The Cher Show | |
---|---|
Music | Various Artists |
Lyrics | Various Artists |
Book | Rick Elice |
Basis | The life and songs of Cher |
Premiere | June 12, 2018 : Oriental Theatre, Chicago, Illinois |
Productions | 2018 Chicago 2018 Broadway 2022 UK Tour 2023 US Tour |
The Cher Show is a jukebox musical with a book by Rick Elice that tells the story of the life and career of Cher, using songs that she performed throughout her career. The part of Cher is played by three actresses: one portraying her in the 1950s and 60s (nicknamed "Babe"), one for the 1970s (nicknamed "Lady"), and one for the 1980s and 90s (nicknamed "Star"). The three interact with each other and help each other out at various points.
The musical had a Lab in the Fall of 2017 in NYC, followed by its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago, on June 12, 2018, and opened on Broadway in December 2018. The Original Cast Album was released on digital platforms on April 12, 2019, and was released to physical CD on May 10, 2019. The Cher Show played its final Broadway performance on August 18, 2019. An overhauled production launched at the Leicester Curve in April 2022, before embarking on a UK tour.
The Cher Show made its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, Illinois on June 12, 2018, and officially opened its out of town try-out on June 28 and ran until July 14. [1] The final performance experienced technical difficulties and forced the show to close one day early, on July 14 (Instead of July 15), 2018. [2] Following its Chicago run, the musical began previews on Broadway on November 1, 2018, and officially opened on December 3, 2018, at the Neil Simon Theatre. [1] [3]
The musical's book is by Rick Elice, direction by Jason Moore, choreography by Christopher Gattelli, [3] and orchestrations, arrangements and musical supervision by Daryl Waters and additional orchestrations by Steve Orich. Cher's longtime costumer Bob Mackie is the costume designer, with set designers Christine Jones and Brett J. Banakis, lighting designer Kevin Adams, and sound designer Nevin Steinberg. [4] The producers of the show are Jeffrey Seller, Flody Suarez and Cher. [5]
The Cher Show won Tony Awards for Stephanie J. Block (Lead Actress in a Musical) and for Bob Mackie (Costume Design for a Musical).
The Cher Show ended its run on Broadway on August 18, 2019, having played 34 previews and 296 regular performances.
In May 2021, a new touring production was announced in the UK and Ireland from April 2022 to April 2023 directed by Arlene Phillips and featuring choreography from Oti Mabuse. [6] Casting for the tour will include Millie O'Connell as Babe, Danielle Steers as Lady and Debbie Kurup as Star. The show will differ from the Broadway production with modifications to the show's music, Rick Elice's book, and the costumes; which will be redesigned by Gabriella Slade ( Six [7] ). [8] It also has set design by Tom Rogers, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Dan Samson, wigs, hair and make-up design by Sam Cox, music production by Gary Hickeson, musical supervision by Rich Morris. [9]
A US touring production was announced to premiere in 2021 after the original launch date of October 2020 in Rochester, New York was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [10] In September 2023 it was announced that a national tour would finally begin in November. The tour will be a non-union production. It will be directed by Casey Hushion and choreographed by Antoinette DiPietropolo, scenic design by Kelly James Tighe, lighting design by Charlie Morrison, sound design by Daniel Lundberg, and video design by Jonathan Infante. Costumes for the tour will again be by Bob Mackie. The first national tour will star Ella Perez as early career Babe Cher, Catherine Ariale as glam pop Lady Cher, and Morgan Scott as cultural icon Star Cher. They will be joined by Mike Bindeman as Gregg Allman/John Southall, Tyler Pirrung as Bob Mackie/Robert Altman/Frank, Lucy Werner as Georgia Holt/Lucille Ball, and Lorenzo Pugliese as Sonny Bono. Rounding out the cast are Emma Alteri, Michelle Arotsky, Neftali Benitez, Charles Blaha, Gary Paul Bowman, Emma Jade Branson, Kevin Michael Buckley, Samantha Butts, Liz Davis, Mollie Downes, Jordan Gold, Nathan Hoty, Tre Kanaley, Drew Lake, Mason Derreck Lewis, and Grace Napoletano.
