{"id":3427,"date":"2008-05-23T11:35:29","date_gmt":"2008-05-23T17:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cherscholar.com\/cherblog\/cher-scholar-is-very-happy\/"},"modified":"2023-02-20T08:43:08","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T15:43:08","slug":"cher-scholar-is-very-happy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cherscholar.com\/cherblog\/2008\/05\/cher-scholar-is-very-happy\/","title":{"rendered":"Cher Scholar is Very Happy"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/a>…Mostly to have so much new fodder for CherScholaring.<\/p>\n

Spoiler Alert:<\/strong> if you haven\u2019t seen the new Las Vegas show and don\u2019t want to hear about it, for God\u2019s sake click away!<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve broken this post into two pages because it\u2019s looong. And I\u2019m even shaving out comments about show news, the program and the Cher<\/st1:place> store until later. (I\u2019m skipping comments about the Oprah interview altogether - it was ultimately disappointing). <\/p>\n

But the length of this page is unavoidable. The fact is this show is a crucial point in the career of Cher<\/st1:place> for many reasons. <\/p>\n

1.       <\/span><\/span><\/span>It\u2019s going to be judged against other major headliners at Caesars-famed Colosseum (my spell-check hates that coliseum is being spelled that way).<\/p>\n

2.       <\/span><\/span><\/span>It\u2019s a theatrical show in Vegas as opposed to a touring concert and it will be judged based on this.<\/p>\n

3.      <\/span><\/span><\/span> Cher<\/st1:place> is 62 and she\u2019s been around so long, expectations are now simultaneously both higher and lower for everything she does\u2026and it\u2019ll probably be this way from now on.<\/p>\n

 <\/span>It is, in Celine Dion\u2019s words, a new day. And much pop-scholarship should ensue.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n


