I feel as though a high-octane, feelgood glitter bomb has gone off in my face after chatting with Danielle Steers, who plays one of the Chers from The Cher Show, which lands in the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre this month.

The actress is bursting with enthusiasm and love for the icon she’s portraying on stage in this Arlene Phillips production of the original Broadway show penned by Jersey Boys writer Rick Elice. This being Cher though, don’t expect a straightforward re-telling of a life story, and as it turns out, it takes three Chers to do it justice.

“Each of us plays a different part of her life. The youngest Millie O’Connell plays Babe, I play Lady and the oldest is Star played by Debbie Kurup,” Danielle explains. “While we take it in turns to act out parts of her life, we’re all present on stage at the same time, so we’re reflecting, looking back, watching our younger years play out in front of us and sort of cringing thinking ‘oh god did we actually say that?’ We sort of offer each other advice and sometimes play the devil and angel on the shoulder, “she laughs. It’s a clever concept most of us can relate to when flipping through a dogeared photo album or stumbling across an old home movie.

CHER ON STAGE

Of course, Cher’s had more highlights than most of us have had hot dinners. At 76 and supporting causes. She’s still the only artist to a have a number-one single on the American Billboard charts in six consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s, not to mention she’s got an Oscar under her belt and has sold a staggering 100 million records. Not everyone is worthy of the term icon, but Cher is the living embodiment. It’s in the genes it seems.

Cher’s mother Georgia Holt, a now retired singer-songwriter, actress, and model has just turned 97.

But Cher wasn’t always the quick-witted, confident, and successful performer she is today and with such a long career it would be easy to gloss over the low points and solely focus on the good times, but interestingly the show leans into both.

“I play Cher in the late ‘60s into the ‘70s era, so it’s into the end of her and Sonny’s marriage,” Danielle explains. “It goes into the start of the Cher and Sonny Comedy Hour which are really gritty parts of the show,” and as an actress Danielle is relishing the opportunity to portray the more “human” side of Cher.

The variety show which saw the glamorous Cher deliver deadpan lines while her husband Sonny invariably became the butt of the joke, was a big hit with audiences, running from 1971 until 1974, when it was cancelled due to the couple’s divorce. It also featured one of Cher’s most iconic looks, her poker straight hair with the middle parting, which Danielle is thrilled to don.

The costumes are an integral part of the show, in the same way fashion has been key in Cher’s life. From her long dark hair in the ‘60s, to the rock ‘n’ roll reinvention of the ‘80s, to the Bob Mackie Oscars dress and her techno-style Believe reinvention of the noughties, Cher’s style is a part of her personality. “You feel like a goddess when you put them on,” Danielle gushes. “Gabriella Slade has made all the costumes to fi t our bodies, so that we feel good and powerful, as Cher would want,” she laughs. “And they are all inspired by the original Bob Mackie costumes, with Gabriella’s own flavour put in there, so they aren’t carbon copies, but I think Cher would definitely wear all of the costumes we’ve got on the stage.”

Danielle Steers

Being such an icon, many would be confident in thinking they already know everything there is to know about Cher, but Danielle says you’re in for a surprise.

“It shows you the other side of Cher that you don’t really see. Cher had been painfully shy, and she was working from the age of 16 in a man’s world and she didn’t have a voice for herself; she didn’t stand up for herself. There came a point when she just said, ‘no I’m going to stand up for myself and do what I want to do’,”

Danielle says. “And boy has she had some lows in her life and highs; she went from winning an Oscar, to then presenting an infomercial for hair spray,” Danielle explains. “She’s had such a rollercoaster career and I think people will be surprised to hear some of the details about her life.”

in Moonstruck with Nicolas Cage

Posing in the early '70s for the Sonny and Cher Comedy Show;

So, what does the woman herself think of the production? While Cher hasn’t made it over to see the show yet, she has communicated with the team. “Cher tweeted us and gave us her blessing and ‘okayed’ us coming into the show,” gushes Danielle. “‑ at was cool and hopefully she’ll get to see the show at one point.”

“Cher was heavily involved in the Broadway production, so I think once restrictions have calmed down, she’ll take a trip to come and see us, fingers crossed.”

But how would Danielle feel if Cher did show up one evening in the front row?

“Honestly, I don’t know,” she laughs excitedly. “I feel like I wouldn’t want to know because I would be so nervous, but at the same time I feel like I would want to know,” she exclaims. ‑ e show is touring for the next year, so one assumes Cher will make it to a performance, especially because it’s a female-led production the star would approve of, with director Arlene Phillips, choreographer Oti Mabuse and costume designer Gabriella Slade all in key leadership roles.

“That’s as it should be,” Danielle smiles.

“Cher is such a female-forward person and I think the show being run by women is amazing, you just feel so empowered with these women in the room and they allow for you to have your creative input and it’s wonderful.”

The Cher Show runs at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin from 19 to 30 July.