A Life Worth Singing About

Before there was Taylor, before there was Beyoncé; even before there was Madonna, there was Cher. And a full theatrical musical production about the superstar is coming our way as the opening show for the 2023-24 season from the American Theatre Guild’s Broadway in Santa Barbara series. This is the first national tour for the Tony award–winning musical The Cher Show, which features three different versions of Cher — the kid starting out (nicknamed “Babe”), the glam pop star (“Lady”), and the icon (“Star”) — as well as a wardrobe by the legendary Bob Mackie. Mackie is a character in the show, along with other well-known names like Gregg Allman, Robert Altman, Lucille Ball, and of course, Sonny Bono. 

The playlist has Cher’s biggest hits, including “If I Could Turn Back Time,” “Strong Enough,” “Gypsies Tramps and Thieves,” “The Shoop Shoop Song,” “I Got You Babe,” and “Believe.” 

And then there’s the wardrobe. “It’s so incredible to wear those Bob Mackie gowns. My character is described as kind of the glam Cher, which cracks me up,” said Catherine Ariale, who plays Lady, and is making her national production debut with this show. She took time out to talk to me on the phone during a break from tech rehearsals for the 50-city tour, which launches in Fayetteville, Arkansas this month before making its way to Palm Desert, California and then Santa Barbara (at the Granada December 6-7).

When this show made its Broadway debut in December 2018, Cher herself was on board giving input during the development, doing interviews, and even doing making publicity appearances alongside the original cast — an unusual vote of confidence in this era of biographical musical theater.

While the show was being put together, there were apparently a lot of things that needed to change to suit Cher’s approval. “But I think on the final night, she definitely gave her stamp of approval, which is so special,” said Ariale. “All of us, we just really want to do her justice. And tell her story in a grounded, honest way.”

She continues, “It is a pretty amazing story. … I just think she’s really done some incredible things with her life. You could just look at her and think that she’s some icon or legend, but she’s so much more. … She’s a real person with fears and aspirations and a lot of courage and has really made a name for herself.”

Ariale’s favorite number in the show is “Song for the Lonely,” which she sings at the end of Act 1, along with the other two Cher characters. “There’s so many good ones,” she said, “but I would have to say, it’s the number that really just tickles me every time.” 

It comes at a breaking point in the story, she explains. Cher is deciding whether to leave her husband Sonny and it’s very emotional. “It’s like talking to yourself, your younger and your older selves. And you get to really look at the mirror and say, ‘What are we going to do here? And how are we going to hold hands and power through this?’ And it is magical every night. Every time we get to sing together, it’s really beautiful. … It gives me chills. It makes me excited to tell this story.”

Asked about what she would want audiences to know about The Cher Show, Ariale said, “I would want to tell them to come in with no expectations, because they think it will just exceed everyone’s expectations with how much fun it is, how fast paced and exciting it is. There are some really incredible moments of laughter. But also, I have been shocked by how many times I’ve cried in the rehearsal room. I’m just hearing her songs sung in this way telling the story. And I don’t think it’s your average jukebox musical. I really don’t. I think there’s a lot more to it than that.” 

She continued, “As we said in the rehearsal room, you can either watch theater and feel something or [watch theater and it makes you] think about things. And I think this does both, it makes you feel, and it makes you think.” —Leslie Dinaberg

The Cher Show is at The Granada Theatre (1214 State St.) December 6–7. See BroadwaySantaBarbara.com, GranadaSB.org or call (805) 899-2222.