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So here we go. I\u2019ve seen the show. I\u2019ve read as many reviews as I could. I\u2019ve read many fan posts. I understand what people don\u2019t like and what they love and I\u2019ll try to encapsulate it all here and sprinkle in what I think, followed by what I feel are the larger questions about a Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> show and her career right now. It\u2019s juicy times. I like it!<\/font><\/P>
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First let\u2019s review the show I saw and my immediate reactions:<\/strong>
Note: the set order might be askew below. I didn\u2019t take any notes and am following the set list posted by fans after the show.<\/font><\/font><\/P>
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I went with my bf and my Ape Culture co-editor Julie. We sat dead-center all the way in the back of the first level, right back up against the sound\/light booth. In fact we could turn around and see them working. Kinda neat if we weren\u2019t so distracted by Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> all the time.  <\/span>Projections of shooting stars covered a huge stage screen and images spilled a bit over to the sides of the theater. Not quite the full surround-immersion I was expecting from reports of Celine shows, but pretty freakin big for a stage. Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> was about 20 minutes late.<\/font><\/P>
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But her entrance was stunning per usual. First Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>was projected as a hologram high on the stage (there was so much paraphernalia on the stage I don\u2019t remember the exact setup anymore). Then the real Cher appears to the right above the audience and floats down to the stage on what I thought looked like a big fire bowl (cos my bf and I just bought one) but other writers have called it a wired-up chariot from the rafters or an open ski gondola with an Aztec neon starburst. Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> herself called it The Flying Wallenda Evel Knievel Death Mobile. <\/font><\/P>
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Now the Evel Knievel reference I know \u2013 tres 70s. But I had to look up the Wallenda reference. For those of you who don\u2019t know your circus history (and that would be me),The Flying Wallendas were headliners as a high-wire act at Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey circus (<\/font>http:\/\/www.wallenda.com\/history.html<\/font><\/A> )  <\/span>and family members still perform today.  <\/span><\/font><\/font><\/P>
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I loved the idea of the hologram (more on that later). My only quibble with is was it was barely on stage. If you blinked, you might have missed it. The fire bowl was awesome, however. My friends were really impressed. Please note that my bf has never seen a Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> show. My friend Julie saw one of the Farewell shows in LA out at the amphitheater we call \u201cGlenn Hell\u201d and it was so windy that night, Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>couldn\u2019t drop down in her chandelier. So my friends were both Cher-entrance virgins.<\/font><\/P>
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This entrance occurred as Cher was singing that U2 song that shall remain nameless here because if Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>hasn\u2019t found it yet, I suggest changing therapists. Seriously, as Cher Scholar\u2019s mom loves to say<\/em>: maybe it\u2019s you. <\/font><\/P>
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Find it or forget about it. <\/font><\/P>
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In the opening shows Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> sang \u201cSong for the Lonely\u201d but this must have been dropped by our night. Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>did do an extended monologue about coming down on the fire bowl, teamsters grabbing their nuts and men spitting. And a bit about how she missed Sonny for his aid in developing quality show dialogs with her. I appreciated the racy aspect of her bit and everyone thought it was funny and charming.<\/font><\/P>
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She also had a very cool new gold Egyptian outfit that had a hilarious profile. Loved it.<\/font><\/P>
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Next was the filler video of Laverne singing to Sammy Davis Jr.\u2019s \u201cI Gotta Be Me.\u201d I loved absolutely everything about this video. I loved that it was an old-school song and yet quintessentially Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> in its message.  <\/span>I loved that Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> was doing physical comedy.  <\/span>I loved that she brought Laverne into the next century. I loved how relaxed and happy she looked doing Laverne again. My bf commented that the gag with elderly people doing challenging stunts with cutaway stuntmen never gets old. And he\u2019s right. And the Circque du Soilel spoof was even the show itself being self-deprecating. It was both retro and modern; and it had Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> acting a character (so refreshing!). It was brilliant and did, in fact, take the Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> show to a new meta-level. I can\u2019t stop loving on it. In fact, I fantasize about a movie-length Laverne dealing with her life and age issues, maybe hooking up with Carol Burnett\u2019s Eunice; and too bad Flip Wilson is gone for his Geraldine will be missed. I\u2019d love to see television characters from 70s shows meeting up in some alternate universe for maybe a bank robbery or some other caper ensuing due to the fact that Medicare isn\u2019t covering their prescription drugs. <\/font><\/P>
