Judy Greer was considered for the role of Ali. In it, 64-year-old Cher plays Tess, the golden-hearted proprietor of a down-on-its-luck club a character to whom Cher said she can relate. The movie tested through the roof. The film stars Christina Aguilera as a Burlesque ingenue Ali, who gets a chance to be the star of a Sunset Strip Burlesque club owned by a woman named Tess, played by Cher. I remember him saying to me, I don't care about what you say, I just want to shoot the dance numbers." [41] The Burlesque stage musical was supposed to open at the Paper Mill Playhouse, New Jersey, in Autumn 2020, followed by a Broadway theatre adaptation, but the plans were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There Ali attends multiple auditions with little success. Effeuilleuse legends in the height of their fame, up and coming burly-Q beauties and the new bad girls of burlesque. Cam Gigandet and Peter Gallagher both previously starred on the television series The O.C. This is the second movie with Stanley Tucci where he provides the lead character with new clothing and a makeover which leads to a montage backed by Madonna music. The meeting went well. The idea for "Express," when the girls are crawling through the vanities, we came up with that there, and the idea for the "Burlesque" letters lighting up at the end, we came up with that and using the 360 degrees of the space because it was so gigantic there. Kyla Pratt was considered for the role of Ali. Four, the main heroine gets run out of her residence, and moves into an apartment with a nice-guy friend who soon becomes a lover. Second, similar choreography. Jack denies this, and while trying to fix things, he asks Ali to leave. Ali leaves Marcus, after discovering his plans to sell the burlesque for money. Dianna Agron shot her scene in just one afternoon. Cher has stated that she felt this could've been a much better film, pinning the blame on its writer/director, Steve Antin: "Terrible director! "It was always sad that it was not a good film." We even did a rewrite to make the character more active. ANTIN: [I] wanted to cut that number. vevo arrestato volte biglietti contatto un conoscenza ad esempio ospita autorita aspetto di burlesque. MICHAEL KAPLAN (costume designer): I wanted a modern take on burlesque with a retro feel and a nod to its history and origins. She later tells Tess about his plan, and they inform the owner (James Brolin) of new million-dollar condos being sold across the street. Movies. EW's oral history with the cast and crew celebrates the musical's 10-year anniversary with candid secrets from the set. Part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Powered by WordPress VIP. The film stars Christina Aguilera as a Burlesque ingenue Ali, who gets a chance to be the star of a Sunset Strip Burlesque club owned by a woman named Tess, played by Cher. Really terrible director. The first time I saw it in the movie was the night of the premiere, and it got a standing ovation. [44][45], Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 19:10, Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards 2010, Best Sound Editing: Music in a Musical Feature, Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film, "Behind the scenes of Christina Aguilera's Burlesque movie", "Julianne Hough Grooves On With New Projects", "Peter Gallagher/ Hershey Felder ideal duo for Drury Lane Water Tower stage", "Cher, Christina Aguilera sing justice for Burlesque, 10 years later", "Screen Gems enlists Antin for 'Burlesque', "Movie projector: 'Harry Potter' to rule again as four new movies open, three competing for women", "Burlesque Filming Locations (With Cher and Christina Aguilera)", "Christina Aguilera "Soundtrack and Poster Bundle" @ Burlesque Global Store", "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - November 05, 2015", "Rihanna, Christina Aguilera X Factor Performances Branded 'Porn', "Burlesque Movie Review & Film Summary (2010)", "Weekend Report: 'Harry Potter,' 'Tangled' Tower Over Thanksgiving Weekend", "Weekend Report: 'Tangled' Takes Reins from 'Potter', "Exclusive: RuPaul's Drag Race star Farrah Moan talks wanting change to the All Stars format and touring with Chad Michaels", "Does Burlesque hold the key to RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 3 twist? The Spy Kids star portrayed club doorman Alexis, who briefly takes the stage for a risqu dance number. Later, a sobered Nikki admits that she lied about sleeping with Vince out of anger, and Tess rehires her. Struggling to find a gig, she