometimes intimate experience, even if it did leave out several key events in Cher's life that I think would have really strengthened the character of Cher. (But how much can you expect for a 2 1/2 hour musical.) There were other little problems I had with Elice's book and also a few questions, but overall Elice delivers the comedy and even manages to add some great emotional depth, with the heart breaking 11 o'clock

Ashley Blair Fitzgerald and Male Ensemble

number "You Haven't Seen The Last of Me." However, there was one thing I wish Elice had kept and that was the opening scene from the Chicago Out-Of-Town Tryout where it is made clear that what we are watching is a variety show about Cher's life. That would have made the entire show a bit clearer as to why the show was staged the way it was. The Cher Show is helmed by Tony Award nominated director Jason Moore who made sure that the show kept moving. There was never a dull moment happening on stage and it was nothing, but nonstop action filled with dazzling and sexy choreography by Christopher Gatteli. The stand out number of the night, in my opinion, is "Dark Lady" sung by Jarrod Spector as Sonny Bono and Matthew Hydzik as Gregg Allman, Cher's two husbands. (Which on a side note fit perfectly considering how Cher, at this point in the story, was using both men.) It is danced by the beautifully talented Ashley Blair Fitzgerald who commands the space while dancing, featuring gravity defying lifts and stunts as she dances with every man of the ensemble. The show was designed by a team of all stars, there were mammoth sets by Christine Jones and Brett J. Banakis many of which if you look closely had a hidden "C"

Jarrod Spector and Micaela Diamond

on them. The lights were fabulously blinding, in a good way, by Kevin Adams and of course the stylish costumes designed by the legend Bob Mackie and who better to design the costumes of The Cher Show than the man who created many of Cher's most iconic looks. The only design that lacked for me was the sound design by Nevin Steinberg (Now I'm very new to sound design so I may not be talking about the right person here. I always confuse the sound designer and the sound engineer.) My problem with the sound was that it was too loud. I'm not sure if that's what they wanted, but I'm pretty sure I lost part of my hearing after the show. They just need to turn down the volume a smidge. I also want to give a shout out to the hair and wig designer Charles G. LaPointe who did a wonderful job with all the wigs. Now before I move onto the main characters, I do want to give a quick shout out to the wonderful ensemble for doing an

Jarrod Spector and Teal Wicks

amazing job and especially Blaine Alden Krauss who delivered some killer vocals as the head of the Dave Clark Five. To quote Cher "A man is not a necessity, a man is a luxury" and Cher has had many men in her life. However, all of the men featured in The Cher Show, except for Sonny, were on stage for maybe all of 10-15 minutes and they don't really have much character build up. The men I'm talking about are Cher's non celebrity boyfriend Rob Camilletti played by Michael Campayno her second husband Gregg Allman played by Matthew Hydzik and Bob Mackie played by Michael Berresse all of whom played their character's excellently despite having only 15 minutes of fame. Another strong performance was given by Emily Skinner who played Georgia Holt, Cher's mother. Skinner also had a brief, and to a certain point rather unnecessary, cameo as Lucille Ball. I can't think of a clever segue into talking about Jarrod Spector as Sonny Bono so let's get to it then. Spector delivers an absolutely wonderful performance as the short in stature, but not in talent, Sonny Bono. No stranger to a Broadway bio musical (Having previously starred as Barry Mann in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys) Spector perfectly copied Sonny's unique singing voice and interesting personality. Spector gives a top of the line performance. (Although I don't recall Sonny Bono being that buff.) We can't have Sonny without Cher, or in this case Babe, played by the so extremely talented that "you want to punch her" Micaela Diamond. Diamond delivers a metamorphosing Broadway debut performance at only 19. She holds her own against fellow Cher's power houses Wicks and Block. (Both of whom used to play Elphaba in Wicked.) She delivers stunning vocals on her main song "I Got You Babe" as well as a groovy solo version of "The Beat Goes On" delivered in the second act. Diamond also captures all of Cher's quirks she had in her "Babe" years, but still manages to have her own personality shine through. Diamond has quite the career ahead of her especially if she continues with performances like this one (Please cast her as Elphaba.)

Stephanie J. Block and Male Ensemble

When Sonny and Cher are down on their luck playing night clubs Cher must transform herself from Babe to Lady, who is portrayed by the wonderfully sassy Teal Wicks. Despite Wicks having the least amount of stage time out of all three Cher's she delivers an absolutely knockout performance with a stellar voice and fires off great comedic and sassy one-liners like a machine gun. Cher goes through one final transformation to become Star played by the stellar Stephanie J. Block who proves once again her chameleon like talents to dive into a role and truly bond with it are never to be underestimated. Block has the most meat in her role out of the three Cher's and not only does Block cook the meat to perfection, but also adds all the right seasoning and serves it up to the audience with a enough flair to light up a 4th of July fireworks show. Block belted song after song without missing a note like the "Warrior Goddess" she is and the one she portrays. Overall, The Cher Show is a glitzy, glittery show filled with camp, sass and crazy vocals. If you're looking to have a fun time and hear catchy songs go catch The Cher Show currently running on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre and booking until October 13, 2019*.

"I got you to kiss goodnight, I got you to hold me tight.  I got you, I won't let go. I got you to love me so. I got you babe."

*As of March 16, 2019 when this review was published.