People’s Choice. Billboard Music. Kennedy Center Honor. Golden Globe. Emmy. Grammy. Oscar.
No, I’m not just naming awards for fun; this is but a tiny sampling of the accolades amassed by the one, the only, the wholly inimitable, CHER.
If I were to give you the whole list, you would be reading for days. Inches away from the prestigious EGOT status (the quick way to say "winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award"), Cher is missing only her Tony. As fate would have it, that Tony did sort of make its way to Cher’s orbit via the musical about “Her life. Her story. Her legend,” as its Broadway description would read.
And now that Tony-award-winning musical, “The Cher Show,” is on tour and making its way to the State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick. The show encompasses everything we know and love about Cher – the Bob Mackie costumes, the musical hits, the love stories, the drama, and moments that may surprise even her biggest fans.
Photo Courtesy of State Theatre New Jersey
With nothing but praise for her cast and crew, as well as “The Cher Show” script, written by Rick Elice, Director Casey Hushion speaks with reverence for this jukebox musical dedicated to highlighting the impressive career of a musical icon. “What the show does so beautifully - It’s full of all of the entertainment value of her career, and all of the great musical hits from the ‘I Got You’ days to the pop icon phase and tour-phase of her later life. But it also really touches on the heart of her life and who she is. And through using these three different sides of herself, it really gives us a lot of insight about her struggles, her challenges, and how she handled it all with humor, integrity, and grace every time.”
Inherently feminist, “The Cher Show” is a testament to one woman’s strength and determination. Led by an all-female creative team, Director Casey Hushion, Music Supervisor Kristin Stowell, Choreographer Antoinette DiPietropolo, and boasting not one but three women starring as Cher, the influence of feminine fortitude and talent is hard to deny. My conversations with Hushion, DiPietropolo, and Ella Perez who plays the youngest iteration of Cher, credited as Babe, have made it clear that the women at the helm have created an air of camaraderie among this touring company. Perez says, “it’s really special that you can feel how close and tight-knit this company is when you watch the show. I think it’s really, really crucial and special to our show. I think that’s what makes it so unique. […] We have the most incredible ensemble ever and they hold this show together.”
“I didn’t realize how important it was for everyone to know her [Cher] and her journey. […] To see that you can have fear, to see that you can have adversity, and to see that you can have the power within and the help from others to overcome it, and to get through it and to have the strength with family, friends and your own inner strength, your inner past, and all of your experience to help trust yourself again to move forward through fear,” DiPietropolo goes on to emphasize not only how relatable this show can be but how inspiring. It is within all of us to persevere.
Photo Courtesy of State Theatre New Jersey
Hushion echoes this sentiment in speaking about Cher, “I think it is her resilience that I was most impressed by and most inspired by because in every story over the years, every time she gets knocked down, she gets right back up again, and also stronger.” A reminder that we can all use from time to time.
Jukebox musicals are called such because they use popular music as a predetermined score as opposed to original music, in this case, the discography of Cher. While not every jukebox musical can create a cohesive plot using only pop music, the strength of “The Cher Show” lies in its biographical nature. More than plot points cobbled together in support of a score, this is a woman’s life. These are moments that are rooted in truth and history with the songs we know and love that underscore her growth, both in her life and career.
The tour makes its way to the State Theatre on February 9th and runs for four performances through February 11th. Thanks to Cher’s status as an ally and LGBTQ icon, the State Theatre will also be hosting a “Pride Night Party” before the show on February 9th. For an additional fee of $10, guests can celebrate with food, music, giveaways and a performance and photo op with a Cher Impersonator all in the newly renovated Studio on the 2nd floor of the State Theatre.
State Theatre New Jersey in New Brunswick, NJ | February 9-11, 2024. Click here for ticket information.