discovers a dazzling underground club, where the marquee attraction is beyond the muscly hunk Jack (Cam Gigandet) tending bar a troupe of confident, ravishing dancers (Kristen Bell, Julianne Hough) in complete control of their bodies (and the eyes that gaze upon them) while they writhe, lip-sync, and twirl, tempting Ali into their wonderland of dance. I wanted to sing, Ive never been able to sing in a movie. Yes, the gays love it, but there's no one in town that's surprised that the gays are going to love something that Christina Aguilera and Cher do together! It was a joke between us, because after I met Cher at her house for three hours with Donald [De Line, the executive producer] and Steve, we called Christina as we left. When Ali isn't wowing crowds with her vocals, she's growing close to the . Genre: Musical. Ali replaces Nikki one night to host a performance after the latter is too intoxicated to perform. Still, signs pointed to a solid opening for the film against family-oriented fare at the Thanksgiving box office. I got some cameras and shot the show over a few nights and edited together a little movie. Kristen Bell (Nikki) and David Walton (Mark the DJ) starred in Bad Moms (2016) as Kiki and Mike, respectively. The show exploded. We wanted her to come to my office to see all the renderings of the set and my references plastered all over the walls, storyboards, and the endless preparation. I can't even remember where. FAYE: When Cher started working on that, she wanted to work at her house with her person, meaning one of her dancers coming to our rehearsals and bringing the work back to her. My sister was getting all these celebs to appear as guest performers. Christina Aguilera's first choice for the role of Nikki was Emma Stone. So, I was a bit disappointed by the opening weekend numbers. Ali (CHRISTINA AGUILERA) has had enough of Iowa and moves to Los Angeles where she hopes to find a job singing. 1. Sign up for Us Weekly's free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more! The Twilight star's character, Jack, is a bartender at the club who captures Ali's heart despite being engaged to another woman (Dianna Agron). Moon Bloodgood was considered for the role of Tess. "They had to rewrite the character because I was just like, 'This girl doesnt have a lot of drive,'" she said at the time. With a budget of $55 million, Burlesque is one of Screen Gems' most expensive films outside of the Resident Evil franchise. "[36] The New York Times said that the story line "had already gathered dust by the time [of] the 1933 musical 42nd Street". [10] While on the film set, she went on to praise co-star Christina Aguilera's acting abilities, revealing to Entertainment Tonight: "She was keeping up, and she was hot. The Believe singer told Collider in November 2010 that she felt an immediate connection to Aguilera, whom she tried to mentor during filming. It did, however, win a Golden Globe, so perhaps I was wrong! It morphs what's best about TV, Broadway, film, and digital entertainment. Unless you're Christopher Nolan. That song is hers. "[10] Canadian actor Shawn Roberts, who was previously cast in another Screen Gems production Resident Evil: Afterlife, was briefly considered for the role of Jack Miller. I wasn't there for that meeting, and I believe Clint helped in getting her to say yes. -M-NUva. Despite Nikki's (Kristen Bell) attempt to thwart Ali's (Christina Aguilera) performance, Ali's live vocals save the show.#hdclips #moviescenes #musical #burlesque #Cher #EricDane #ChristinaAguileraWatch the full movie! AGUILERA: Every dancer moved their body in a different unique way, and it's a beautiful thing to appreciate and fall in love with dance on the personal level that this movie provided for me. While spending time with Marcus, Ali finds out about "air rights", which refers to the empty space above a building and what can be done with it. According to Tricky Stewart, who co-penned and produced LP cuts "Glam," "Desnudate," and "Prima Donna" across intimate sessions at the superstar's home, their organic chemistry led to Aguilera inviting him and fellow Bionic songsmiths Sia, Claude Kelly, Ester Dean, Samuel Dixon, and Linda Perry to join her in creating the film's soundtrack. I was offered Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep but I was on the road so I couldn't do it. It was all very spontaneous. There was me saying "Hey, you've got to move on," and him saying, "I don't have it, I'm not going to move on." She finally read it and agreed to a meeting with Clint and [then-Sony