Musical Review: The Cher Show

I am not a Cher fan. Don’t get me wrong, I think she is absolutely iconic and of course, I know all the lyrics to ‘Believe’; however, I could not tell you the first thing about her life or indeed anything about who she actually is behind the popstar persona. So, when I walked through the doors of one of my favourite theatres, the Birmingham Hippodrome, for about the hundredth time now, I was unsure of what to expect. Would I feel alienated by the fact that I can count the number of Cher songs I know on one hand? Or would I be yawning intermittently and want to leave after the first half? Fortunately, neither of those rather concerning possibilities materialised. Instead, I had a phenomenal evening and the show is a contender for my top three favourites I have seen over the past few years.

For you do not need to be a Cher fan to enjoy Cher. There is something universally appealing about the glitz and glamour of this incredible woman’s life and the show was all about celebrating that in a flawlessly executed campy extravaganza. Nevertheless, Cher was not always the confident bigwig she is recognised as today, and author Rick Elice was careful to depict that in the plot.

[They] did a fantastic job of portraying the specific characteristics and slight nuances of their Cher

The show features three distinct versions of Cher throughout the decades who form a frame narrative of the different eras of her life: Babe for the 1950s/60s (played by Millie O’Connell), Lady for the 1970s (played by Danielle Steers) and Star for the 1980s/90s (played by Debbie Kurup). All three of the leading ladies had their moment in the spotlight and did a fantastic job of portraying the specific characteristics and slight nuances of their Cher.

O’Connell was simply charming with her choppy bangs and shy girl act, whilst Steers captivated us all as she effortlessly oozed out sexiness in a sparkly fringe playsuit, and Kurup’s sagacity and strength was a comforting testament to the current Cher. However, in addition to their individual roles, the trio also managed to maintain a sense of uniformity through nailing her eccentric unplaceable accent and adopting her physically noticeable mannerisms.

Whilst I am unsure of how accurate the portrayals of supporting characters Sonny (Lucas Rush) and Bob Mackie (Jake Mitchell) were, both were extremely entertaining to watch. The relationship between Sonny and Cher was presented in a heart-breaking and beautiful way and it was difficult to not shed a tear in the audience as we watched a youthful romance filled with a unique chemistry onstage deteriorate into a chaotic blend of constant bickering and unfair financial contracts, blurring the boundaries between being a performance duo and a married couple with a child in an unhealthy way.

The lighting was dazzling with bold, vibrant colours that cast lasers throughout the entire venue

Nevertheless, personally, my favourite numbers included the fabulous Bob Mackie – the genius American fashion designer who created the mould for Cher’s quintessential look – as he brought a brilliant energy with his blase attitude towards authority and revolutionary ideas around the cult of the celebrity.

It is hard to fault anything about this show. The ensemble were just as talented as the stars and had clearly been trained well by choreographer Oti Mabuse; the lighting was dazzling with bold, vibrant colours that cast lasers throughout the entire venue; and the band blasted out the notes to all the ballads with an impassioned spirit that got the audience up on their feet and clapping along. I don’t know if I believe in life after love, but after watching The Cher Show, it is safe to say that I believe Cher and her legacy will live on timelessly after her life.