Though the singer begins her last tour Friday, she plans to stay busy by pursuing acting roles.

Though the singer begins her last tour Friday, she plans to stay busy by pursuing acting roles.
By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BACK IN THE MID-'60S, A YOUNG Cherilyn Sarkisian La Pierre sang backup vocals for Wall of Sound producer Phil Spector to make money to pursue her first love, acting.
Nearly four decades later, Cher is still releasing and promoting albums. Her latest, "Living Proof," continued the dance-floor-friendly ways of her previous release, 1998's "Believe." It debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard sales chart.
In an online interview, the 55-year-old explained that she enjoys performing live, but, like other artists, she's grown tired of life on the road.
After completing her upcoming concert dates, which begin Friday in Toronto and, as of now, end in mid-September in Minneapolis, the Oscar-winning actress plans to quit touring to pursue acting roles.
First on her list is a musical titled "The Enchanted Cottage." She cites the success of "Moulin Rouge" as an example that audiences will embrace the art form as long as it is done in an inventive, exciting manner.
Putting on a show
That same attitude has been extended to her stage show. Not surprisingly, we shouldn't expect Cher to go quietly off a concert stage and into the night. Her latest production is meant to outdo her past stage shows. "It's like the Cirque du Soleil meets rock 'n' roll," she said in a VH1 online interview.
The show will have several themes -- Mongolian, Tibet, Bali, Maori -- that will coincide with numerous costume designs created by Bob Mackie.
"If you like any of the other shows, you'll be overwhelmed by this show. I did every single thing I ever wanted to do. I went completely nuts. On the last tour, kids came down on bungee ropes, and there was silver glitter everywhere -- stuff like that was always happening. But now we've got stuff that makes that look like kindergarten. We went insane with the production and costumes and everything!"
That's to be expected from someone whose attention-grabbing behavior included a giant tattoo on her right buttock that became a public display of showbiz savvy and chutzpah when she wore outfits that allowed the world to see what only her tattoo artist once eyed intently. She also wore Mackie-designed outfits on her television show and at the Oscar ceremonies that would rival Jennifer Lopez in the least-dressed department.
Sonny and Cher
Like everything throughout her life, Cher did what she did to amuse herself and rattle others. Her headstrong ways could be traced to the teen-age Cherilyn hooking up with the much older Sonny Bono. Obviously, Celine Dion didn't invent the idea of young singers falling in love with their elders in the music industry.
Sonny and Cher went on to produce a number of hit singles such as "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On," a hit television variety series and one child. Their marriage, recording and TV career didn't last, but the two remain forever linked even after Bono's death in a skiing accident.
Staying away from Sonny on a personal and professional level proved fruitful for her as well. She scored chart-topping hits during the '70s with "Half Breed," "Gypsies, Tramps & amp; Thieves" and "Bang Bang (Baby Shot Me Down)."
During the Me Decade of the '80s, Cher turned to what she really wanted to do and developed the type of critically acclaimed acting career that would make Madonna envious.
A stint on Broadway in "Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean" led to film roles in "Silkwood" (Oscar nomination), "Mask" and "Moonstruck" (Oscar award for Best Actress).
Just when you got used to viewing Cher as an actress, she would throw another curve by releasing another album. Whether the material was rock 'n' roll or ballad, the one constant would be Cher's full-bodied alto squeezing every drop of emotion out of each line.
Disco diva
By 1998, she made a formidable pairing with producers of electronic dance music. What seems awkward on paper (Cher, a disco diva?) makes much more sense when heard. The same mix of vibrant background and Cher's booming, emotive voice can be heard on "Living Proof," which contains "Song for the Lonely," her tribute to the heroes of Sept. 11.
According to the credits of her latest album, Cher has the same manager as Tina Turner: Roger Davies. The union makes perfect sense. Davies is not only a shrewd businessman, but he also knows how to bring the right people together so that his artist will become viable for a new audience without losing core fans.
With his assistance and her refusal to fail, even Cher's detractors have to admit that her ability to reinvent herself again and again revitalizes a stagnant career and has brought Cher to new heights of success.
As she put it, "I know people that are much more talented and much better dancing or singing or acting. But I think that I can do a little bit of all three. That's kind of made me go in and out. I'd focus on one thing and come back and do something else and then try to combine all three."