Cher, originally born Cherilyn Sarkisian, was the daughter of John Sarkisian, an Armenian-American truck driver, and Georgia Holt, a model and bit-part actress. After briefly introducing us to her childhood life, the musical then spans the artist's very public romances with both Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman, as well as her lengthy career in music, theater, TV, and film. Like in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, the lead role of Cher is split among three actresses who show very different internal thoughts and conflicts that arise over the course of her life, representing different shades of her personality.
Micaela Diamond (Jesus Christ Superstar Live) gives a fun, naïve performance as Cher in her days as a scrawny, insecure kid, into her early teens when she first meets Bono, with her iteration of the singer dubbed "The Babe." Teal Wicks (Wicked, Finding Neverland) takes over as "The Lady," aka Cher's time in her early 20s as a glamorous, but criminally overworked diva. The show digs into her time being one half of The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, and the toll her grueling work schedule takes on her relationship with Bono, as well as her two children.
The final version of Cher is "The Star," played by powerhouse performer and Tony nominee Stephanie J. Block (Falsettos, Wicked), who nails every detail of the Goddess of Pop's likeness, from her trademark vocal inflections to physical tics. Block is well aware of just how special the role is. "Cher always refers to her legions of fans and what she does onstage as a ministry, and I've felt that," she told AM New York in December. "It truly is like a fellowship. It's wild; not like anything else I've experienced."
