The Cher Show- Page 12

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 8:24am

h6p8gv said: "ANybody have a song list"

See page 9 of this thread.

 

Posted: 6/16/18 at 9:52am

Noted.

Someone new to the board who loved a show : shill

Someone new to the board who didn’t love a show: welcome to the board!!!!!!


It was a great review just an observation of the way things go here.


Also on Chaz. Very possible he didn’t want to be a part of this story. I know Cher was very present during the workshops of this and if he said (I’m speculating) he didn’t want to be a part or or, I’m sure she would have honored his requests. Just a thought.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 1:18pm

Maybe Chaz is not mentioned because Chaz did not want his personal and I'm sure very painful journey trivialised in some cheap jukebox musical for other peoples entertainment? And maybe his Mother had the decency to listen to him and respect her childs decision.

As for Donald Trump not being mentioned, why the hell would she?

The schmuck gets enough underserved attention as it is, let alone smearing her legacy with the massive **** stain.

 

Updated On: 6/16/18 at 01:18 PM

[Elegance101]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 1:28pm

Doesn’t this musical only go to the late 90s? At that point, Chaz still went by “Chastity” and had just come out as a lesbian. In order to really dig into everything with Chaz, they would’ve had to add at least 12 years to the story, which is already overlong. The story they’re telling is about how Cher grew up and became a star. They could make an entire new musical about her relationship with Chaz, but they chose to focus it on other elements of her life. They can’t really do both in a 2-and-a-half hour musical.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 2:47pm

Also, Cher herself has stated that she had to get permission from anyone living to use their names/characters in the show.  All of her exes (which she’s still friendly with) gave her   carte blanche to use their names/characters.

Chaz is EXTREMELY private and I’m sure he requested to be mentioned but have nothing further included in the show.  Elijah is also a very private person so it’s quite apparent Cher is respecting their wishes.  

[gleek4114]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 4:34pm

Just got my ticket to see this on the 6th! Has anyone sat in the side orchestra obstructed view seats set? How much will I miss?

[Marlothom]

Posted: 6/16/18 at 8:46pm

Seeing this again tonight (found a deal on Stubhub). Will report on any changes they made since Tuesday. I’m hoping for a standing O during the Bob Mackie runway show.

[Marlothom]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 12:20am

Ok just got done. A few changes.
1. They added some scene work at the top of the show to establish the three Chers working together.
2. They’ve cut the Hilton scene where they get kicked out. They just reference it before the “I got you babe” number.
3. They have cut “Superstar”.
4. All around all the Chers are hamming it up a little more. More tongues out, more hair flipping, more jaw to the side while singing
5. Stephanie’s wig in act 2 seems bigger.
6. They’ve worked on the ending, all three Chers now sing the final song. It now signals “we’re ending the show”.
Something I noticed tonight, Jarrod sings a lot better than Sonny Bonno ever did.

[StylishCynic]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 1:00am

Marlothom said: "Ok just got done. A few changes.
1. They added some scene work at the top of the show to establish the three Chers working together.
2. They’ve cut the Hilton scene where they get kicked out. They just reference it before the “I got you babe” number.
3. They have cut “Superstar”.
4. All around all the Chers are hamming it up a little more. More tongues out, more hair flipping, more jaw to the side while singing
5. Stephanie’s wig in act 2 seems bigger.
6. They’ve worked on the ending, all three Chers now sing the final song. It now signals “we’re ending the show”.
Something I noticed tonight, Jarrod sings a lot better than Sonny Bonno ever did."

Really happy to hear that they've added some definition to the beginning.

I'm not surprised to hear that the scene with the hotel concierge was cut. I'm not sure if it was meant to be a comic scene or not, but it definitely didn't get any laughs during the first preview and slowed down the pacing instead.

[broadwayliz22]

Posted: 6/18/18 at 12:22am

saw the show tonight and it was...fine. i’ve seen 4 jukebox musicals and here’s how i tank them:

1. beautiful
2. cher
3. on your feet
4. escape to margaritaville

i loved beautiful and hated on your feet and margaritaville but the cher show was just meh. it was wayyyyy too long (3 hours) with a boring storyline that i was completely uninterested in. stephanie j block was amazing as always and was 100% the best part about the show.

maybe it’s just cause i’m a teenager and cher is way before my time, but i just didn’t see the need for this to become a musical.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 6/18/18 at 10:46am

I get the feeling that Cher doesn't like to talk about Chaz's transformation and Cher's personal journey with that. I think she considers it Chaz's story and wants him to tell that how/when he wants to. Although it would make a fascinating and very valid series of events in The Cher Show, I believe it has been left out on purpose. And, I respect her for that. I cannot believe that Rick Elice didn't ask or think about mining that for dramatic gold.

However, glossing over her importance as a gay icon is a very valid piece that is missing. And that is what has helped her stick around and achieve comeback after comeback after comeback. Believe and the dance albums that followed would've never happened without her strong gay following. Much like Donna Summer's career.

[BJR]

Posted: 6/18/18 at 1:09pm

Is that dramatically interesting, though? I can't imagine so beyond a tossed away line.

(With SUMMER, it could have been. Her fanbase (and income) being at odds with her religion could have been very dramatically interesting. But they undercut why her being saved mattered so much while also dancing around the fact she never publicly apologized for the comment about gays, but denied it and side-stepped it.)

