ARLENE PHILLIPS TO DIRECT &
OTI MABUSE TO CHOREOGRAPH
THE CHER SHOW
UK & IRELAND TOUR TO OPEN APRIL 2022
“All of us invent ourselves.
Some of us just have more imagination than others.”
CHER
A brand new production of The Cher Show will open next year, with book by Tony and Olivier Award-winning Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, Peter and the Starcatcher), direction by Arlene Phillips (Saturday Night Fever, Starlight Express, Grease), choreography by Oti Mabuse (two-time Strictly Come Dancing champion) and costume design by Gabriella Slade (Six, In The Heights, Spice World 2019 Tour). The tour will open at Leicester’s Curve on 15 April 2022 and will continue through to 1 April 2023.
Arlene Phillips said of directing The Cher Show, “I have been a fan of Cher since I first heard I Got You Babe in the mid-sixties and cannot wait to direct her musical. I love stories about strong inspirational legends like Cher and I am proud to be joined in the creative team by two women who have already made a huge impact in their careers: Oti Mabuse as choreographer of the many different genres in the show and Gabriella Slade for the iconic costume designs. This exciting show will be a non-stop journey of Cher’s rollercoaster life, bringing to the audience Cher’s iconic songs, glorious dance numbers, unique costumes and her epic drama. All they need to do is come along and Believe.”
Oti Mabuse said, “I cannot WAIT for audiences to see what we’re doing with The Cher Show. Cher’s music covers so many styles, genres and rhythms, which makes it so exciting to choreograph. Every song in the show is a hit and we are going full out with exciting routines and movement. It’s going to be a party! Cher has been such an inspiration to so many people and this musical is going to be a celebration of everything people love about her.”
Gabriella Slade added, “Cher is quite literally a style icon. Her fashion moments pushed the boundaries of the time and continue to do so. I’m so excited to be taking huge influence and inspiration from these looks as I embark on creating the costume design for this new production of The Cher Show.”
From a young child with big dreams, the shy daughter of an Armenian American truck driver, to the dizzying heights of global stardom, The Cher Show tells the incredible story of Cher’s meteoric rise to fame. Cher takes the audience by the hand and introduces them to the influential people in her life, from her mother and Sonny Bono, to fashion designer and costumier Bob Mackie. It shows how she battled the men who underestimated her, fought the conventions and, above all, was a trailblazer for independence.
The musical is packed with 35 of her biggest hits, including ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, ‘I Got You Babe’, ‘Strong Enough’, ‘The Shoop Shoop Song’ and ‘Believe’.
With over 100 million record sales, an Academy Award®, an Emmy®, a Grammy®, three Golden Globes® and an award from The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Cher has influenced popular culture more than most. Her on-screen career started in 1971 with her weekly television show that attracted 30 million viewers a week, and went on to include starring roles in iconic films from Moonstruck, for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress, to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, which prompted the New York Magazine to realise “every single movie—no matter how flawless—would be infinitely better if it included Cher.” Her ‘Farewell Tour’ became the highest grossing music tour in history – in true Cher fashion, she followed up her ‘Farewell Tour’ with two further sell-out, worldwide arena tours. She is the only artist in history to have a number one hit in the Billboard chart for six consecutive decades; an achievement that caused Vogue to deem her “eternally relevant and the ruler of outré reinvention”. She became known as the Queen of Reinvention.
In the 1990s, she established The Cher Charitable Foundation to support causes around the world. She has been a long-time donor and supporter of Habitat for Humanity, The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and Keep A Child Alive, an organisation that helps to combat the AIDs epidemic. Most recently, she co-founded Free the Wild to help rescue Kaavan the Asian elephant from Islamabad zoo.
Written by Tony Award-winning Rick Elice, The Cher Show made its debut on Broadway in 2018 in a production that earned two Tony Awards and delighted fans from around the world. This new production will be the European premiere.
The Cher Show UK & Ireland Tour will have lighting design by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Dan Samson. Music producer will be Gary Hickeson.
Website: www.cheronstage.com
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @TheCherShowUK
TOUR SCHEDULE
15 – 23 April 2022 Leicester Curve 0116 242 3595
www.curveonline.co.uk on sale 27 May
26 – 30 April Sunderland Empire Theatre 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire on sale
3 – 7 May Hull New Theatre 01482 300 306
www.hulltheatres.co.uk on sale 24 May
10 – 14 May Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 0114 249 6000
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk on sale soon
17 – 21 May Manchester Opera House 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/opera-house-manchester on sale
24 – 28 May Belfast Grand Opera House 02890241919
www.goh.co.uk on sale soon
31 May – 4 June Blackpool Opera House 0844 856 1111
www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk on sale
7 – 11 June Nottingham Theatre Royal 0115 989 5555
www.trch.co.uk on sale 28 May
14 – 19 June Canterbury Marlowe Theatre 01227 787787
www.marlowetheatre.com on sale 9 August
21 – 25 June Plymouth Theatre Royal 01752 267222
theatreroyal.com on sale soon
19 – 30 July Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre 0844 847 2455*
bordgaisenergytheatre.ie on sale soon
2 – 6 August Birmingham Hippodrome 0844 338 5000*
www.birminghamhippodrome.com on sale soon
9 – 13 August Milton Keynes Theatre 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre on sale
16 – 20 August Southend Cliffs Pavilion 01702 351135
southendtheatres.org.uk on sale
23 – 27 August Cardiff New Theatre 07925 659065
www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk on sale 28 May
30 August – 3 September Stoke Regent Theatre 0844 871 7615* www.atgtickets.com /venues/regent-theatre on sale
6 – 10 September Woking New Victoria Theatre 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre on sale
20 – 24 September Dartford Orchard Theatre 01322 220000
orchardtheatre.co.uk on sale
27 September – 1 October Glasgow King’s Theatre 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre on sale
4 – 8 October Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre
aberdeenperformingarts.com on sale soon
11 – 15 October Edinburgh Festival Theatre 0131 529 6000
www.capitaltheatres.com on sale 28 May
18 – 22 October Wolverhampton Grand Theatre 01902 429212
www.grandtheatre.co.uk on sale 26 May
25 – 29 October Bradford The Alhambra Theatre 01274 432000
www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/venues/the-alhambra-theatre on sale soon
1 – 12 November Brighton Theatre Royal 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton on sale
15 – 19 November York Grand Opera House 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york on sale
22 – 26 November Ipswich Regent Theatre
ipswichtheatres.co.uk on sale
3 – 7 January 2023 Southampton Mayflower Theatre 02380 711811
www.mayflower.org.uk on sale 25 May
10 – 14 January Northampton Royal & Derngate 01604 624811 www.royalandderngate.co.uk on sale soon
17 – 21 January Liverpool Empire Theatre 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire on sale
24 – 28 January Bristol The Hippodrome 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome on sale
31 January – 4 February Wimbledon New Wimbledon Theatre 0844 871 7615* www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre on sale
7 – 11 February Darlington Hippodrome 01325 405405
www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk on sale soon
14 – 18 February Torquay Princess Theatre 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/princess-theatre-torquay on sale
21 – 25 February Oxford New Theatre 0844 871 7615*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford on sale
28 February – 4 March Llandudno Venue Cymru 01492 872000
www.venuecymru.co.uk on sale soon
7 – 11 March Norwich Theatre Royal 01603 630 000
norwichtheatre.org on sale soon
14 – 18 March Carlisle The Sands Centre 0333 33 55055
www.thesandscentre.co.uk on sale
Further dates to be announced
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