By John Hayden
The cheekbones. The gowns. The effortless elegance. Is it Cher, or is it…?
Impersonators around the world pay tribute to the diva, but there’s one here in South Florida who truly stands out, even to Cher herself. Michael Goodman is well known as a top PR agent whose firm represents dozens of businesses and nonprofits. That’s business.
Cher is his passion.
“A lot of people know me from the daytime, my professional world,” he told OutClique. “Then they learn that I’m Cher and they always ask how do you fit it all in? It boggles their mind that I can go from a suit and a tie in daytime to Cher at night.”
He’s idolized Cher all his life. As a kid, he’d go to bed early and his parents would wake him up so he could watch The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. Family parties were opportunities to show off his budding Cher skills.
“Since I was a little kid, I’ve been in love with Cher. When I was young, my mother would always have a big Christmas celebration. I would gather all the kids in the back of the house and create a show, and I was always Cher.”
These days, he’s turned it into his own personal art form, appearing at local venues including Lips and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood plus out-of-state gigs. Unlike the other fabulous queens, he only does Cher.
“I have a niche. I only do Cher. Many of these talented performers do several in a night. I focus on Cher.”
The other performers are incredibly supportive.
“The ladies at Lips sparked it. Before I was an investor, I was there a lot. I was always amazed because to me, it’s truly an art form to transform themselves.”
Looking In A Mirror
Goodman had the good fortune to meet Cher not once, but twice. The first time was early in his career when he was assisting an interview at a Los Angeles area hotel. He went to the hotel room door and there she was saying, “It’s just me.” The second time was years later at a Miami party and he shared photos of himself in full Cher regalia.
“The second time we met, she commented that we looked alike. I had to give a little credit to my face doctor.”
Being Cher is a passion and part-time job. When it’s show day, Goodman spends hours preparing.
“When I have a show, I will do as much as I can to take a day off. Go to the salon, get nails done. I like to say I’m better on stage than readying behind stage.”
That means he has a team that is usually able to help with makeup, hair, dressing, and everything else that goes into making people happy. He’s also learned that less is more.
“I used to get so frazzled.”
Anyone who’s been to a Cher show knows she basically just stands there, looks amazing and sounds even better. All the energy and movement comes from dancers, videos, and the band. Once someone pointed that out to Goodman, everything changed.
“Just slow it down and be sexy. When the curtain opens, the people see what you look like and love it. It’s greatly improved my performances.”
If you want to see Goodman perform, you’re going to have to wait or know someone. He’s booked for private parties for the holiday season, but Cher will be back in 2023. He can be followed on www.michaeldeanascher.com.
