THERE’S A NEW MUSICAL, AND SHEINELLE JONES, YOU LUCKY DOG.
>> IT WAS QUITE THE SPECTACLE.
MANY OF YOU GREW UP CHER.
SHE’S ONE OF THE MOST
RECOGNIZABLE ICONS IN THE WORLD.
HER LIFE STORY IS BEING TOLD
THROUGH MUSIC IN ONE GIANT
BROADWAY PRODUCTION.
BROADWAY PRODUCTION. ♪ WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ♪
.
. >> IT’S FLASHY AND FABULOUS AND
SO MUCH FUN.
>> IT’S THRILLING THE WHOLE
RIDE.
RIDE. >> IMAGINE SIX DECADES OF CHER
PACKED INTO A TWO-HOUR EXPLOSION
OF HITS.
OF HITS. THERE ARE GROUPS OF PEOPLE
LITERALLY ON THEIR FEET LIKE
THEY ARE AT THE CONCERT LIVING
THEIR BEST LIVES.
>> I THINK IT’S BECAUSE THE
AUDIENCE HAS INVESTED IN THE
STORY OF CHER.
THEY’VE SEEN THE ROLLER COASTER
RIDE OF HER LIFE, THE UPS AND
DOWNS.
DOWNS. >> Reporter: IT’S A CHER
TRIFECTA WITH THREE PEOPLE
THROWING DIFFERENT ERAS OF THE
SUPERSTAR.
SUPERSTAR. >> WE CALL IT CHER-APY.
IT IS ONE POP, BUT SHE GETS TO
TALK TO HER YOUNGER SELVES IN A
WAY AS WE WOULD DO IF YOU
LOOK -- WHY DID YOU DO THAT?
WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THAT?
>> YOU HAVE THE REAL WOMAN
WATCHING YOU AND THE PEOPLE IN
THE AUDIENCE WATCHING THE WOMAN
THEY ADORE.
THEY ADORE. >> WE’RE TRYING TO HONOR HER AND
CELEBRATE HER AND BE
INTERPRETERS OF HER STORY AND
HER SPIRIT AND HER HEART AND
BRING THAT TO LIFE ON STAGE.
>> GOD KNOWS IF A GIRL WHO’S
ALWAYS BEEN SHY AND AFRAID OF
PEOPLE CAN DO IT, SO CAN YOU.
>> AND ON THAT STAGE,
INCREDIBLY, THEY LOOK, TALK,
SING, AND EVEN MOVE LIKE CHER
HERSELF.
HERSELF. >> I MEAN, DO YOU PULL UP
YOUTUBE AND WATCH VIDEOS?
HOW DO YOU WELCOME CHER?
>> I DID START WITH THAT.
>> REALLY?
>> REALLY? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IT’S OVERWHELMING HOW MUCH
FOOTAGE THERE IS OF HER.
YOU DON’T GET THAT EVERY TIME TO
BE ABLE TO WATCH WHO YOU’RE
PLAYING.
PLAYING. >> I FOUND MY CHER VOICE THROUGH
CREST WHITE STRIPS.
I’M NOT KIDDING.
I WAS BLEACHING MY TEETH ONE
DAY, AND I WAS READING MY LINES,
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I STARTED
SAYING EVERYTHING LIKE THIS.
AND MY HUSBAND SAID YOU FOUND
IT.
IT. OH, MY GOD, I SOUND LIKE CHER.
♪ IS THIS HOW IT WILL END ♪
.
. >> IT VISITS THE KEY PLAYERS AND
YOU BET THAT INCLUDES SONNY BOW
BONO.
BONO. >> HE USED OF A LOB THING.
WHEN WE DO "I GOT YOU BABE" IT
HAS TO SOUND LIKE HIM.
HE’S FROM THE MIDWEST BUT HAS A
SOUTHERN DRAWL TO HIM.
>> CHER’S NEVER IN THE SHOW, BUT
SHE IS A PRODUCER.
SHE WAS PRETTY ACTIVE AND
INVOLVED IN THE STORY TELLING
WITH THIS?
WITH THIS? >> VERY MUCH SO.
>> OUR WRITER ACTUALLY SPENT A
FEW WEEKS WITH HER EVERY DAY.
THAT’S KIND OF HOW THE SCRIPT
WAS WRITTEN.
WAS WRITTEN. >> SHE’S EVEN MADE A FEW
SURPRISE AUDIENCE APPEARANCES.
>> AND SHE WOULDN’T BE CHER
WITHOUT THOSE EXTRAORDINARY
GOWNS.
GOWNS. IT’S A SEQUINS SPECTACLE OF
COLOR BY BOB MACKIE WHO IS EVEN
PORTRAYED IN THE SHOW.
>> I’VE KNOWN THAT LADY OVER 50
YEARS.
YEARS. SHE LOOKS STILL AMAZING.
THERE WASN’T ANYTHING SHE DIDN’T
LOOK GOOD IN.
>> WAS THERE ANYTHING SHE DIDN’T
WANT TO WEAR?
>> SHE HAS AN AMAZING CHARISMA
AND PRESENCE.
AND PRESENCE. >> AND WHAT’S MOST ALLURING
ABOUT CHER ACTUALLY TRANSCENDS
THE GLITZ AND GLAM PERSONA.
>> SHE TAKES HER WORK SERIOUSLY,
BUT SHE DOESN’T TAKE LIFE
SERIOUSLY.
SERIOUSLY. IT ALLOWS HER TO BE FUNNY AND
WHITEY
WHITEY WHITEY
WHITEY WHIT
WHIT WHIT
WHIT WHITTY AND SMART AND OPEN.
>> IT’S A STORY ABOUT BECOMING
STRONG ENOUGH TO FORCE YOUR FEAR
RIGHT OFF LIFE’S STAGE.
>> CHER GAVE ME THE GIFT OF A
CONFIDENCE THAT I DID NOT HAVE
BEFORE.
BEFORE. THERE HAS BEEN A FREEDOM THAT I
HAVE JUST FOUND IN MY MID 40s
PLAYING THIS EXQUISITE CREATURE
THAT I DON’T THINK THAT I WILL
EVER SHED.
EVER SHED. >> IT IS A PARTY.
IT’S LIKE A CONCERT.
THE CHER SHOW MUSICAL OFFICIALLY
OPENS ON BROADWAY NEXT MONDAY,
DECEMBER THIRD.
DECEMBER THIRD. I CAN RELATE TO WHAT THE WOMEN
WERE TALKING ABOUT.
I HAD A CHANCE TO INTERVIEW CHER
WITH THE CAST OF MAMA MIA.
THERE ARE SOME CELEBRITIES EVEN
THOUGH THEY’RE BUSY, THEIR
SCHEDULES ARE HECTIC.
WHEN SHE TALKS TO YOU, SHE’S ALL
IN.
IN. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THAT’S COOL.
THAT’S COOL. >> SHE’S ALL IN, AND YOU FEEL
LIKE YOU GET IT.
SO AUTHENTICALLY JUST --
>> CAN YOU IMAGINE THOSE THREE
PLAYING CHER, LOOKING OUT IN THE
AUDIENCE AND SEEING CHER?
>> NO.
>> NO. AND THAT’S HAPPENED SEVERAL
TIMES NOW.
TIMES NOW. SHE’S A TOUGH COOKIE.
THEY SAID IF SHE DIDN’T LIKE
THEM, SHE WOULDN’T BE THERE.