EDGE ShortCuts: Dylan and Cher Musicals; 'Alan Cumming Won't Act his Age'; and Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester

'The Cher Show'

Cher in triplicate? That's the concept behind this jukebox musical, whose highly enjoyable Non Equity touring production came to Boston's Boch Center/Wang Theatre for just a three-day run. As with the recent Donna Summer jukebox bio, its subject is played by three actors who play her during the different phases of her sixty-year career. Despite each being given an awkward name ("Babe," "Lady," and "Star"), the device works surprisingly well, especially when the three converse in Cher's famously sardonic manner. Rick Elice's book turns its star's struggles into an effective tome on a woman overcoming sexism and exploitation in a male-dominated industry. (When told by her mother to find a rich man, Cher retorts, "I am a rich man!") But she didn't get there without struggle. The copious score not only covers Cher's many hits, but also pop songs by other artists that are slickly performed by the eager-to-please cast. What makes the show worth seeing is the synergy between its three-leads, each offering resonant versions of Cher's throaty belt. [They are Ella Perez (Babe), Catherine Ariale ("Lady"), Morgan Scott ("Star").] While the choreography (credited on the tour to Antoinette DiPietropolo) never rises above something out of a Vegas revue, the show does boast Tony-winning costumes by Cher's favorite designer Bob Mackie that offer ample proof of their imaginative, dazzling synergy since the 1970s.

"The Cher Show," presented by the Boch Center. At the Wang Theatre, March 15 – 18, 2024. For more information about the Wang Center, click here. For more information on the national tour of "The Cher Show," click here.

Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester. "Dream a Little Dream"

Kudos to the Celebrity Series of Boston for bringing back the remarkable Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester, who remain about as an authentic a throwback ensemble as can be imagined. What Raabe and his talented musicians do is recreate a German dance band from the 1930s who draw their repertoire from music of the period. (The most recent song they performed in "Dream a Little Dream," the name of their current tour, came from 1945.) With their authentic look and sound (the orchestrations are based on the originals), Raabe and the Pallast Orchestra are an Art Deco apparition. In his white tie and tail, Raabe evokes the image of Fred Astaire from one of his RKO musicals, and he maintains a richly ironic tone throughout. His thin, high tenor is perfectly suited to the reedy, smooth sound of the band; and the songs themselves – a mix of German and English-speaking titles – are wittily chosen. They range from romantic classics ("Cheek to Cheek") to obscure (and funny) novelty songs (the show-stopping "Dort Tanzt Lulu'), each introduced by Raabe in a deadpan, cheeky style. And with Raabe setting the tone, the musicians respond with an irresistible playfulness that recall bands of the period; as well as evoking the sophistication of a time today only glimpsed at in archival materials from the 1920s – 1940s when bands such as the Palast ruled popular music.

Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester. "Dream a Little Dream." Presented by the Celebrity Series of Boston. At Symphony Hall, Boston. Tuesday, March 19, 2024. For more information on Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester, click here. For more information on the Celebrity Series of Boston, click here.