Motion Picture Chairperson] Amy Pascal. CULPEPPER: She had these little '70s glasses on, and she looked up, stopped, and said, "What are you two doing here?" She asked really smart questions. She was open to my direction, which was great. Surprisingly, this is Cher's first musical film. ANTIN: For the role of Ali, we wanted an actress with a very big voice. Critical reception was similarly muted, which many of those involved with the film feel was yet another byproduct of the exploitative pre-release coverage. We had a detailed outline, but it was really broad, and more of a comedy, like the old Beatles movies. The photo of seven-year-old Ali with her mother is actually a photo of a much younger Christina Aguilera with her real-life mother, Shelly Kearns. Aguilera told Collider in November 2010 that she wanted Ali's character to be rewritten before she agreed to sign on to the project. Christina realized this was new to her and she took it all very seriously, and was committed to working hard on getting it right. It wasnt a good film, the Moonstruck star told the Los Angeles Times. But they never got to fully share that excitement at the time of release. When Jack first plays his piano in his apartment, he is playing an instrumental of 'Bound to You' - a song which Ali later sings in the show. After a performance is sabotaged by her rival, Nikki (Bell), Ali sings the song herself, impressing Tess and leading to her becoming the main attraction of the lounge. Aguilera and Cher developed a close bond behind-the-scenes of the film that emulated their characters budding mother-daughter relationship in the movie. The Dirrty singer added that she channeled her lack of acting experience into the character. The film follows Ali played by Aguilera a small-town girl who finds her big break performing at a Burlesque Lounge. "[27][28] Mick LaSalle from San Francisco Chronicle gave the movie a full score and praised Aguilera's acting, calling her "jaw-droppingly good in several numbers" and said, "Aguilera knows how to listen to her fellow actors, to react and be spontaneous, and it makes all the difference". It's a collaborativeart form, and the studio is writing the check, so they have opinions about mostly everything, which is understandable. RELATED:Hamilton: 10 Differences Between The Real-life Events And The Broadway Show. The restaurant she worked for. It involves doing a back-kick where her heel touches the back of her head. Little by little, the young woman discovered the life of this small world. Figure Skating Championships. She was completely in it, she wasn't trying to change it at all, she wasn't trying to make it comfortable for herself. But there were many more meetings and conversations before she actually said yes. The revised ending had Jack and Ali reuniting backstage at Tess' club after a fight as Jack presents Ali with the finished version of a song hed been working on. She killed herself [making it], what she put into this movie, energy-wise, rehearsal time, time away from her family, her son, she gave everything. It stars Cher, Christina Aguilera, Kristen Bell, Cam Gigandet, Stanley Tucci, Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming, and Peter Gallagher, and features cameos from Dianna Agron, and James Brolin. It's unbelievable. And it was. Scroll down to see stars you may have forgot appeared in Burlesque. Amazed by the flamboyant costumes and the breathtaking choreography, Ali swears to herself that one day she too will be on the stage. At the head of it all is Cher's Tess, the club's tough-as-nails owner struggling to keep the venue afloat after the 2008 financial crisis, who gambles it all on Ali's voice as she attempts to turn a promising newcomer into a star and a profit in the process. The website's critical consensus reads, "Campy and clichd, Burlesque wastes its talented cast (including a better-than-expected Christina Aguilera) on a movie that wavers uncertainly between 'bad' and 'so bad it's good. "Cher always put her imprint on everything she was wearing. