The Muppet Show moment I had two days back got me thinking about variety shows and their absence from pop culture. The closest thing we've got these days is Saturday Night Live and its copycats (all long past their prime) and maybe shows like 30 Rock or Pushing Daisies (and Ally McBeal before them) that mix surreal out-of-nowhere touches into their comedy and throw in occassional musical numbers courtesy of their Broadway-bred actors. Whilst thinking about this artform, my friend shot me a link to an old Sonny & Cher show classic [correction: or is it? I guess I'm not sure]. It's Cher performing my favorite film West Side Story. She plays all the parts.
Cher is gonna have her kicks tonii-iiight. She'll star in a private little mix toniii---iiight. Well she began it. Well she began it. And she's the one to stop it once and for all...
Maybe Cher out to have another farewell tour or another Vegas show that includes this old chestnut.
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Thursday, September 04, 2008
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3 comments:
THANK YOU Nat! (BTW - from the text at the end I take this to be a special Cher did on her own, not an episode of Sonny and Cher.) I admit I have not thought about the lady in a long while - and I've never seen this particular special. This could have been merely self-indulgent but damn if she doesn't pull it off. It gave me renewed appreciation for her range - as a singer and an actress (the opening bit alone of cher as a little girl reminds me of just how good an actress she can be.) Every one of the Sharks has their own stance and body language (although when playing the men she reminds me of several butch lesbians I know, haircut and all.) Can you imagine any other of her diva contemporaries - even Babs - pulling this off, and with such aplomb? I can't.
This also reminds me of how much we have missed by not having her onscreen more - because Hollywood didn't know what to do with her, her unconventional looks, and no doubt her own (sometimes foolish) choices and decision to concentrate on touring (and thus the big money). It's too bad she was too late for the great golden age of Hollywood musicals, but then again her unconventional looks would have meant that in the 1940's she would have been confined no doubt to being a bit player taking the "ethnic" roles. And by the time she came along, Babs had taken the "unconventional ethnic beauty" slot in motion pictures. (When Cher had her comeback as an actress it came as no surprise to my mom btw, who saw it coming all along.)
I need to check out your Muppet Show post - I was beginning to think that I was the only one who remembered that show fondly.
Cher makes a great drag king! I don't know why this surprises me, but it does, haha. This is a riot, I love it!
Oh I love Cher so much. Her version of Walking in Memphis sure did change my life for the better.
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