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Chershow-bighair<\/A> After the video, I believe Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> came back with the big red wig outfit for \u201cAll or Nothing\u201d and \u201cI Found Someone.\u201d I get this outfit and the horns-fit confused because the colors are so similar. And from the back of the room, the details disappear. <\/font><\/P>
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Some 80s dancing filler was presented before Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> comes back. The choreography is more of the same for these shows. Lots of competing, do-your-own thing going on. Lots of 80s moves. I just have to ignore it at this point.<\/font><\/P>
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Next I think was the horn-fit for Pat Benetar\u2019s \u201cLove is a Battlefield.\u201d Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> did this song on an<\/A> earlier tour\u2026I believe it was Love  <\/span>Hurts<\/em>, which I didn\u2019t see.  <\/span>So it was great to hear Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> sing<\/A> Chershow-loveisabf<\/A> this song. I believe she can pull this one off. The dancers claw toward her and back. Yada yada yada. The only moments of dancing I like are the synchronized parts. Reminds me fondly of the Celebration of Caesars<\/em> moves which were so larger-than-life and exciting.<\/font><\/P>
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Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>did miss a few lyrics to the beginning of a verse. But I had already read the back of her program regarding her comments on Patty Darcy Jones being the savior during her flubs. This personal information just made these flubs somewhat lovable and human. In a strange way, they add something by showing failability.<\/font><\/font><\/P>
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Then, the Good Times <\/em>video segment for \u201cIt\u2019s the Little Things\u201d played almost in full (was it in full? \u2013 I thought I saw a cut in there somewhere).  <\/span>This was again a very cool choice to introduce 60s Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>. The fact we can watch the whole video was great – in fact, watching more rare Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>videos would be preferable to retro-80s dancing. What a thrill to see Sonny & Cher blown up so big like that. The San Francisco Examiner calls out this moment in the show too, saying \u201c60s material like this plays surprisingly well.\u201d This is a testament to Sonny\u2019s under-appreciated song writing. \u201cIt\u2019s the Little Things\u201d is probably my favorite Sonny & Cher song because it swings so pleasantly and is strong architecturally. You believe sonny is writing from the heart, being very honest, actually thinking about Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> himself in the lines he gives her.  <\/span>Imagine \u201cShe\u2019s not the smartest woman that I\u2019ve ever met and yet every word she\u2019s ever said I won\u2019t forget.\u201d Amazing. <\/font><\/P>
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Chershow-beat<\/A> Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> then came out in her red mini-dress to sing \u201cThe Beat Goes On.\u201d This was my favorite set. A lot was going on but in a creative way that had some cohesion to it. The crazy blue movement of the set contrasted with Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>\u2019s dress. What a thrill to hear her sing \u201cThe Beat Goes On\u201d live and with Sonny (like Natalie Cole on \u201cUnforgettable.\u201d) <\/font><\/font><\/P>
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I have to take this opportunity to say the sound quality of this theater was unlike anything I\u2019ve ever heard. One fan on the Cherlist felt the sound was poor the night they attended but I felt Cher sounded crisper, clearer and more beautiful than any other live show I\u2019ve seen. Almost like a studio recording, if not better. And Sonny\u2019s voice sounded clear and powerful, too. It was awesome and very moving just to hear them singing together. I found out later there was a clip of Sonny & Cher walking on the Seine<\/ST1:PLACE> and I missed it. Having just been there with the bf, I wanted to see how different it might have looked. <\/font><\/P>
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Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> then sang \u201cAll I Really Want to Do.\u201d At the end she joked about her closet being as big as the Grand Canyon<\/ST1:PLACE>and out came the first cool prop: a closet that turned into a gypsy wagon that turned into a fortune-telling, gypsy wagon. I admired the prop\u2019s Broadway-styled versatility. There were three amazing aspects of her oft-performed medley (this same medley of her big 70s hits first appeared on The Cher Show<\/em> in 1975 and then again on the Believe<\/em> and Farewell<\/em> tours):<\/font><\/font><\/P><\/p>\n

