Cher musical debuting in Chicago in June
Cher - the pop star, Oscar winner and TV veteran whose career spans more than 50 years - will be the subject of a Broadway-bound bio-musical premiering next year in Chicago.
"The Cher Show," a new tuner about the pop-culture icon, begins previews June 12, 2018, at the Oriental Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago, in advance of its Broadway debut at the Neil Simon Theatre next fall.
"My life as a musical on Broadway. It seems crazy, exciting and bizarre, but that's probably how my life seems to most people," said the Grammy and Emmy award-winning singer/actress in a prepared statement.
Rick Elice ("Jersey Boys") will write the book for the show, whose score will feature such hits as "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "Believe," "If I Could Turn Back Time" and "I Got You Babe," the chart-topper she had with her first husband, the late Sonny Bono.
The creative team includes Tony Award-winning director Jason Moore ("Avenue Q") and Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Gattelli ("Newsies").
Born Cherilyn Sarkisian, Cher sang backup for producer Phil Spector while she was still in her teens. During the early 1960s, she and Bono initially performed as Caesar and Cleo. By the time "I Got You Babe" hit the charts in 1965, they were performing under their own names.
The couple's career stalled and by the early 1970s, they were playing Las Vegas nightclubs, where a CBS executive spotted them and signed them for a summer replacement series. "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour" premiered in January 1972. Since then, Cher has rarely been out of the public eye. After divorcing Bono, Cher hosted her own TV variety show and later went on to star in the films "Mask," "Silkwood" and "Moonstruck," for which she won an Academy Award for best actress.
"The Cher Show" is part of the next Broadway in Chicago season, which goes on sale Oct. 18. Group tickets for 10 or more are available now at (312) 977-1710. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date. For more information, see broadwayinchicago.com.