It takes a real man to fill Cher's shoes

BY JEFF KATZ
PHOTO BY DENNIS COVEY

His uniform is unlike yours. When Chad Michaels suits up for work, there's no loafers, business casual pants, or hopping out of the shower and out the door. There are, however, plenty of stockings, wigs, heels, lipstick, sequins and even an occasional Indian headdress.

That's because what started as an appreciation for performance art and a self-professed infatuation with the San Diego Dreamgirls drag revue has lead Michaels to become one of the most respected Cher impersonators in the country, and now directs that same show where he got his first shot more than a decade ago.

“It was a total fluke,” Michaels says of his first time taking the stage. “It wasn't even about Cher in the beginning. The first person I ever did was Taylor Dayne, which kind of dates me. My friend Hunter put me in Cher drag one night and did my face so I wasn't looking in the mirror, put the wig on me and told me to turn around and I was shocked. It wasn't something I had thought of, being a celebrity look-a-like.”

And one look at Michaels in any one of his numerous Cher get-ups and the similarities are uncanny. Perfecting the act (and the walk is beyond perfection) has been more a process of time on stage and not an obsessive study of all things Cher. Michaels says he has certainly watched his share of videos and seen Cher in concert, but with the exception of keeping years' worth of photos as a sort of look book, he's no fanatical collector.

Instead, he says, emphasis is placed on fully recreating the legend on stage each and every night—a physical recreation that takes about an hour and a half to perfect.

“I never want to do her as a joke or a cliché. I want the audience to really be into it, not saying, 'Oh look, there's the hair flip and the tongue.'”

Realism obviously paid off when, in 2003, Michaels was asked to open for his muse at a benefit. He jokes he wish he could remember more of the moment when “Cher” met Cher, as it all happened so fast and he was overwhelmed with excitement. But Michaels adds that the real Cher couldn't have been more complimentary, kind and amazing.

“She's so popular, I don't know anybody who doesn't like Cher,” he says. “There's also the fact that she's so extravagant—the costuming, the wigs. So it keeps it interesting for me and the audience, I hope. Even though she's a standard, she's always fresh. There is always something else to do.”

And now as the director of the Dreamgirls Revue, Michaels has made what was once just a fun night job into his full-time profession; booking shows, dealing with club owners and ensuring the rotating cast of the show keep up the rich tradition of the Revue. For those who haven't seen Michaels, or any of the Dreamgirls, at their craft, take note: This isn't some dog and pony, boys in bad wigs, crude queens begging for dollars show. The cast pride themselves on delivering the highest quality performances, with stunning costumes, choreography, comedy routines and the constant addition of new numbers. In many respects, the performances raise the stakes of drag to the height of star-quality impersonations and illusions.

And while Cher has certainly been Michaels' ace in his career, and a performer's goldmine of inspiration with her ever-changing style, he's not limited to just Bob Mackey costumes, as Celine Dion and Marilyn Manson, oddly enough, have also proved to be fun personas for him to take on, not to mention crowd-pleasers.

“It's really easy to be a joke, to be a man in a dress. It's not as easy to get the respect of the audience,” Michaels says. “But the people are genuinely elated and happy to see us and the show, and that's the best part. Now the actual grind of having to put on makeup everyday, that's the downfall. It can be hazardous at times!”

Catch the Dreamgirls Revue every Tuesday night at Rage in West Hollywood, Wednesdays at Urban Mo's in San Diego, Thursdays at Club Ripples in Long Beach and the first and second Saturdays at VIP in Riverside. Michaels will also put on a special performance inspired by Cher's new Las Vegas show on Jan. 24 at Club Ripples. For more info, check out myspace.com/chadmichaelsrevealed.