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  1. Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> wore the “Half Breed” outfit herself. How way, way cool was that? It impressed my bf who\u2019s favorite Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>image is in the Half-Breed fit (I think that\u2019s a hetero<\/span> male favorite, actually).<\/font><\/font>\n
  2. The outfits for “Gypsys<\/span> Tramps and Thieves” were beautiful, a sea of color \u2013 like the \u201cAll or Nothing\u201d India-fits on the Farewell<\/em> tour. Color is so nice, it really is. <\/font>\n
  3. The dancing for “Gypsys<\/span>” was finally awesome. <\/font><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Next came the disco party. YMCA was played while the dancers did usual filler. That Village People puppet was hi-larious<\/span>. We all laughed a looong<\/span> time over that. If they take that bit out of the show I\u2019ll turn Catholic and start wailing over a rosary, I swear! They could make the song shorter but don\u2019t take out that puppet.<\/font><\/P>
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    Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> then appears on the big bridge to sing the disco gem \u201cDon\u2019t Leave Me This Way\u201d madeChershow-takemehome<\/A> famous by Thelma Houston. This is my favorite disco song and I\u2019ve been fantasizing about Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>singing it for about ten years now and there\u2019s a hologram in my fantasy no less! How weird, huh? But like the hologram in this show, her clip of this song is way too short. It was like a tease that left us ultimately frustrated. And I didn<\/span>\u2019t get a good look at the costume either. Instead, all too quickly, Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> came down off the bridge in her \u201cTake Me Home\u201d fit, this version not in gold (circa 1979) or red (circa turn-of-the-century) but blue. It is indeed dress rehash. And I\u2019m fine with rehashing iconic Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>dresses. The hole-fit for \u201cTurn Back Time\u201d is iconic, although not accurate to the V-fit in the video, but can stay. But too many repeats are not necessary. This is her official \u201cTake Me Home\u201d fit but she doesn<\/span>\u2019t even sing a full version of \u201cTake Me Home\u201d so is it really important enough in the scheme of a show with too many costume changes already? If you have to cut some, this one could go. Or do a revamp of the Time Magazine cover fit instead. <\/font><\/font><\/P>
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    Then we get more screen time with Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>singing \u201cSunny,\u201d Sonny (and TV-show Sonnys<\/span>) singing \u201cSunny\u201d and then S&C doing the \u201cS&C Stomp\u201d song from the show, complete with footage showcasing signature S&C moves in action. We all loved that retrospective of the TV show.<\/font><\/P>
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    Chershow-pearl<\/A> Then Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> came back for \u201cThe Way of Love.\u201d I am happy to see a ballad in the show again. Shows like this need a breath, a zen moment from time to time to recharge. Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>pops out of a big pearl in a dress more like her torch song dresses than any we\u2019ve seen in her modern shows yet. The headpiece was right out of the Mackie<\/span>-1974 playbook<\/span>. Great choice, so much better than the long Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>wigs which just seem like a poor-mans version of the real dynamic mane she had. And again, her vocal on this song was the best I\u2019ve heard her do. She just pulled back a bit and didn<\/span>\u2019t belt it all to the back of the arena. It was lovely. In fact, on the last note, the back-up singers buoyed her out and supported her so she wouldn<\/span>\u2019t have to yell it down. It sounded amazing, so clear, clean and quiet \u2013 which Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> can so totally do and it\u2019s arresting. <\/font><\/P>
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    Apparently Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> sang \u201cLove Hurts\u201d here during earlier shows but this too was dropped. Bummer because I haven\u2019t heard her sing this song.  <\/span>Question: was it the rocking 80s<\/span> version or the lilting 70s<\/span> version?<\/font><\/P>
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    Chershow-afterall<\/A> Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> movie clips played on their own without bleeding into \u201cAfter All\u201d which was nice, gave them their due. Then Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>came back out on a boat to sing the song in another Snow Queen outfit. The set for this was lovely and simple, described by Canadian Press as \u201can eye-popping misty lake with tendrils of light hanging down as Cher arrives solo on stage in a gondola looking like the Queen of Narnia<\/span>.\u201d The boat floated across the stage and when it hit the back wall, Cher stepped out to walk off stage and I got a real Truman Show<\/em> flashback and could picture her flailing her arms against the wall and mourning her all-too public life and then stepping through a door in the wall after which we never see her again. In fact, that may have been an eerie way to end the show.<\/font><\/font><\/P>
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    But Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> did come back in jeans and a white shirt, reminiscent again of the past tours. Well, her belt is more sparkly. I appreciated the amped up sparkle of the show. It reminded me of the TV show sequins which used to catch  <\/span>the set lights and beam out stars to the TV screen. I loved those old 70s<\/span>-sequined star-effects, I really did. Cher sang \u201cWalking in Memphis<\/ST1:PLACE><\/ST1:CITY>\u201d which was a treat and another welcome ballad. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve heard her do this one live. But then we had to go through \u201cThe Shoop Shoop Song\u201d which is not one of my favorites and I missed Patty to help me through it like a mother with a grumpy, sullen child which this song makes me feel like I am. I did appreciate the pom-pom outfits on the dancers. <\/font><\/P>
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    More clips of Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>\u2019s TV show and her phoenix-like outfit evolutions including a clip of the 1979 beginning of the Cher and Other Fantasies<\/em>TV special. Cher sang \u201cAint<\/span> No Body\u2019s Business\u201d which is yet another quintessential Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> song sung many times on her TV shows. Never gets old. <\/font><\/P>
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    Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> comes back in the latest incarnation of her hole-fit to sing \u201cStrong Enough\u201d and \u201cTurn<\/A>Back Time.\u201d During our show she commented that the hats wouldn<\/span>\u2019t fit atop her big 80s<\/span>-hair wig. She tried to throw one hat back out into the crowd but accidentally threw down her microphone instead. We love stuff like that. <\/font><\/font><\/P>
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    Apparently at other shows Cher<\/ST1:PLACE>risqu<\/span>\u00e9ly quipped: \u201cDo you know how hard it is to kneel down when you\u2019re 62? \u2026I guess it depends on what I\u2019m kneeling down for. I\u2019m old; I\u2019m not dead.\u201d I liked these old jokes. They play well and ironically never do indeed get old. <\/font><\/P>
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    We stood up sometime during \u201cTurn Back Time\u201d per usual. Then she left; then we cheered;Chershow-believe2<\/A>then she came back for \u201cBelieve.\u201d It\u2019s all pretty rote at this point. I loved her sparkly-feathery-fit for the final number. It\u2019s my favorite Believe-fit so far. Didn<\/span>\u2019t like the space-fits all that much. <\/font><\/P>
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    Ubiquitous confetti fell with what looked like Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> dollars. My<\/A> friend Julie told me she\u2019s so over the confetti-spewing concert endings but I still like them. I\u2019ve never actually been in the confetti yet. During my closest Cher shows (3rd<\/SUP> row at Jones<\/ST1:PLACENAME> Beach<\/ST1:PLACETYPE> and first row to the side at Staples<\/ST1:PLACENAME> Center<\/ST1:PLACETYPE>) we has, alas, no confetti or Cher<\/ST1:PLACE> dollars to grab at. <\/font><\/P>
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    And that was the show. There\u2019s a LOT<\/ST1:PLACE> going on for us to chew on. Here\u2019s what critics had to say:<\/font><\/P>
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    The Show Had Issues<\/O:P><\/font><\/font><\/strong><\/P><\/p>\n