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. They hit it off great. Aguilera and Cher both contributed to the album. WILHELM SCREAM: Occurs in the last seconds of the final number, "Show Me How You Burlesque". Marla (as Wendy Benson) Tisha French . It had boys, then the boys were gone, then it had boys and girls, but it ended up being pretty simple and beautiful. Thanks! It was a very time-consuming number, but well worth it! CHER (Tess): I loved performing "Welcome to Burlesque" so much that I decided to recreate a version of it for my live show. Aguilera performed "Bound to You" on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and gave an interview and performance on Conan. After Ali's debut as the lead, she asks Jack what he thinks about her outfit. She also makes up with Nikki and rehires her at the club. The "Believe" singer told Collider in November 2010 that she felt an immediate connection to Aguilera, whom she tried to mentor during filming. so she texted Cher right then, and Cher goes, "Is this an old f---in' song of hers?" In defense of Ali, Tess questions Nikki's gratitude for the help she has received during her binges. But, Christina worked so hard. She and Steven sat and played ideas for music, [later] she went into his office and saw all the books he'd collected on production design and photography all stuff that appealed to her. 2023 Oscars predictions: See who will win at the 95th Academy Awards. She doesnt have enough meat. ", "Watch the Sexy, Burlesque-Inspired Skate That Propelled These Ice Dancers to a National Title", "Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE isuresults.com", "Dorian Awards 2010: Winners: I AM LOVE, GLEE, EASY A", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Burlesque_(2010_American_film)&oldid=1140159067, Favorite Film Leading Actress Comedy or Musical, "Welcome to Burlesque" Tess and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe, "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" Ali, "Tough Lover" The Burlesque Lounge Troupe, "Jungle Berlin (Instrumental)" Alexis and The Contortionists, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 19:10. ANTIN: I'd talked to a few different studios and networks about the project with my ex-producing partner, Joe Voci. When Georgia (Julianne Hough), one of the leading dancers, becomes pregnant, auditions are held in search of a replacement to fill her role. AGUILERA: I wanted to make sure Burlesque felt right before confirming, so it was important to meet Steven in person. In the same amount of time it takes to snap your fingers and command a "Wagon Wheel Watusi," a decade can shimmy by. The films script was written by Antin but it was revised by names like Diablo Cody and Susannah Grant uncredited. ANTIN: The movie has continued to have legs and make money, well over $100 million with a [Gold soundtrack] album. There's not a world where Christina is going to be out-danced or out-sung. Ali tells Tess, and together they inform the owner of the new million-dollar condos across the street; fearing the loss of business that would result from the obstruction of his prospective tenants' view, he purchases the air rights to the club's property. Once I hit a kick pattern, she loved it, and she started rapping. FAYE: She was dancing in styles she hadn't before, and you can see how gorgeously she did. When Georgia (Hough) becomespregnant, auditions are held to replace her. When she got to my office, she was impressed with everything she saw. Feedback is usually caused by microphones, and since the dancers were supposed to be lip-syncing at this point, the microphones on stage would not be live to create feedback anyway. I might've seen him at the party after, and I didn't thank him in the thank you speech [at the Globes]. It was so cute. -Welcome to the Hero/Protagonist wiki! "It wasn't a good film," the Moonstruck star told the Los Angeles Times. CHER: When Diane Warren brought me the song, I told her there was no way I could ever reach those notes, but somehow, I managed. An interview with Christina Aguilera, who is making her feature film debut in the big screen musical BURLESQUE, starring opposite musical icon Cher. She wanted it to reflect more of today's woman. . First, Alan Cumming (plays the money taker at Burlesque) famously starred as the Emcee in the 1991 stage version of Cabaret. Looking back now, I'm thankful he kept it in. Overall, it has grossed over $30,053,366 on video sales (DVD and Blu-ray sales) in United States alone. Enough said. But, the meat of the narrative was there, and the pair were ready to dot their call sheet with glistening stars beginning with courting Aguilera to play their budding ingenue. When she came to set, we needed to have a melting time to coalesce the whole thing into what it ultimately became. She unknowingly walks into a burlesque club run by Tess (Cher), which is facing financial hardship despite its talented group of dancers. In my experience of meeting and working with some of the greatest legends, the best ones usually are that