The Sonny and Cher Show

Sonny and Cher open the show with a lively performance of “Gotta Get You Into My Life,” with Sonny in a black suit and Cher in a patterned floor-length dress. Their banter is sharp as Sonny recites a “Fair Cher” poem about her beauty, with Cher sarcastically anticipating a joke about her chest. Sonny likens himself to a car fueled by audience applause, leading Cher to quip that he’s the “Edsel of Show Business.” Jim Nabors joins them for a World War II skit, where Cher plays Mata Hari trying to intercept secret messages from Sonny and Nabors’ bumbling soldiers. In another comedy bit, Cher transforms into a Minnie Mouse-inspired film director while Sonny, Nabors, and Billy Van spoof the Marx Brothers. The long-awaited return of Sadie Thompson has the bar’s regulars reminiscing about her famous entrance—until she returns, feigning spiritual enlightenment before reverting to her old ways upon meeting a wealthy playboy. A Bicentennial Minutes spoof sees King George III (Ted Zeigler) ranting about the American press while Cher, as Queen Charlotte, files her nails. The concert segment features a duet of “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me,” with Sonny making it slightly creepy, while Cher stuns in a Grecian green gown. The “French Foreign Legion” sketch returns, with Nabors doing his signature Gomer Pyle bit and Sonny delivering his classic deadpan stare. Cher’s solo, “Bang, Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down),” is a hauntingly beautiful performance with a dramatic orchestration and her hair styled in an ethnic updo. The “Operetta” segment parodies The Waltons as The Walnuts, with Cher’s Ma Walnut serving a single Thanksgiving hot dog while Nabors spoofs John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy.” Sonny plays outlaw Pretty Boy Bono Bob, who gets arrested after a botched getaway, leading into a group number spoofing “Tie a Yellow Ribbon.” The show closes with Sonny and Cher singing “I Got You Babe,” where Sonny remarks they’re “not so young anymore,” prompting Cher’s playful rebuttal: “Some of us!”