Cher was in rare form as she announced an upcoming summer tour of North America Monday morning (April 12).

The 52-year-old singer/actress, in her fourth decade as a popular music artist and riding the success of her most recent #1 single, played the role of glamorous hostess at the press conference inside New York's Beacon Theater.

The theater plays host Tuesday to this year's "VH-1 Divas Live '99," which will include Cher, teenagers Brandy and LeAnn Rimes, soul singer Tina Turner, rocker Elton John and others.

Sarah Michelle Gellar of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" fame cooed like her campy TV character, as she introduced one of her idols to the crowd of reporters and photographers.

"I am the biggest Cher fan," Gellar said.

Dressed in a flashy black pantsuit and black shrug, with rhinestones apparently strewn through her ebony hair, Cher emerged statuesque in front of an ensemble of 14 platinum discs -- eight for the international sales of her single "Believe" (RealAudio excerpt) and six for the album of the same name -- as cameras flashed around her.

Then, as she took her seat, Cher became a politely abrupt four-star general of publicity. "So you guys all know why you're here," she said. "So now what happens?"

She fielded the questions that followed with a sharp, albeit brief, wit and a tinge of boredom.

The news, however, did come out -- Cher is embarking on a 32-date tour of the U.S. and Canada starting June 16 in Phoenix. Venues for the dates were not immediately available, although the singer said she would play Madison Square Garden in New York on July 13.

Cher, who first made it as half of the '60s and '70s music and comedy act Sonny and Cher -- but who later won acclaim as a solo artist and movie actress -- said she was excited to hit the road again, especially in the midst of her most recent resurgence.

"It's gonna be so cool," she said. "It's gonna be truly great. We've been working on it for days and days. I'm kind of staggered and I like big shows."

She acknowledged, though, that she is slightly nervous about stepping onto the Beacon's stage as a performer Tuesday. "My least favorite thing to do is to sing live on TV. It's really scary," she said. "I guess it's like trial by fire. With Tina there, it's more like trial by nitroglycerin."

That comment drew a laugh, as did others. Cher occasionally displayed a playful antagonism. Upon being asked what role she would fill during the "Divas" show, she crowed to her questioner, "You mean like sing and be fabulous? Then I'll sing and be fabulous."

While she would not reveal the full slate of opening acts for the tour, she did say that 1980s pop singer Cyndi Lauper would be among them. The proceeds of the tour will go to support the Children's Craniofacial Association, a national organization that supports children with severe facial deformities. The singer/actress played the mother of a teenager with such a deformity in the 1984 film "Mask."

The tour's staging, Cher said, would take the look of a 1970s revue, replete with beads and day-glo colors.

The tour marks the continuation of the Cher renaissance, which she hopes will move to another level with the release of her next single, "Strong Enough" (RealAudio excerpt). She said she prefers not to analyze the effect her career has had on pop music or to marvel at her long tenure in the music business.

"I kind of think you don't really add those things up until a later time, even though 35 years is a long time," she said. "I'd rather have it be added up when I'm finished."

Cher Tour Dates:

June 16: Phoenix, Ariz.

June 18: Houston, Texas

June 19: Dallas, Texas

June 25: Tampa, Fla.

June 26: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

June 30: Atlanta, Ga.

July 2: Cleveland, Ohio

July 3: Pittsburgh, Pa.

July 5: Wantagh, N.Y.

July 6: Holmdel, N.J.

July 8: Wallingford, Conn.

July 10: Philadelphia, Pa.

July 11: Manassas, Va.

July 13: New York, N.Y., Madison Square Garden

July 16: Albany, N.Y.

July 17: Boston, Mass.

July 19: Toronto, Ontario

July 21: Montreal, Quebec

July 23: Detroit, Mich.

July 24: Moline, Ill.

July 27: Indianapolis, Ind.

July 28: Cincinnati, Ohio

July 30: Chicago, Ill.

July 31: St. Louis, Mo.

Aug. 2: Milwaukee, Wis.

Aug. 4: Minneapolis, Minn.

Aug. 5: Kansas City, Mo.

Aug. 7: Denver, Colo.

Aug. 10: Edmonton, Alberta

Aug. 11: Calgary, Alberta

Aug. 13: Vancouver, British Columbia

Aug. 14: Seattle, Wash.