way. She was at the Chateau with some friends and she said, "Come here immediately. I called Steven [and told him] it was a sign he should make this movie. Coming Wednesday Grammy-winning divas Cher and Christina Aguilera star in this musical drama, which quickly became a camp classic. I am more attracted to slow artsy fartsy movies that try make grand points about society or existence. This, however, infuriates Nikki (Kristen Bell), a lead performer struggling with alcoholism. Burlesque is an exotic dance style that draws on theatrical and often comedic performance elements. She laughed and turned to her assistant and said, "We have a few minutes. So, I did. Five, Ali's "I am a Good Girl" outfit and hairstyle is similar in looks to Jane Horrocks version of Sally Bowles in the same 1991 production as Cumming. She will make friends and enemies, and by dint of perseverance, will manage to get closer to her dream. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. She came on the set with us, and thats a little bit nerve-wracking when youve done nothing in film. The costumes for the film's finale were made from a variety of chains I bought at hardware stores. The DVD audience didn't know the background, the budget, the controversy, they didn't know any of that. The soundtrack includes a mix of original and cover songs. However, not all movies are to meant to challenge social structures or deliver underlying meanings and here there certainly is none of that. and I liked it! Ali Rose: If I'm not 20 times better than "b*obs for brains" over there, you don't have to pay me. DIANE WARREN (songwriter): At first, I wrote something else, I sent that in, and they didn't want that, and I don't even remember what that song was. You know whats funny? "[35] Variety observed that the film "wants to be Cabaret, but lacks the edge and historical context to pull it off. I was like, "No, tell her it's a new f---in' song!" CULPEPPER: We [later] went out to dinner with Christina and her [then-husband Jordan Bratman], we went to her house and listened to a bunch of music and got to know each other. We begged for five minutes of her time. They thought I might have something, and I smiled and told them I might. The reason Cher accepted a supporting role in a film was that she believed this may be her last opportunity to be in a starring role where she gets to sing. I'm old but I'm still pretty on top of everything." She was coming out with words, going back and forth. Jane Fonda was considered for the role of Tess. Christina was the choice. Director Steve Antin Writer Steve Antin Stars Cher Christina Aguilera Alan Cumming See production, box office & company info Watch on Netflix with subscription More watch options Add to Watchlist Added by 83.3K users These were extremely challenging to produce, with a very effective result, if I do say so myself! I'd told Cher that Christina loved her so much: "You don't understand, this chick would drink your bathwater!" At first, I was interested in Queen Latifah or Michelle Pfeiffer. The truth was that I didnt have any idea where to stand, not that I know where to stand now. before the roles went to follow Planet Terror star Naveen Andrews. As time went by, she felt a lot more comfortable.. Their cast mate on this film, Julianne Hough, is one of the professional dancers on the Emmy-winning show. She then uses the money to buy out Vince's share, pay off the bank, and redecorate the club in her own vision. I tried to put her at ease. Both the ballads from the soundtrack "Bound to You" performed by Aguilera and "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" performed by Cher were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Aguilera told Collider in November 2010 that she wanted Alis character to be rewritten before she agreed to sign on to the project. [9] Nolfi applauded Burlesque as "a campy, niche classic". You have shown that you can dance, and you know we are not really so much brother and sister as to make it improper," to which Mr. Knightley replies "Brother and sister! First, Alan Cumming (plays the money taker at Burlesque) famously starred as the Emcee in the 1991 stage version of Cabaret. She was sweet and said she knew about the script, but hadn't read it yet. The DVD has sold over 1.4 million units in the United States. Let's humor them!". Antin filmed Aguileras performance too. Im like, That was a week of my life, she remarked once. The difference is, in every movie, the director isn't in a relationship with the studio. Both are really awesome, so, stay