Enough said. I mean, hello. "[35] Variety observed that the film "wants to be Cabaret, but lacks the edge and historical context to pull it off. As a result, she manages to get a job as a waitress at the club. Credit: Thierry Carpico/News Pictures/Shutterstock. If you can help us with this wiki please sign up and help us! "[31] Stanley Tucci's performance received praise from Entertainment Weekly[32] and Empire thought the dance numbers were thrilling. Although Cher enjoyed her time working on the movie, she admitted in 2013 that she wasnt proud of the project. [9], In January 2021, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won the gold medal at the U.S. When she did, we introduced ourselves. Peter Gallagher (Vance) and Kristen were also in Bad Moms (A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)). The soundtrack album features ten tracks: eight performed by Aguilera, including "Express"; and two performed by Cher, which are her first original recordings in 7 years. It's a hybrid television event/series taking the movie to the next level. 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. Burlesque. One decade after the film's Nov. 24, 2010 release, those who took writer-director Steven Antin's vision from far-off fantasy to a dream come true all attest: The memories of the magic they experienced on set are still as vivid as they were all those years ago. She then uses the money to buy out Vince's share, pay off the bank, and redecorate the club in her own vision. Cher was on a soundstage doing a voiceover for Zookeeper. You're always against a clock, and that will always be every project's nemesis. Kelsea Ballerini, Chase Stokes Get Cozy at Rangers Game. Naughtiness without being crass! The Grey's Anatomy alum's character, Marcus, attempts to seduce Ali while also making plans to build a skyscraper on the club's property. 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. The films script was written by Antin but it was revised by names like Diablo Cody and Susannah Grant uncredited. The Glee alum made a cameo appearance as Jack's fiance, Natalie, who returns from New York to find her beau in bed with Ali. [20], The DVD and Blu-ray were released in North America on March 1, 2011. Ali's Hotel Manager: Michael Landes . This, however, infuriates Nikki (Kristen Bell), a lead performer struggling with alcoholism. Somewhere along the way, Antin jokes, the infamous "air rights" plot device found its way into the story ("It was a feeble attempt at infusing story. "They had to rewrite the character because I was just like, 'This girl doesnt have a lot of drive,'" she said at the time. 8. Once in L.A., she tries and fails at every audition she does until one night, she finds herself unknowingly in a burlesque club when she hears the music on the street. Erin Gray was considered for the role of Ali. TRICKY STEWART (songwriter/producer): Christina is a real diva, and being around her and watching her attention to detail, the vibe that she gives me always made me want to make music that I consider to be "fabulous." I wrote a story for her show that loosely weaved together their musical numbers. The film earned a nomination for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy at the 66th Golden Globe Awards, where Cher's performance of "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me", written by Diane Warren won the for Best Original Song. Ali also meets songwriter Jack Miller (Cam Gigandet) at the club's bar. And he needed them to feel it, too. I collected books, had played with burlesque style on my Back to Basics tour, and explored visual concepts and songs (including Nasty Naughty Boy, about a striptease), Aguilera shared. 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. So did Christina. Alice "Ali" Marilyn Rose (Christina Aguilera) is a young waitress from Iowa who dreams of becoming a professional dancer following her mother's death during childhood. [17][18] In the United States, the soundtrack was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies in October 2011.[19]. [jwplayer eTtrv57w-zhNYySv2]
When Ali isn't wowing crowds with her vocals, she's growing close to the . Sean: Alice, hm? CHER: I think everyone can relate to the message of that song. That night, Ali and Jack sleep together, but the following morning Jack'sfianc, Natalie (Agron), returns unexpectedly from her play inNew Yorkand tells Ali that the engagement is still on. How many songs are left out of the soundtrack? ANTIN: We tested the movie several times of course, and the final test was with an audience in Arizona. In the United States, the soundtrack was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies in October 2011. Their cast mate on this film, Julianne Hough, is one of the professional dancers on the Emmy-winning show. It's a very tough move that requires a lot of skill. "It was always sad that it was not a good film." 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. Culpepper, Aguilera, and Antin all agreed on Cher, but the issue lay with the stars availability. AGUILERA: Cher definitely felt like my mama bear during shooting. Her performance is an instant success to which Tess casts her in an upcoming show. My sister was getting all these celebs to appear as guest performers. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. 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! Later, a sobered Nikki admits that she lied about sleeping with Vince out of anger, and Tess rehires her. She was sweet and said she knew about the script, but hadn't read it yet. 