By A.D. Amorosi
FOR THE INQUIRER

What do Cher and Cyndi Lauper mean to audiences?

To predominantly over-40 fans who sold out Cher's Farewell Tour date at First Union Center on Saturday for the first of two shows (tickets for tonight were selling fast), these women are more than interpretive singers with flashy outfits.

Both are survivors.

Lauper, who opened, has triumphed over her daffy '80s image to become a diva fans adore. Cher's triumphs are history, tabloid and otherwise.

This survival made both singers dear to nostalgic housewives and "flamboyant gentlemen," as Cher said.

When Lauper wasn't wriggling through crowds singing hyper tunes such as "It's Hard to Be Me," her big voice tackled quieter hits such as "True Colors," dedicated to Philly's gay and lesbian fans.

From her grand entrance, lowered from a bejeweled chandelier wearing white furry goddess garb, through her dozen costume changes - mohawked warrior, disco-dolly, hippie chick - Cher was unflappable.

Ribaldly joking with her audience, she sang songs she didn't like ("Just Like Jesse James"), showed clips of late ex-husband Sonny Bono, and barreled through diverse hits old and new. With her able band along for the ride, Cher danced through grand schmaltz ("The Way of Love," "Dark Lady"), crunchy metal ("Bang Bang"), jangling Byrds-y pop ("All I Really Want to Do"), dramatic carnival sounds ("Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves"), spry house music ("Song for the Lonely"), and sleek disco ("Take Me Home").

That Cher's crystal-clear, full-throated croon was as agelessly gorgeous as her physical self made this farewell all the more poignant.