tuned! Whats happening in this Burlesque movie clip?Ali auditions to be one of the club's dancers and when she's done, she persuades Tess to take her much to the lead dancer Nikki's (Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars and Forgetting Sarah Marshall) annoyance.Click to Buy/Rent Burlesque on iTunes: https://apple.co/2BNHE2nWhats the Burlesque movie about? That was the genesis. When she did, we introduced ourselves. [26], Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune said, "The choicest dialogue in Burlesque provokes the sort of laughter that other, intentionally funny films only dream of generating. Jessica Biel and Lindsay Lohan were considered for the role of Nikki. But Clint came up with and loved the idea of Cher. Others, I lost. But leaving her star persona behind to disappear into a character was new to her, and she committed to a grueling rehearsal schedule atop heavy contributions to the soundtrack. In fact, Cody even opened up about how people ask her about projects she was only briefly involved with. I hated it. This was then followed by the track "But I Am a Good Girl" which was released in November 2010. Writer and burlesque entertainer Gypsy Rose Lee, working at her desk, 1941. At Georgia's wedding, Jack appears to call off his engagement, getting drunk. A few weeks later, Clint and I went to her house in Malibu for another meeting. Sean encourages Jack to end the engagement, as Ali is a better person than his shallow fiance. I gave her the song thinking nothing was going to happen. Sony Pictures Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA. To keep it strictly professional was impossible. Christina was on the other side of the lot rehearsing. Having earned Nikki's respect, Ali performs "Show Me How You Burlesque", a song written by Jack, with all of the dancers on stage, delighting the crowd. Antin never returned to direct a motion picture although he did find success with his commercials. CULPEPPER: Christina said, "Trust me, you're not going to have a problem. Cher and [her character] Tess are not that unalike both are show business troupers, Kaplan said. Clint heard she was there. I said, "We're ambushing you. They were beyond genius. The soundtrack includes a mix of original and cover songs. FAYE: We're working on this hybrid spectacular, live musical version of Burlesque that's going to stream and have extraordinary add-on features because of technology. The role of Tess could've gone several ways. AGUILERA: In preparation of shooting, I worked with an acting coach. AGUILERA: In songwriting, I had to tackle both the tender moments of Ali falling in love with Jack, while also tackling the opposite energy of the up-tempo [songs] where I needed to embody and exude the powerful, sensual, and celebratory sides that encompass a woman. Generally, the studio wins. I'd never been taught or exposed to such a wide range of "technical" dance and so many different styles and levels all at once while rehearsing and filming this movie. DENISE FAYE (choreographer): I remember when Christina wrote the song to the number "Express," and the finale song "Show Me How You Burlesque," she brought me to her house with Clint and Steven, and [she started playing songs, like] "Maybe this song for this number" and "Maybe this song for the finale." She did it on the day we shot it over and over. That's what I was aiming for. Christina Aguilera made her big-screen debut alongside Cher in the 2010 musical Burlesque, and the film's cast was rounded out with a few forgotten stars. What, I don't have a brain? Michael Kaplan who designed costumes for the film revealed in an interview that he wanted to assign a color to Chers character Tess and actually believed Tess and Cher to be alike in various ways, especially with respect to their professionalism. Hoda Kotb Makes Pre-Taped Appearance on 'Today' Amid Continued Absence, Formula 1 Driver Max Verstappen and GF Kelly Piquet's Relationship Timeline, PDA in the Rink! Upon seeing the waitress shortage, Ali picks up a tray and begins serving. Of course, that makes me happy that 10 years later people are still embracing it and new people are still discovering it. She really had my back on that song. Ali wants to audition but finds herself working at the club as a waitress. Despite the club's growing success, Tess is still unable to pay the bank. There were a few scenes we shared where I learned from her that being a supportive costar really helps to create something special, and motivating each other is what makes for a great outcome.