The Cher Show- Page 18
The Cher Show
#425The Cher Show
Posted: 7/2/18 at 7:13pm
I really wish they would put the "All I Really Wanna Do" scene back in the beginning. Without it, Sonny and Cher's relationship moves too quickly, and it ruins Babe's joke about "Sonny's on a schedule.. A tight schedule.."
It also takes one of Emily Skinner's scenes away, and I'm all for more of her. Although, they could stand to tighten up the scenes at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
They wrote three new short jokes for Lady in the Vegas scene. The one I remember involved telling Sonny she's going to go up to their room and "run him a nice hot sink."
I really can't wait for the cast recording.
#426The Cher Show
Posted: 7/3/18 at 1:11pm
They cut the scene with "All I Really Wanna Do"?! Did they at least position the song in another spot?! I hope they did. That's my favorite Cher song. 
pc1145N
Understudy Joined: 2/24/07
#428The Cher Show
Posted: 7/4/18 at 1:18am
Saw the show for the 5th time today. The first act has been tightened up A LOT. They still have a way to go. For some reason, Jerrod Spector was shirtless again in the bed scene. I'm not sure why they keep switching that up.
Also, Phillipa Soo was at the show today.
Addendum
Chorus Member Joined: 4/3/14
#429The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:09am
I saw it on 7/3 for the 2nd time and agree that it has gotten much more cohesive.
Jerrod Spector deserves to be shirtless in the bed scene...I did keep thinking...Sonny was never that buff was he? :)
#430The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 1:22pm
I make no apologies for the length of this post:
Okay, so we saw this Tuesday night and I'm still trying to process my thoughts on this one. Cher said it needs work and that is 90% true. To say it needs a LOT of work would be more accurate. This is a really weird show. Conceptually, it has a lot going on: biography of a celebrity presented as a TV variety show using three actresses for three stages of Cher's life (Babe Cher, Lady Cher and Star Cher, in chronological order) as well as the sometimes chorus of numerous Chers, supporting actors often playing double roles, with the three Chers sometimes narrating, sometimes guiding and encouraging each other, and sometimes stepping in for each other as the dominant persona during a moment of conflict, all the while using the iconic songs from Cher's catalog as well as a few other familiar tunes. Got it? No? Well, they streamline the story to just the bullet points. To make it easier on us or easier on the creative staff, I don't really know. The cast is tremendous and it's really to their credit that we end up enjoying ourselves amid all the confusion.
The concept of presenting the musical as a TV variety show is really quite interesting and could have been fantastic if it had been consistent. There is a gaggle of production team members to remind us that we're supposed to be watching a live TV event and more importantly, prod Cher to deliver some sort of narration to transition us through the scenes via some really awkward dialogue. Except this doesn't always happen and we forget about the TV studio device until it suddenly pops up again in a jarringly Brechtian fashion. Keep in mind that halfway through the first act, we get Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour which also includes its own production staff, and an entire Bob Mackie costume parade number that is apparently, tied to the conceptual production staff of the here and now. At the beginning of the second act, we get Cher's own variety show, including a production staff.
Perhaps the direction and set design can clarify things for us a bit! *Womp-womp* The oftentimes visually interesting set design does give us visual cues now and then for a few very specific locales, but descends into the sparse and generic when it wants us to learn about an event or action in Cher's life, but doesn't seem to care about the when or where. For example, when Sonny is coaxed into expressing his heartfelt love for Cher, leading to a marriage proposal, there is just a small round platform with a bit of a railing attached. During this scene, Cher's mother marches up to them with a copy of Variety to scold them on their lives and business, warning Cher that Sonny is no good, then quickly relents to their relationship after Sonny delivers a love poem to Cher. It all just sort of comes out of nowhere and the scene looks like something from a workshop black box production that has no budget. The first act finale was another minimalist WTF moment when Lady Cher considers leaving the Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour and the other two Chers come out to encourage her. It presented on a bare stage with all three women in wearing basic black comfortable audition-wear belting their faces off to an abbreviated tune mostly in unison with some white lighting. All of this arrives shortly after a very big and cheesy Vegas production number involving Lady Cher and sexy backup dancers with digital flames ablaze as the backdrop. Between these, Sonny and Cher are prepping for their Napolean sketch as Cher drops the bomb backstage threatening to leave the show. The TV show within-a-show, not the Vegas show or the conceptual TV show. Got it? No? Then look at the costumes!
Thankfully, Block, as Star Cher, when not forced to serve as part-time narrator throughout the first two-thirds of the show or deliver an iconic Cher moment that usually makes no sense in context of the scene, but delights the audience simply for acknowledging it, elevates her material well above and beyond its intelligence or maturity with vocals that soar into the stratosphere, grounded emotional conveyance, and a believable impression of a familiar icon. Diamond is probably the least Cher-like of the three as Babe Cher, the symbol of Cher's youth and naive idealism, but she gets one of the two best production numbers in The Beat Goes On, narrating Cher's cinematic rise among the cynical and doubtful Hollywood elite. With Fosse-inspired choreography bolstered with new lyrics, this is the one moment in the show where the book, score and staging work in symbiosis to tell the story. Wicks is uniquely remarkable as Lady Cher, given the least impressionable material, but impresses with remarkable accuracy Cher's physical mannerisms (as apposed to an immediate physical likeness) while replacing a vocal imitation of the 70s Cher with a formidable voice of her own. It works well as her part of the story is easily the most important in terms of the subject finding her own voice and independence, but the material she's given, both in dialogue and music, is simply too weak for her to overcome, which is a detriment to the creatives much more than indicative of any deficiencies of the performer.
