The Cher in Concert also known as The Take Me Home Tour was the first solo concert tour by Cher. The tour's debut was at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas with a huge production and cast put together by Joe Layton, who did the same for Bette Midler's "Clams On A Half Shell" and Diana Ross previously. Cher opened her extravagant production on June 29, 1979.
The show then became Cher's first world concert tour as a solo artist. The tour reached North America, Europe and Australia.
The concert was filmed in Monte Carlo on May 10, 1980 and broadcast on Showtime the following September and later taped in Las Vegas in 1981 at Caesars Palace for a broadcast in 1983.
Background
The show featured three backing singers, six dancers, two drag queens as Bette Midler and Diana Ross, a mechanical bull and twelve costume changes.
Cher described the show as "a bit Sonny & Cher-ish" a mixture of cabaret, disco and rock'n'roll.[1] With twelve changes of clothes, Cher wore no costume for more than eight minutes.
The concerts were based in part on her solo television shows The Cher Show, Cher... Special and Cher... and others Fantasies.
During Cher's costume changes, drag performers Kenny Sacha, as Bette Midler and J.C. Gaynor as Diana Ross performed "In the Mood" and "I'm Coming Out" respectively. Cher joined them to end the show with a performance of "Friends".
A Celebration at Caesars Palace was the first concert residency by Cher. Shows were performed at the Circus Maximus Showroom at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Shows in September and October 1980 were performed at the Stateline Showroom at Caesars Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada.
