Tyler Pirrung brings Bob Mackie to life in ‘The Cher Show’

Across her seven decades in show business, Cher has worn many hats — and even more outlandish, eye-catching costumes. She’s been a singer, an actress, a television star, a humanitarian and a perennial favorite of the LGBTQ+ community. “The Cher Show,” a musical biography that uses her songs to tell her story, enjoyed a successful Broadway run in 2018, and a new production is currently touring the United States. It arrives in Wilmington, Del. Jan. 31-Feb. 1 for an engagement with The Grand at Playhouse on Rodney Square.

Before joining the tour, out actor Tyler Pirrung knew generally of Cher and her accomplishments. “I knew the songs like ‘Believe’ and ‘If I Could Turn Back Time,’ and I knew her from movies like ‘Mask’ and ‘Moonstruck,’” he told PGN. “I think where I primarily remembered her was from her cameo on ‘Will & Grace’ with Sean Hayes, where she meets the character Jack at a diner. I just thought she was so funny and fearless.”

Pirrung has gained even more appreciation for Cher as he’s stepped into the role of Bob Mackie for the tour. He’s also seen firsthand how the singer’s star power and appeal has not diminished over the course of her long career.

“I think Cher is an icon, especially to the gay community, because she’s so individual in her style,” Pirrung said. “She is just so authentically herself, and I think that’s something people really respond to.”

Pirrung also has the challenge of playing a real person: the fashion designer who helped shape Cher’s unique style, creating the legendary dress she wore when she won the Best Actress Oscar for “Moonstruck.” He stressed, though, that his first duty is to present Mackie as a person, rather than as a famous public figure.

“During rehearsal, our director showed us a photograph of Cher and Bob Mackie from the opening night of the Broadway production,” he said. “These are people who had known each other for decades at this point. They’re sitting together, and she has her hand on his knee, and they’re leaning into each other. They just look so comfortable together. Our director said to me, ‘I don’t want you to lose sight of the friendship between these two people.’ I think that’s the most important part.”

Although Pirrung has appeared in numerous regional productions around the country, “The Cher Show” is his first national tour. “The travel can be exhausting, but the experience is also exhilarating,” he said. “Even if we’re tired from being on the bus all day, when we get to these small towns, it’s amazing to feel the energy of the audiences. You’ll hear from people, especially young people, who will say that it’s their first experience of live theater. Being a part of that makes it very exciting.”

Now based in New York, Pirrung grew up in Florida, where he made his stage debut in the first grade in a student retelling of “The Three Little Pigs” called “The Three Piggy Opera.” His love of performing was ignited slightly later, though, when a middle school English teacher gave students the opportunity to memorize scenes from Shakespeare.

“I knew instantly that this was something I loved,” Pirrung said. “I wasn’t necessarily the kid who was singing and dancing and playing dress-up around the house from a young age. But I figured out pretty quickly that this was something I was going to do for the rest of my life.”

After studying theater at Florida State University, Pirrung found his way to multiple regional productions. He cited Buddy in “Elf” as a favorite role, along with the Emcee in “Cabaret,” which he described as “a dream role in a dream show.”

Pirrung will be on the road with “The Cher Show” through the beginning of May. After that, he was pragmatic about what part he wanted to play.

“The role I’m most excited to do in the future is always the next one,” he said.

“The Cher Show” will have three performances Jan. 31- Feb. 1 at The Playhouse on Rodney Square, 1007 N Market St, Wilmington, DE.