The 1970s was a bloated, goofy decade filled with disco music, glitzy fashion, sexy dances, disaster movies, dark comedy, TV variety shows and crazy people.
Put them all together and you have “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour Tribute,” which opened Tuesday and runs through Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Savannah Center.
Director Carol Greenfield faced a massive challenge in this show, which was dominated by the Georgianne Hill who possesses the beauty, wit and husky voice that makes Cher so unique.
Hill is a dead ringer for Cher. She, as Prince might say, has “got the look.” But you can’t build a two hour show watching Hill look and act like Cher.
So Greenfield decided to create a production like the Sonny and Cher television show –filled with music, comedy and dance. Sonny, played in a looney, understated way by Andy Malinosky, was the butt of jokes and a prop for Cher. Like Sonny Bono, Malinosky understood that his job was to fire a few zingers at Cher, sing a couple of duets and do his best to stay in Mrs. Bono’s shadow and out of her way.
Watch video of their performance here:
Greenfield turned back the clock to the mid-1970s. She wanted to capture the nostalgia of that era and did so by playing videos of old television commercials and movie trailers.
The crowd laughed with glee watching old TV pitches for Crisco, Grecian Formula hair dye, Dial soap, Almond Joy candy and gas-guzzling cars. Then came movie pitches for such weepy disaster classics as “The Towering Inferno” and the “Poseidon Adventure.”
Prime time variety shows have virtually disappeared from network television. These days we get “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent.” Back in the good old ‘70s, such programs hosted by Ed Sullivan, Carol Burnett, Andy Williams, Flip Wilson, Donny and Marie and even The Muppets brought a variety of entertainers to the screen.
Sonny and Cher grew up from their hippie days in the ‘60s to host a popular hour-long variety show in the ‘70s. Greenfield emphasized the music, comedy and dance combination, with a long list of guest performers to fill in the gaps between Cher’s songs.
Sharon Archer and Frank Ardino offered impressive vocal styles. Archer was in dynamic form on Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Ardino had some fun with the Paul Anka oldie, “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” and came back later with another schmaltzy Anka number, “Times of Your Life.”
“They used that song in a Kodak commercial,” Ardino said. “Kodak is in Rochester. Anybody here from Rochester?”
The last shot at Anka came when Ardino sang, “She’s Having My Baby,” a convoluted, sexist look at pregnancy that might be confused with morning sickness. What was cool about it in the show, is that Greenfield put a pillow in Hill’s stomach. Hill came out as Cher playing a very pregnant woman at the end of the number to loud laughter from the audience.
Terry Bleu made like Carly Simon on “You’re So Vain” and Jay Sampson brought some high-level energy to the Jim Croce number, “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.” Sally Spieth was a little bit country with “Please Mr. Please” and Terri Green gave the show a rocking jolt with a take on Buddy Holly’s “It’s So Easy.”
Bruce Greenberger was hyper all night long playing the famed “Unknown Comic” with a bag over his head. Greenberger had the UC’s routine down pat and jumped around the stage manically waving his hands and laughing in an uncontrollable giggle. A highlight came when he introduced Mrs. Unknown Comic, who happened to be played by Mrs. Lynne Greenberger.
Tony Oteri, Bob Petrucelli and Ed Slivkin added to the humor with comedy skits.
Dance was also a major part of the program. The Evolution Dance members showed slick moves in and out of chairs on “Favorite Son.”
The Questar Dancers – who will appear in three sellout shows at Savannah’s “Christmas Spectacular” Dec. 3-5 – stopped the show with a delightful high-kicking and tap number to “The 12 Days of Christmas.”
Diane Vargas, appearing with fellow dancers Chip and Phip Fuller, was radiant, slinky and red-hot in a performance to the jazzy instrumental “Harlem Nocturne.”
But the real star of the long night was Georgianne Hill.
Hill teamed with Malinosky on such memorable Sonny and Cher numbers as “The Beat Goes On,” “All I Ever Need Is You” and, of course, “I Got You Babe.”
“Laverne.”
She played Cher’s favorite comedy character – Laverne – with whimsical aplomb. Hill wore a curly red wig, thick glasses, and leopard-skin pantsuit.
She talked in the same squealy voice as Laverne.
Hill also tackled one of Cher’s most challenging songs, “The Way of Love” and hit the high notes. She romped through “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves” and “Bang Bang.”
Watching Hill, made you feel like 1977 all over again.