True story: one day on the set, a veteran movie director was chatting with a young, heretofore unknown actor who'd been cast in a major role in a major motion picture.
They got to talking about the indignities of show business — the paparazzi, the intrusive fans, the mean critics, the kind of stuff the young actor was sure to suffer in the wake of his big break, the kind of stuff that overpaid movie stars like to grouse about. ''But what's the point of complaining?'' said the director. ''The studio gates aren't there to keep you in.''
I recently remembered this exchange while watching performances by Margaret Cho, the one-of-a-kind Korean-American comedian, and Cher, the one-of-a-kind whatever. Different as these women are, both have been shown the showbiz exit signs time and again — Cho failed at her own TV series, and, until her hit single ''Believe'' made her hip again, Cher was seen as an irrelevant industry joke. And you don't hear either of them complaining. In fact, in their respective venues, each has gotten her act together — once again and against all odds — and is taking it on the road. It's inspiring, really, since both women are succeeding brilliantly. Now charging through her Do You Believe? tour, Cher struts onto the stage wearing what she calls her ''Braveheart meets Bozo the Clown'' outfit. It's a terrible outfit and she seems to know it, but to Cher garish is destiny, and moments into the concert you're standing and clapping and celebrating with her, seduced by her rocking opening cover of U2's ''I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.''
She sounds great, our Cher, as she moves through a most gratifying array of hits (''The Way of Love''; a medley featuring a great deal of ''Dark Lady''), a thrilling turn on ''It's in His Kiss,'' and current stuff from her new album. She seems to be doing at least most of her singing without prerecorded enhancement, but frankly, I was too busy watching the Solid Gold-ish dancers, the bungee jumpers, and the wigs — the many wigs, which include a silver number that makes her look like some fabulous lit-up sparkler — to give a damn whether her lips were moving. Cher doesn't like to do more than a couple of songs in the same outfit, so you wait while she puts on a Captain Hook getup, then a slinky '70s-variety-show-style dress, then some flashy cargo pants. In between changes you see video clips of Cher clowning with the late Sonny Bono and Cher slapping Nicolas Cage in Moonstruck.
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