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).