A head of her performance tomorrow night in Everyman Cheltenham, Charlotte from the Believe - The Cher Songbook, who leads the show, sat down and answered some questions about the show.
How did you come up for the idea for the show? Did it come off the back of Meat Loaf Show you’re part off?
This is always an interesting question to answer, as the answer is both yes and no! Believe: The Cher Songbook was actually began as a theatre tour in 2019, with Back Into Hell having it's first show in 2022.
However, the idea DID come out of a performance from a Tribute festival where - as a part of the band alongside Terry Nash who leads Back Into Hell - I performed a couple of numbers as Cher. The video was seen but the owner of Showplanr, who (half jokingly I think!) said 'Let's do Cher'... and I didn't need to be asked twice! From there, myself and my then partner - now husband - took the creative reigns and after a huge amount of research, lots of song options, various costume ideas and watching the entirety of Cher's film library(!) we settled on the plan for the show. I absolutely love the format - a chronological journey through her career - and it hasn't really deviated from it since.
What songs do you most look forward to perform of Cher on Stage?
This changes regularly! At the moment I am really enjoying the new additions to the set. Welcome To Burlesque is pure escapism and coupled with the next song - You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me, a really emotional and epic ballad, that section feels so powerful. I also love the Sunny and Cher section - the show is predominantly me at the front alone, so playing against another performer for a section is really fun and a great way to kick off the show without any nerves!
You have a band on stage, how do you guys decide what songs are going into the show? Is there any that you’ve tried and thought that doesn’t fit well? How do you decide what songs go into a 2 hour show?
The show is the same every night and it is set that way for a few reasons. Firstly, it is chronological as I really enjoy the way it then flows - Cher grew as an artist as she grew in age and I love reflecting that as much as I can. Secondly, the costume changes (12!) are very fast and nearly all also include a wig and a shoe change, so the way the set is structured is purposeful so that we can have as much time as possible to do the changes without leaving any 'dead space' in the show. Changes are during instrumentals that either are a part of the original song or are taken from a live version, to keep it as authentic as possible. We also think about having a good mix of styles and audience favourites as well as a couple of slightly lesser known ones for the die hard fans.
The hardest ones to choose have always been the Sunny and Cher tracks as are there are so many to pick from! There are also a couple of songs that we have done previously and since swapped out for other things - we used to have an ABBA medley due to Cher's album 'Dancing Queen' and we still do a nod to that with some ABBA in the set, but have swapped out the medley for even more Cher instead. There are definitely songs we don't yet do that are on my radar. After All and Dove L'amore are two of the most requested to go in to the set by audience members!
We’ve seen your show in Truro, and we love the audience reactions. Does it give you a buzz up on stage seeing the audience reactions?
That is a gorgeous venue - and I am sure I remember meeting you there? You said that you had travelled all that way from Bath (?!) to visit so I am honoured - and hopefully that tells people reading this that is it definitely worth a go if they are unsure!
I try to ignore the audience reactions until a bit further into the set. Like most performers, I am a sensitive soul and I am also easily distracted, so it is better for me to stay within the world of the show for a little bit until everyone - both the audience and the band - have relaxed into it. Usually by the middle of Act 1 they are on their feet, singing and dancing and at that point you know you are in for a fun night!
I think the best part of audience reactions though, is when you chat to people afterwards and they share personal stories about Cher and what she means to them and you get to know that you were a small part of bringing that memory back to life for one night only.
What are you most looking forward to about performing here in Cheltenham on Tuesday night?
Well, one thing that is exciting for me personally is that I have some new things to wear! It is also only the second time performing a new setlist so it is nice and fresh for us all.
We genuinely have such a good time on this show - the music is brilliant, the band are fantastic and our backstage team are some of the hardest working and most talented people in the business. Aden (our Production Manager) and Enya (our Costume Designer and Tour Dresser) consistently go above and beyond in what they do and bring the show to a new level every night. I am always excited to see what they bring! To top it off, my husband is on lights for this one, so I get to share it with him. I think it is going to be really special night - in a really special town and can't wait to share it with you all!
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