Grand Opera House York are turning back time this week as the hit musical The Cher Show brings energy and electricity to the stage.
It is no secret that autobiographical jukebox musicals are a huge hit and The Cher Show is no exception to this, retelling the roller coaster life of a true legend.
The Cher Show is at the Grand Opera House from Tuesday 15 to Saturday 19 November.
The show follows the star through the highest and lowest moments in both her career and personal life. From a turbulent childhood to lost lovers, being a pop sensation to a Hollywood hit — there is no doubt her life has not been anything but extraordinary.
And what’s better than one Cher? A show that has three! ‘Babe’ (Millie O’Connell), ‘Lady’ (Danielle Steers) and ‘Star’ (Debbie Kurup) each portray Cher throughout the different stages of her life, bringing their own characteristics to their respective roles yet uniting as a whole on many occasions. This was an extremely powerful approach and in my opinion was a genius decision.
I don’t want to underestimate the huge task that Debbie Kurup, Danielle Steers and Millie O’Connell are undertaking by taking on such a huge responsibility, which they portray remarkably well.
The three Chers were not just present for their respective parts, but interacted throughout the performance, providing both an internal monologue and battle with herself.
Danielle Steers for me was particularly outstanding, responsible for the portrayal of the end of Sonny and Cher — Sonny played excellently in this performance by Guy Woolf — she brought vulnerability to the role whilst still offering spectacular and powerful vocals to her solos.
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The costumes designed by Gabriella Slade were phenomenal — I can only imagine the sheer number of quick changes the leading ladies go through every performance!
These incredible costumes helped to tell the story, from the hippy-style ‘I Got You Babe’ Sonny and Cher Top of the Pops performance, to the glitzy and glamorous red carpet numbers. The time and effort that went into perfecting each and every look — not just for the three Chers but the whole supporting cast and ensemble — must be acknowledged.
The ensemble deserve some serious recognition for carrying the story-line both with their impressive dance numbers, choreographed by Oti Mabuse, and for their presence in the scene changes which helped the audience understand what part of Cher’s life we were heading into next.
This was done with the changing date being presented in a range of formats around the stage which took us seamlessly from one chapter to another.
Whilst I found the book lacking in act two as the dialogue slowed — especially when portraying Cher’s relationships later in her career — however this soon picked up. After all who can deny a finale full of glitz and glam.
Cher fans could be easily spotted and were not in short supply as they jumped to their feet to join in the celebration happening on stage, with a mega-mix of all her greatest hits.
If you are a fan of this timeless diva, or you’re just looking for a good night out, I urge you to catch this show here in York and Cher the love!
The Cher Show is at the Grand Opera House York until Saturday 19 November. Tickets start from £13 and are available online here.