Spector delivers a superb performance as Bono, leveraging his Frankie Valli voice from his long stint in Jersey Boys. Barresse shines as Mackie is the first act production number, Ain't Nobody's Business, but he's wasted when forced to double as a television director that is given purpose at the beginning of the show, then the character is mostly forgotten as the concept is more sporadically utilized throughout the evening. Skinner takes advantage of the few moments she has as Cher's mother and Lucille Ball to remind us all how musical comedy is DONE. She maximizes the potential of every line and very nearly steals the show. Unfortunately, while her appearances consistently breathed life into the script, they also reminded us how weak the rest of the direction and book were for everything else. Hydzik as Allman and Campayno as Camilletti were serviceable as the cardboard cutouts they were written to be, whose purpose seemed to be more about existing as the aforementioned bullet points in Cher's journey than any explanation as to their influence in her life.
Chiefly, it's Moore's direction that needs clarity which *should* dovetail into a better book. The TV variety show conceit has to have the all-or-nothing go-for-broke attitude of its subject. There are sporadic scenes in which we see camera operators on stage with their cinematography projected onto the multiple screens hovering above the stage to give the audience the sense of simultaneously filming a TV show doubled with how it would appear on television. While it may seem distracting, it's actually the most effective and interesting use of the framing device. This has to be consistent throughout every scene driving the story with only the current "backstage" scenes devoid of the cameras and projections. Also, the use of the triple-Cher narrative transitions could be be further clarified by simply dropping in a curtain as the Chers speak to the audience, exactly as was done on all these variety shows. Otherwise, scrap this device completely and hand over the chief narration to Skinner as Cher's mother, Georgia. Doing this would give the book a more solid foundation as well as leveraging Skinner's seasoned strengths in commanding the audience. It would also give the opportunity to present a cohesive through-line to introducing the different Chers to each each other, gaining in numbers on stage as Cher herself gains strength, independence and experience. This way, we're not constantly invading Babe or Lady with the powerhouse that is Star (both in character and performer) nor padding too much of the earlier scenes with whiplash time jumps and desperate attempts at placating the audience with randomly placed unrelated Cher-isms. The ensemble Chers, which are really nothing more than the female ensemble members in various iconic Mackie costumes, are woefully under-utilized. If there was any moment they should have been showcased, it would have been the sparse first act finale, filling the stage in presence and the theatre in voice with every iteration of Cher, steering her toward independence and confidence. Probably the biggest wasted opportunity of the evening. And while the Bono/Allman cowboy scene may have been big in its day, its importance didn't really stand the test of time. Blowing it up into a production number is probably the most baffling and confusing part of the evening. It doesn't make sense and we really don't know why we're watching it happen.
Scenic design is mostly effective and definitely eye-catching and often dazzling. Mackie's costumes are predictably stunning almost to the point of distraction because we're already familiar with them, though there are a few misses (most notably in the final ensemble number before the curtain calls wherein the men's costumes are completely unflattering and ill-fitting). I was a bit thrown in a scene where Cher meets Camilletti in a nightclub. She talks about Witches of Eastwick and introduces the subject of Moonstruck. Clearly, we're in the mid-80s, yet the entire ensemble is deliberately costumed and choreographed firmly in late 70s disco. I feel like there must have been a last-minute change to the book because I can't see how Mackie (or anyone over 40) would have missed that. The choreography truly shines in The Beat Goes On, is serviceable but forgettable almost everywhere else, and a bizarre distraction in a scene that needs a distraction because it simply doesn't work.
In the end, we enjoyed ourselves despite the show's efforts to confound and confuse us at every turn. Though I give the credit almost entirely to the cast. I think Bill summed it up best in saying "It has the bones of a good show". It does, but it needs to be more than ideas hanging on a skeleton like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.
I warned you at the beginning I had a lot to say, so if you made it this far, feel free to pass it along to Cher or Jason Moore or the producers and let them know I can be available for a chat. kthnx
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#431The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 1:24pm
I saw it on 7/3 for the 2nd time and agree that it has gotten much more cohesive.
It was much less cohesive? Really?!?! Good Lord.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#432The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 2:34pm
RevolutionaryCostume said: "Nope, it's just gone."
I'm really sorry to hear that. It won't ruin my enjoyment of the show but it was Cher's very first hit as a solo recording artist. I'm surprised they didn't try to incorporate it somewhere else in the show.
FanofGreen
Understudy Joined: 10/15/09
#433The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 2:48pmNo apology would be accepted. Wow. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. It’s much appreciated.