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. RELATED:10 Movies/Television Shows You Didn't Know Had Been Adapted Into Musicals. Watch Burlesque: Christina Aguilera as Ali Rose, Watch Burlesque: He Bats For The Other Team, The photo of seven-year-old Ali with her mother is actually a photo of a much younger. Because she dreams of a career in show business, Ali (Christina Aguilera) leaves her small town for Los Angeles. ANTIN: Denise and Joey wanted Christina to do a difficult dance move in "But I'm a Good Girl" an extended back-attitude kick to the head. Burlesque is an exotic dance style that draws on theatrical and often comedic performance elements. It was obviously an audience that loved Cher and Christina, but I was worried. The first instrumental Ali dances to during her audition is the background music from "Nasty Naughty Boy," performed by Christina Aguilera. Both Diablo Cody and Susannah Grant did rewrites of Steve Antin's script. CLINT CULPEPPER (Screen Gems studio president): One day I was on the set of a movie [and] Christina's agent called, saying they'd had a big meeting with her and that she wanted to do a movie. and then came Cher. Steven and I are deep into this. 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. Just us." Gabriela Spanic was considered for the role of Tess. The American style of burlesque evolved and spread across the country, but with an increased emphasis the . I was offered Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep but I was on the road so I couldn't do it. I got some cameras and shot the show over a few nights and edited together a little movie. The reason Aguilera could seamlessly step into the role of the burlesque performer Ali was that she had already done her homework. "It had a few good moments, but I didn't even like my performance that much. CULPEPPER: Cher called me to say she was on the lot [on a different stage] rehearsing her Vegas act, and to drop by. I rolled up my sleeves and wrote something really great. "[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 also developed and sold several TV shows I wrote the pilots for, so I've kept busy. It was a lifetime of lessons compacted into a short period of time, in so many ways. [24], Burlesque received mixed reviews from critics. ANTIN: It's inspired by Burlesque: A re-imagination. She wanted it to reflect more of today's woman. NEXT:The 10 Greatest Movies About Music, Ranked (According To IMDb), JJ Rankin is a culture and entertainment writer. We camped outside of the stage and waited for her to exit. However, Jack is already engaged to Natalie (Dianna Agron), an actress working in New York City. It stayed in the top five until December 10, 2010, when it fell to sixth behind The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Tourist, Tangled, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and Unstoppable. CULPEPPER: Christina kept saying, "Please, Clint, get Cher! 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. Paula van Oppen, former member of the girl group G.R.L, plays one of the burlesque dancers, Anna. Ali wants to audition but finds herself working at the club as a waitress. 2. [21] A Blu-ray/DVD combo has been released as well. I wanted to sing, Ive never been able to sing in a movie. The show exploded. "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" In defense of Ali, Tess questions Nikki's gratitude for the help she has received during her binges. 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. [38], The week after Thanksgiving, Burlesque experienced a substantial decrease on ticket sales, earning $9.65 million ($6.1 million for the weekend), for a total of $26.98 million for its first twelve days. Christina Aguilera's first choice for the role of Nikki was Emma Stone. Once in L.A., she tries and fails at every audition she does until one night, she finds herself unknowingly in aburlesqueclub when she hears the music on the street. But, like Tess and her wise, right-hand gay, Sean (Stanley Tucci), the film's journey became all about making do with what you have and throwing a little glitter over the grease when the odds are stacked against you. It was all of these numbers with Christina. Antin, along with Culpepper and the couples producer pal Donald De Line met Cher at her Malibu mansion and after quite a bit of convincing, Cher agreed to be a part of a twenty-day filming schedule, although the production lasted about four months. I do wish our differences weren't so public. Started shooting on November 9, 2009 and ended on March 3, 2010. Most of the flamboyant costumes worn by Cher were her own clothes, some of which were designed by her longtime friend Bob Mackie (interview on The Graham Norton Show (2007) / 18 Dec. 2010). In the scene where Nikki is singing about a dentist, the song is "Long John Blues" sung by Megan Mullally. KAPLAN: Dance costumes have different requirements than the type of clothing I'm used to designing. Keep your legs straight while you bend and then bring your body back up, running your hands up your legs. She did it on the day we shot it over and over. Figure Skating Championships. A small-town girl ventures to Los Angeles and finds her place in a neo-burlesque club run by a former dancer. CULPEPPER: We both had the idea of doing something that harkened back [to] old musicals from the '40s. But it was the right song for her and the movie. Part of the a360media Entertainment Group. She makes a joke herself that, at the end of the world, it'll be cockroaches and Cher. As time went by, she felt a lot more comfortable.. The credits play over a background of the stage set from the final scene ("Show Me How to Burlesque" dance number). CULPEPPER: The biggest challenge was making sure we had all the coverage for the dance numbers, but I was seeing that stuff cut together, because Steven was asking an editor to cut it together as he was going on so he knew what pieces he had to get. The Golden Globes drew a lot of adverse criticism when they announced their 2010 nominations as two of the year's most critically derided films - Burlesque and The Tourist (2010) - both were nominated for Best Film Musical or Comedy. We even did a rewrite to make the character more active. But there were many more meetings and conversations before she actually said yes. ANTIN: The day we shot "Welcome to Burlesque," I'd never seen Cher do the number. Aguilera performed "Express" at the American Music Awards of 2010 and "Show Me How You Burlesque" at the Dancing with the Stars finale. Once Ali slinks down into the "faded glamour" of the club for the first time, the whole thing unfolds like Alice down a rabbit hole, with each choreographed dance trimmed with both grit and glitz. [It's all a] normal process of making a movie. At times I can be a bit snobby about movies. They had to rewrite the character because I was just like, This girl doesnt have a lot of drive,' she said at the time. At first, I was interested in Queen Latifah or Michelle Pfeiffer. Ali Rose: Oh, yeah, it's short for Alice. Steve Antin got the idea for this film after watching Christina Aguilera perform as a featured vocalist for The Pussycat Dolls in 2002. Many fans have wondered if Burlesque used an original screenplay. But Clint came up with and loved the idea of Cher. 