On April 3, 1978 the Cher … Special aired on ABC-TV
As the show begins, there is a spotlight on the floor and the voice of Cher’s mother, is heard calling her young daughter: “Cher? Cher? Cher, is that you? I thought I asked you not to mess up my record albums.” Cher steps into the spotlight, made up to look like a younger version of herself with her hair in pigtails. The young Cher sits on the floor and tells her mother that she is upset because she is not blonde and she says that all the pretty girls have blonde hair and blue eyes. Her mother tells her daughter that she is beautiful and someday she will realize just how special she really is. Cher tells her mother that she will try to understand and explains that she got into the record albums so that she could learn the songs from West Side Story for school. When her mother asks Cher what part she is going to play, Cher replies, “all of them”.
Cher stands up, looks directly at the camera, and says, “Ladies and gentlemen, for tonight’s entertainment, I am proud to present West Side Story. I will be playing all the parts. Thank you.” For the next fifteen minutes, Cher sings and dances to a medley of songs from the musical, playing both male and female characters.
Ladies and Gentlegays we now present West Side Story starring the incomparable Cher.
