Believe in Broadway Magic: A Night with THE CHER SHOW at the Arsht Center Leaves Audiences Smiling!

January 2^nd, 2023

“I’ve lived too long and done too much.”

                                               Cher – 2023

As an entertainment icon, Cher cannot be denied. For over 7 decades she has been at the forefront of popular culture. Throughout her career, she has been more ‘out than in’ but never done. Her self-description of being a ‘bumper car’, may seem a one-off comment, though nevermore true. Whenever something she’s tried has failed, she merely moves in a different direction. Her story is one of legend and lends itself perfectly to a Broadway Show.

The Tony Award winning musical THE CHER SHOW opened this evening at the Arsht Center in Miami for an exclusive run. Being a self-proclaimed Cher snob, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy the production, with good reason. After all, there’s a lot of musical ‘hits’, personal misses, and a life well lived (two marriages, countless awards, a movie career) to cover in a 2 1/2-hour show. Spanning Cher’s life, she is portrayed by three actresses: the younger starlet known as Babe, played by Ella Perez, starts out (1950s and 60s), Lady played by Catherine Ariale, the glamourous pop star (1970s), Star played by Morgan Scott is the quintessential icon (1980s and 90s). Together they tell the tale of Cherilyn Sarkisian. Engaging one another throughout the show, spurring each other on with girl power galore, never say die, never give up interludes. However, it is the masterful costumes designed by Bob Mackie that really steal the show. They are nothing short of stunning. The show, based on Rick Elice’s book, is cliché as times with a dose of fluff. Of course, Cher is resilient, a powerhouse, a force of nature. That is the essence of Cher, herself. We knew that going in. So, there is no great surprise. No deep delving into the real woman we’ve all come to adore.

The secondary characters in the show do have some worthwhile moments. Lucy Werner as Cher’s mother, Georgia Holt is a hoot. Giving motherly advice throughout, has some of the best lines. Tyler Pirrung as Bob Mackie is perfectly cast. Lorenzo Pugliese as Sonny Bono, is well played bringing out some of his Svengali nuances. Which in truth were not endearing and at times annoying. Mike Bindeman as Gregg Allman, (Cher’s second husband and member of the Allman Brothers band), appears lost between the scuffle of bad lines and an odd musical sparring with Bono for Cher’s hit song “Dark Lady.”

In all, the women who portrayed Cher were all in and performed their hearts out. The songs performed presented a good array of her hits and a few lesser-known tunes only die-hard Cher fans may know. If you’re a Cher fan you will enjoy the evening. The audience tonight included all ages and left with smiles on their faces humming “Believe,” as they exited the theater. So, if you ‘believe in life after love,’ THE CHER SHOW is a must see.