Award-winning Cher tribute coming Saturday to Urbana’s Gloria Theatre

Lisa McClowry may have audiences believing they are watching Cher during her show "The Beat Goes On" during this season's Springfield Arts Council "Showtime" series.

Lisa McClowry may have audiences believing they are watching Cher during her show "The Beat Goes On" during this season's Springfield Arts Council "Showtime" series.

As far as the demand to hear the music and experience the style of Cher, “The Beat Goes On” as far as Lisa McClowry is concerned. That’s what local audiences can experience in her show coming to Urbana’s Gloria Theatre.

McClowry’s Cher portrayal earned her 2023 Tribute Artist of the Year from the Josie Music Awards at the Grand Ole Opry, so expect possibly the closest thing to seeing the Goddess of Pop when “The Beat Goes On” brings six decades of Cher’s career to the Gloria stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

The show is part of the Stars on Stage series and tickets are still for sale.

“We’ve had thousands of concert-goers super impressed by the quality of our shows and we’re truly honored to add ‘The Beat Goes On’ to the list,” said Staci Weller, Gloria Theatre CEO. “Lisa McClowry’s tribute to Cher nails it and gives the audience a fabulous evening, honoring the Goddess of Pop with her impeccable vocal prowess and engaging, witty character.”

McClowry, who performed the show in the area earlier this year, said in an interview with the Springfield News-Sun that she was doing another tribute show and found she had a talent to share her version of Cher.

But McClowry doesn’t want to be thought of as just an impersonator but as a singer, actress and producer, values Cher herself could identify with, such as female empowerment.

Cher became a multi-talented performer, first as a recording artist with then-husband Sonny Bono as the duo Sonny and Cher, then later as a solo artist. She would become a movie star as well, picking up an Academy Award for the movie “Moonstruck” in 1987, and earned several other honors as an actress and singer, also having number-one singles in six consecutive decades.

Part of McClowry’s work was to have Cher down pat from her singing and speaking voice to her walk, costumes, makeup and mannerisms. The show will include hits from all eras of her career.


MORE DETAILS

Tickets cost $32-47. To purchase tickets or for more information, go to gloriatheatre.org. The Stars on Stage series will next present the rhythm and blues group Uptown on Nov. 15 and finish the season with the holiday show “Who Brought the HUMBUG?” on Dec. 15.

Lisa McClowry may have audiences believing they are watching Cher during her show "The Beat Goes On" during this season's Springfield Arts Council "Showtime" series.

Credit: Contributed

icon to expand image

Credit: Contributed

About the Author