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. 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. The film originally had a different ending a nod to the Julia Roberts classic Pretty Woman that Antin retooled. [30] Lou Lumenick of the New York Post said, "Aguilera can dance like nobody's business, but her acting debut isn't going to keep Anne Hathaway awake at night. When she got to my office, she was impressed with everything she saw. Despite its mixed reception, the film did modestly at the box office, grossing $91 million worldwide and earning an additional $42 million in domestic video sales. Most of the stand-ins for the female dancers in the performances of the Burlesque club were actually former members of The Pussycat Dolls, the Las Vegas burlesque-troupe-turned-pop-group (uncredited though). [9] Nolfi applauded Burlesque as "a campy, niche classic". Or, at least, the seemingly far-off fantasy of getting Cher who first received the script from Antin and Culpepper's friend, David Geffen to play the club owner, Tess, in her first movie role in seven years (and the Oscar winner's first-ever musical feature film). What's happening in this Burlesque movie clip?Ali and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe perform "Express" on stage at the Burlesque.Click to Buy/Rent Burlesque on . Ali breaks things off with Marcus after she sees his plans to build a skyscraper on the property the club is on. She later tells Tess about his plan, and they inform the owner (James Brolin) of new million-dollar condos being sold across the street. 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. Both are really awesome, so, stay tuned! What you don't usually have is the two people who are discussing it also able to discuss it at home, at dinner. Some battles I won. The "Beautiful" singer portrayed Ali, a small-town girl who heads to Los Angeles with big dreams and a dynamic voice to back up her determination to see her name in lights. Ali begins her audition when everyone leaves, and after performing "Wagon Wheel Watusi", persuades Tess to allow her to become one of the club's dancers, much to the annoyance of Nikki (Bell), a performer who is always late and caught drinking before numbers. 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. I tried to put her at ease. First, Alan Cumming (plays the money taker at Burlesque) famously starred as the Emcee in the 1991 stage version of Cabaret. before the roles went to follow Planet Terror star Naveen Andrews. [42] The movie was also referenced in the third season of the VH1 reality show RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. vevo arrestato volte biglietti contatto un conoscenza ad esempio ospita autorita aspetto di burlesque. The opening scene of Burlesque tells the story: Ali, our plucky ingenue, logs time as a diner waitress in the corn-tinted town of Genericsville . I saw her at a party and approached her. reading the script, because that character is a lot like Cher. I played her the song, because what did I have to lose? Aguilera was also one of the celebrities Antins sister Robin directed for a cameo at The Pussycat Dollss Viper Room show. Judy Greer was considered for the role of Ali. EW's oral history with the cast and crew celebrates the musical's 10-year anniversary with candid secrets from the set. I wasnt there for that meeting, and I believe Clint helped in getting her to say yes, Antin revealed in the same interview. His warm and genuine nature encouraged me to confirm, along with him interweaving so many pieces of my love for Etta James [into the script], knowing my personal passion for Burlesque [on] my Back to Basics album, and also [with me having] performed in the original Pussycat Dolls stage show at the Roxy. Antin never returned to direct a motion picture although he did find success with his commercials. As time went by, she felt a lot more comfortable." Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Stanley Tucci's character smokes in many of his scenes at The Burlesque Lounge, including in the front of the house. The resulting money is enough for Tess to buy out Vince's share, pay off the bank, and re-fashion the club to her own vision. The first time I saw it in the movie was the night of the premiere, and it got a standing ovation. STEWART: We were sitting in a room at her house. STEWART: The set had been built out on a miniature scale, then we got to see the set built out into the real thing, and they had us walk through the whole set that was being built for those numbers so we could feel the essence of what needed to happen in those scenes. Cher. https://play.google.com/store/movies/details/Burlesque?id=c_vDxZzPzHQA small town singer (Christina Aguilera) moves to the big city for her chance at stardom when she discovers Burlesque, a glamorous nightclub packed with dancers, sizzling musical numbers, and an owner (Cher) in need of a star. She will make friends and enemies, and by dint of perseverance, will manage to get closer to her dream. Essentially, spend money (the film was Screen Gems' most expensive picture to date) to look worn. Years later, fans of the movie will still find the trivia just as interesting as it was in 2010. We were up against huge titles. Surprisingly, this is Cher's first musical film. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. They were beyond genius.