#434The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 3:59pm
Went through a bunch of different pages on this post, but couldn't find sufficient info. Does anyone have seating recommendation? I want to be able to see the performers' faces but I remember Oriental Theater has a very flat (no rise) Orchestra section which makes for a very uncomfortable night at the theater. Appreciate any tips, thanks!
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.
#435The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 4:30pm
I’d like to see the Lucille Ball scene cut.Make mention of how Lucy was instrumental in bringing Cher into her own.
As it was the funniest scene in the entire show, I'd be severely disappointed in them if they cut it. The second act carries a lot of weight with little comedy as respite. Placing all the responsibility of lightening the second act solely on The Beat Goes On would make for a more tiresome evening. If anything in the second act should be cut, it's the whole Bono/Allman number (was it Dark Lady? I was so perplexed by that point, I can't recall).
FYI...Tuesday night, the show clocked in at roughly 2.5 hours.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Updated On: 7/5/18 at 04:30 PM
#436The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 4:31pm
Does anyone have seating recommendation? I want to be able to see the performers' faces but I remember Oriental Theater has a very flat (no rise) Orchestra section which makes for a very uncomfortable night at the theater.
If you really want to see their faces with clarity, it has to be in the orchestra. We were in 3rd row of the loge and it was a good view and we could see faces and expressions, but I don't know how much detail and clarity you require.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#437The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 5:02pm
Mister Matt said: "If anything in the second act should be cut, it's the whole Bono/Allman number (was it Dark Lady?
Yes, the Bono/Allman duet is Dark Lady.
#438The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 8:04pm
I have seen the show twice, once on opening night and the second time when the show was performed for the critics. Both times I played the lottery and won front row seats in the center. To see all of the actors faces and reactions is amazing. I agree with most of the criticisms about the show. The Mackie fashion show in the first act made my jaw drop. The "Dark Lady" number needs to go or just needs to be performed by Cher, Sonny and Gregg NEVER performed together and it drags the show down considerably. Emily Skinner is one of the best parts of the show and I was always looking for her to show up on stage. The ending is kind of clunky and needs to be more peppy and uplifting, I think that they should end the show with a mini "Cher" concert since that is mainly what she is know for now...
#439The Cher Show
Posted: 7/5/18 at 11:34pm
At tonight's performance, more jokes landed than usual. The company has improved its timing.
During the start of Grauman's Theatre scene, lights inadvertently flew down from the fly. But after just 2 seconds, the miscued lights zipped up out of sight.
"I see you!" Star Cher shouted out to a friend in the audience during Take Me Home.
2:38 run time.
#440The Cher Show
Posted: 7/6/18 at 3:48pm
Can anyone tell me how obstructed are Orchestra-R row C seats 8 and 10 are? The price difference is quite significant hence asking
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.
#441The Cher Show
Posted: 7/6/18 at 3:51pm
I am confident that the view will be obstructed for one side of the stage.
Updated On: 7/7/18 at 03:51 PM#442The Cher Show
Posted: 7/6/18 at 3:51pm
Though you will see 98 percent of the action, you will miss just a few moments.
#444The Cher Show
Posted: 7/6/18 at 5:41pm
BalconyClub said: "Though you will see 98 percent of the action, you will miss just a few moments."
Important moments? I guess the other question I have is will my neck hate me after watching the show from those seats?
RevolutionaryCostume said: "I wouldn't buy em."
Can you explain why?
Caption: Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.
#446The Cher Show
Posted: 7/6/18 at 6:27pm
Valentina3 said: "Can anyone tell me how obstructed are Orchestra-R row C seats 8 and 10 are? The price difference is quite significant hence asking"
This was my view from ORCH-R, C6. The couple sitting next to us in 8 & 10 didn’t seem to have any complaints. During intermission we scooped up two vacant center seats a few rows back, and I noticed the couple in 8 & 10 didn’t scoot over. Hope that helps!
Marlothom
Broadway Star Joined: 4/13/04
#447The Cher Show
Posted: 7/6/18 at 9:28pm
Saw it again last night. They're still tweaking things here and there. Most notably, they are trying different ways to end the final/torch-song style "Believe". It's tough, because people want to clap very near the end, but then she still has to say "and I can't break through". Whatever they did last night didn't work. People didn't know whether to clap or wait.
I was mostly surprised that I never realized the actor playing Rob Camilleti is the same actor playing the stage hand in Act 1. And the monologue bit Star Cher reads at the Broadway audition is not from the play, but lyrics from the song "Heart of Stone."
"Observe how bravely I conceal this dreadful dreadful shame I feel."
#448The Cher Show
Posted: 7/8/18 at 4:02pm
Is SJB gonna win a Tony? Matt, Revolutionary?
Stephanatic
#449The Cher Show
Posted: 7/8/18 at 7:38pm
She's doing well, but I think it depends on the other contenders this season.
She's definitely the lead, and she gets a lot of the laughs and most of the dramatic scenes.
IMO.. It's not meaty enough to beat a heavy hitter, if we get one this season.
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