Character | Workshop (2017) [15] | Chicago (2018) [16] | Broadway (2018) | UK & Ireland tour (2022–23) [17] | Maine (2022) | Long Island (2022) | First US Tour (2023–24) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Star | Lesli Margherita | Stephanie J. Block | Debbie Kurup | Sara Gettelfinger | Aléna Watters | Morgan Scott | |
Lady | Lena Hall | Teal Wicks | Danielle Steers | Charissa Hogeland | Catherine Ariale | ||
Babe | Jillian Mueller | Micaela Diamond | Millie O'Connell | Madeline Hudelson | Ella Perez | ||
Sonny Bono | Jarrod Spector | Lucas Rush | Dino Nicandros | Lorenzo Pugliese | |||
Bob Mackie/Robert Altman/Frank * | Christopher Sieber | Michael Berresse | Jake Mitchell | David Engel | Tyler Pirrung | ||
Rob Camilletti/Lee ** | Bobby Conte Thorton | Michael Campayno | Sam Ferriday | Zack Zaromatidis | Alexander Ríos | Gary Paul Bowman | |
Gregg Allman/John Southall ** | Unknown | Matthew Hydzik | Matthew Hydzik | John Rochette | Mike Bindeman | ||
Georgia Holt/Lucille Ball *** | Haven Burton | Emily Skinner | Tori Scott | Angie Schworer | Lucy Werner |
|
|
† Not featured on Original Broadway Cast Recording
Songs listed as they appear in the official set list.
|
|
Finale (Medley comprising, in order, "Believe", "Strong Enough", "Woman's World", "Dov'è L'amore", "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)", "I Found Someone", and "Believe".)
Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Stephanie J. Block | Won |
Best Costume Design of a Musical | Bob Mackie | Won | ||
Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Kevin Adams | Nominated | ||
Drama Desk Award [19] | Outstanding Actress in a Musical | Stephanie J. Block | Won | |
Outstanding Orchestrations | Daryl Waters | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Costume Design for a Musical | Bob Mackie | Won | ||
Outstanding Wig and Hair Design | Charles G. LaPointe | Won | ||
Drama League Award [20] | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Nominated | ||
Distinguished Performance Award | Stephanie J. Block | Nominated | ||
Outer Critics Circle Award [21] | Outstanding Actress In a Musical | Won | ||
Outstanding Choreographer | Christopher Gattelli | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Bob Mackie | Won | ||
Theatre World Award [22] | Outstanding Debut Performance | Micaela Diamond | Honoree | |
Chita Rivera Award [23] | Ambassadors for the Arts Award | Cher, Flody Squarez, Jeffery Seller | Honorees | |
Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Female Dancer in a Broadway Show | Ashley Blair Fitzgerald | Won | ||
Artios Award [24] | New York Broadway Theatre - Musical | Bernie Telsey, Patrick Goodwin | Nominated | |
Hello, Dolly! is a 1964 musical with lyrics and music by Jerry Herman and a book by Michael Stewart, based on Thornton Wilder's 1938 farce The Merchant of Yonkers, which Wilder revised and retitled The Matchmaker in 1954. The musical follows the story of Dolly Gallagher Levi, a strong-willed matchmaker, as she travels to Yonkers, New York, to find a match for the miserly "well-known unmarried half-a-millionaire" Horace Vandergelder.
Bombay Dreams is a Bollywood-themed musical, with music by A. R. Rahman, lyrics by Don Black and the book by Meera Syal and Thomas Meehan, originally produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The London production opened in 2002 and ran for two years. The musical was later produced on Broadway in 2004.
Singin' in the Rain is a stage musical with story by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown. Adapted from the 1952 movie of the same name, the plot closely adheres to the original. Set in Hollywood in the waning days of the silent screen era, it focuses on romantic lead Don Lockwood, his sidekick Cosmo Brown, aspiring actress Kathy Selden, and Lockwood's leading lady Lina Lamont, whose less-than-dulcet vocal tones make her an unlikely candidate for stardom in talking pictures.
Disney Theatrical Productions Limited (DTP), also known as Disney on Broadway, is the stageplay and musical production company of the Disney Theatrical Group, a subsidiary of Disney Entertainment, a major division and business unit of The Walt Disney Company.
Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with a book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary-style format that dramatizes the formation, success and breakup of the 1960s rock 'n' roll group The Four Seasons. The musical is structured as four "seasons", each narrated by a different member of the band who gives his own perspective on its history and music. Songs include "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Sherry", "December, 1963 ", "My Eyes Adored You", "Stay", "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", "Walk Like A Man", "Who Loves You", "Working My Way Back to You" and "Rag Doll".
Rick Elice is a writer and former stage actor.
The Addams Family is a musical comedy with music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. The show is based upon The Addams Family characters created by Charles Addams in his single-panel gag cartoons, which depict a ghoulish American family with an affinity for all things macabre. Although numerous film and television adaptations of Addams' cartoons exist, the musical is the first stage show based on the characters. The Addams Family is also the first show produced by Elephant Eye Theatricals.
White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The book is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The original St. Louis production starred Lara Teeter, Karen Mason, Lauren Kennedy, and Lee Roy Reams, and the 2004 San Francisco production starred Brian D'Arcy James, Anastasia Barzee, Meredith Patterson, and Jeffry Denman.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a musical based on the 1964 children's novel of the same name by Roald Dahl, with book by David Greig, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
Motown: The Musical is a jukebox musical that premiered on Broadway in April 2013. The musical is based on Berry Gordy's autobiography To Be Loved: The Music, the Magic, the Memories of Motown (1994), and on the history of his founding and running of the Motown record label, and his personal and professional relationships with Motown artists such as Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, and Michael Jackson. The production's music and lyrics are taken from selections from the Motown catalog. It received four nominations at the 67th Tony Awards.
The Last Ship is an original musical with music and lyrics by Sting and a book by Lorne Campbell.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is a jukebox musical with a book by Douglas McGrath that tells the story of the early life and career of Carole King, using songs that she wrote, often together with Gerry Goffin, and other contemporary songs by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector and others.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical is a musical, co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with songs by various artists and a book by Kyle Jarrow. It is based on the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants and made its world premiere in June 2016 at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago. Following a month of previews, the musical opened on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in December 2017.
Waitress is a musical with music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles and a book by Jessie Nelson. It is based on the 2007 film of the same name, written and directed by Adrienne Shelly. It tells the story of Jenna Hunterson, a baker and waitress in an abusive relationship with her husband, Earl. After Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she begins an affair with her obstetrician, Dr. James "Jim" Pomatter. Looking for ways out of her troubles, she sees a pie baking contest and its grand prize as her chance.
Pretty Woman is a musical with music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and a book by Garry Marshall and J. F. Lawton. The musical is based on the 1990 film of the same name written by Lawton and directed by Marshall. It centers on the relationship that develops between Vivian Ward, a free spirited Hollywood prostitute, and Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman who hires her for a week to be his escort for several business and social functions.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is a jukebox musical featuring the music of Tina Turner and depicting her life from her humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her transformation into a rock 'n roll superstar. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd with a book by Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, and Kees Prins, the musical had its world premiere on 17 April 2018 at the Aldwych Theatre in London. The Broadway production opened on 7 November 2019.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a jukebox musical with a book by John Logan. The musical is based on the 2001 film Moulin Rouge! directed by Baz Luhrmann and written by Luhrmann and Craig Pearce.
Six is a British musical comedy in the style of a pop concert. Its music, book, and lyrics were written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. It is a modern retelling of the lives of the six wives of Henry VIII, presented in the form of a singing competition. In the show, the wives take turns telling their story to determine who suffered the most from their shared husband, but ultimately seek to reclaim their individual identities and rewrite their stories.
Micaela Diamond is an American actress and singer. She made her Broadway debut as Babe in The Cher Show (2018–2019). Diamond starred in the critically acclaimed Broadway revival of the musical Parade as Lucille Frank, a performance for which she was nominated for the 2023 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Gabriella Slade is a British costume designer, best known for her work in musicals such as Six, The Cher Show and In the Heights. For her work in the musical Six, she has received the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design of a Musical in 2022, as well as a nomination for the Olivier Award for Best Costume Design in 2019.