Like I mentioned earlier, the challenge for a Cher show (and all bio-shows/pics/narratives) is how to wrestle a life into a satisfying narrative. You can't include it all and the second you try, it becomes, And then, And then, And then. Leave what you have to out to make it interesting, just for heavens sake, make it dramatically satisfying.

[tbaker2]

Posted: 6/18/18 at 3:38pm

I believe the only way to approach the mentioning of her as a gay icon or any significant info that happens in the 90's until now is this: During the Finale (Take Me Home), there could be a vamp and that's where the three Cher's could break the fourth wall and narrate what has happened to Cher then and now. Then, they 'take it home' with one last chorus. 

 

Just an idea, don't eat me if this is stupid!

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 6/18/18 at 4:03pm

So, I'm in doub about which ticket I should buy based on the view/price.


Is it better, as people said much happens on the sides with the 3 Chers, G9/G10 (side) or P111 (center)?

[ChgoTheatreGuy]

Posted: 6/18/18 at 8:16pm

I would suggest doing the daily lottery:  lottery.broadwaydirect.com every day.  It starts at 9am and they announce the winners at 5pm for the following day's show.  You get to sit in the front row, will be able to see all three Chers and their facial expressions.  The costumes are amazing and sitting in the front row will make your jaw drop!...

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 6/18/18 at 8:49pm

I will only be in NY for the time being of the first three previews, I can't trust a lottery win as I really want to see the show.

[pc1145N]

Posted: 6/19/18 at 12:08am

Try to sit in the center, if you can. The first time I saw the show, I sat on the side and it turns out I missed a lot. The second time I saw the show, I sat in the center and realized how much I missed. This is especially true during the Bob Mackie segment. I heard people clapping and no idea why. I missed a lot of what was on the stage. 

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/19/18 at 11:00am

tbaker2 said: "I believe the only way to approach the mentioning of her as a gay icon or any significant info that happens in the 90's until now is this: During the Finale (Take Me Home), there could be a vamp and that's where the three Cher's could break the fourth wall and narrate what has happened to Cher then and now. Then, they 'take it home' with one last chorus.
"

Maybe they could stand there at the end and read out the names of every gay man in the world who ever bought a Cher records?

Gees talk about entitlement.

Everyone knows she is a gay icon, why does it have to even be mentioned?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/19/18 at 11:21am

I’m gay.  I don’t need to be endlessly reminded that Cher, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Donna Summer and even Mitzi Gaynor are gay icons.  We ALL know this as does the straight audiences.  Just tell your story.  However you choose.  

[Impossible2]

Posted: 6/19/18 at 11:44am

BrodyFosse123 said: "I’m gay. I don’t need to be endlessly reminded that Cher, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Donna Summer and even Mitzi Gaynor are gay icons. We ALL know this as does the straight audiences. Just tell your story. However you choose."

Exactly x

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 6/19/18 at 8:20pm

Won $25 standby lottery for tonight's June 19 performance.

Per Dame's blessing, wearing shorts on a summer night. Great seat in E13.

The outer rim and the Cher name on the circular Cher logo on pre-show scrim is gently changing colors from violet to teal to tangerine to crimson, then back to violet.

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 6/20/18 at 2:37am

Show is tightening, running 2:45 tonight.

Random blurbs in no order:

Micaela Diamond. Wow. As Babe, she effortlessly plays the youngest Cher. Great spark. Her interaction with others was remarkable. Beautiful voice.

Though reports on this thread kvetched about the first preview audience, tonight's audience was tame. I noticed several attendees tonight in the rows ahead not even clapping at applause points. Hey, they aren't required, but still.

There may have been a hired photographer at tonight's performance. I heard an annoying yet soft camera click during several scenes. It may have been an audience member. I dunno.

Near the top and end of the performance, there are maybe 6 or so ensemble women dressed as Cher in addition to the 3 main Chers.

There is a lot of wonderful dancing! But the spotlight on Cher often placed the movement in the periphery.

Stephanie J Block is strong. When examining one of the Bob Mackie glittery designs, she cracks, "and this one has its own Twitter account." When Block sings, her voice commands your attention.

I loved the staged recreations of The Sonny and Cher Show, and simply Cher. When the red saloon hall Tiffany lamp appeared above an upright piano, I beamed with nostalgic recollection.

The Cinderella reference of A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes felt out of place to me at both ends of the performance, and the late in show glass slipper moment pulled me out of The Cher Show entirely.

"This is how we do a segue" was my least favorite line of the night. It happened in Vegas, when Lady Cher took over leading lady duties from Babe Cher.

Jarrod Spector shines as Sonny. I expect the monologue puns between he and Cher will be strengthened, though there are worthy short Sonny jokes as well as skinny Cher one liners.

Zero lump in throat moments.

Baseball caps are also available at merch.

Updated On: 6/20/18 at 02:37 AM

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 6/20/18 at 6:07am

I never knew how badly I wanted a Cher baseball cap until now.

How is Emily Skinner's Lucille Ball coming? During the first preview, it was almost as if they told her that night that they were adding Ball in. She didn't really add any character - it was just Emily Skinner. Sorta a let down. Which is surprising, because Skinner is consistently terrific. Has she made any changes?

[South Florida]

Posted: 6/20/18 at 7:26am

Mitzi Gaynor, didn't know that one.

 

[DAME]

Posted: 6/20/18 at 3:00pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "I’m gay. I don’t need to be endlessly reminded that Cher, Barbra Streisand, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Donna Summer and even Mitzi Gaynor are gay icons. We ALL know this as does the straight audiences. Just tell your story. However you choose."

Your gay?  I never would have known.