She later tells Tess about his plan, and they inform the owner (James Brolin) of new million-dollar condos being sold across the street. And really terrible script. Here you will find iconic scenes, moments, and lines from all the films, characters, celebrities and actors you love. The performer had in fact, been a collector of burlesque archive and had researched burlesque and drag culture vividly, specifically for one of her albums. The role of Tess could've gone several ways. Jack refers her to Tess for an audition but she is told to come back another time and ushered out by her assistant Sean (Stanley Tucci). Its been more than a decade since Burlesque released and Steve Antins passion project is still considered one of the most memorable musicals Hollywood has produced. [7] Keep your back straight while you bend forward. Patron Tequila product placement in several scenes. In the morning, Natalie unexpectedly returns from New York and finds the two in bed together. But Clint came up with and loved the idea of Cher. I've got this." The controversy on the set was the number of days and getting the movie done so it wouldn't go over budget. Generally, the studio wins. 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. Cher revealed that, other than herself, the oldest actress in the cast was just 32 (interview with Charlie Stayt on BBC's Breakfast (2000) / 17 Dec. 2010). Jack denies this, and while trying to fix things, he asks Ali to leave. [Georgia shakes her head and starts crying] Oh no. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from Coffy to Jackie Brown. . [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. I wasn't there for that meeting, and I believe Clint helped in getting her to say yes. In the scene where Nikki is singing about a dentist, the song is "Long John Blues" sung by Megan Mullally. Antin never returned to direct a motion picture although he did find success with his commercials. Well, welcome to Wonderland. 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. 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. On Thursday, November 25, 2010, it dropped down to fourth place in the box office behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Tangled and Unstoppable and went down to fifth on Friday, November 26, 2010. 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. It did, however, win a Golden Globe, so perhaps I was wrong! During the 202021 season they danced to a medley of Aguilera's Burlesque songs, which included "Express". Anyway, we worked it out and I shot the number in what turned out to be a very long day. It had a few good moments, but I didnt even like my performance that much. But, I'm happy the gay community embraced it and I'm happy that people still enjoy watching it. But, I think she'll outlive the cockroaches. I hate that device. We had a detailed outline, but it was really broad, and more of a comedy, like the old Beatles movies. Credit: Thierry Carpico/News Pictures/Shutterstock. She owned it. Cher grabbed her and gave her a big hug and a kiss. 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. FAYE: She was dancing in styles she hadn't before, and you can see how gorgeously she did. Ali breaks things off with Marcus after she sees his plans to build a skyscraper on the property the club is on. At the end of its box office run, Burlesque grossed $90 million worldwide, with multiple millions more in home video sales. Third, the first number seen at the club is reminiscent of Cabaret's opening with Cher introducing the dancers with little adages about each one. From rehearsing with other actors to learning lines to embracing the moment and the realness of it all. As the scope for Burlesque grew, the script underwent tweaks with help from writers John Patrick Shanley (Moonstruck), Diablo Cody (Juno), and Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich). I don't think Steven even wanted it then! Essentially, spend money (the film was Screen Gems' most expensive picture to date) to look worn. 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. At Georgia's wedding, Jack appears to call off his engagement, getting drunk. 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. As of 2021, Eric Dane (Marcus) and Peter Gallagher (Vince) have both appeared on the television series Grey's Anatomy (2005-present). It's been a decade since Burlesque premiered, but the trivia surrounding the Christina Aguilera and Cher helmed movie is still just as interesting. Paula van Oppen, who plays Anna, one of the burlesque dancers, turned down a spot in the top 20 of Season 6 of So You Think You Can Dance to do this film. 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). Welcome to the Quantum Realm. Betty Grable, all those big, dance-y studio movies about putting on a show. ANTIN: Besides David [Geffen], her manager was also talking to her about the script, so she was very aware of it. This is the last sound heard as the screen blacks out and the film ends. Honestly, I didn't do a very good job. STEWART: We were sitting in a room at her house. He revealed that he wanted Cher to wear black in the film but Cher bought her own styling prowess on set. into a club called Burlesque and is instantly mesmerized by the choreographed and somewhat risqu dance numbers to old classic tunes performed by the likes of Nikki (KRISTEN BELL), Georgia (JULIANNE HOUGH) and Coco (CHELSEA . The American style of burlesque evolved and spread across the country, but with an increased emphasis the . please have the flu! 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! And normally you don't have [that familiarity between two people] because it's more of a professional discussion. Show me how you burlesque! The film follows Ali as she fights her way from the bar to the stage while juggling a love triangle between sensitive bartender Jack (Cam Gigandet) and wealthy real estate developer Marcus (Eric Dane). They thought I might have something, and I smiled and told them I might. It's unbelievable. Heather Graham was considered for the role of Ali. "I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" But Culpepper revealed in an interview that though they did have disagreements, they were not creative in nature but were about scheduling issues. I can't even remember where. FAYE: "Tough Lover" went through an awful lot of changes. 2. Clint was driven to get her on board, and he made it happen. '"[25] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 47 out of 100, based on 38 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". I was offered Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep but I was on the road so I couldn't do it. That was one of the things where Steve rolled up his sleeves and got in there for two or three days of [angles]. When Georgia (Hough) becomespregnant, auditions are held to replace her. Ali wants to audition but finds herself working at the club as a waitress. 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). If you can help us with this wiki please sign up and help us! The first instrumental Ali dances to during her audition is the background music from "Nasty Naughty Boy," performed by Christina Aguilera. I gave her the song thinking nothing was going to happen. The song just didn't belong in the movie. That, Culpepper says, is where Burlesque found wider audiences outside the largely queer demographic that supported its theatrical run. As time went by, she felt a lot more comfortable." On Sunday, November 28, 2010, it went back up to third place behind Tangled and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1. [9], In January 2021, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won the gold medal at the U.S. 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. There werent creative differences. 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. Kyla Pratt was considered for the role of Ali. But it takes luck and extraordinary talent for a star to shine to the point of dazzling the public. Cher was really pissed off. 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. . Looking back now, I'm thankful he kept it in. They had to rewrite the character because I was just like, This girl doesnt have a lot of drive,' she said at the time. The audience loves it. She did it on the day we shot it over and over. At Georgia's wedding, Jack appears to call off his engagement and becomes drunk. She had the best skin and the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. The Easy A actor played snarky stage manager Sean, who is best friends with Tess. She unknowingly walks. The disagreements came from, we didnt have time, we have to move on, Culpepper said. It was a very time-consuming number, but well worth it! 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. 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 can do it." The Spy Kids star portrayed club doorman Alexis, who briefly takes the stage for a risqu dance number. [13] Burlesque is Screen Gems' most expensive film, with the exception of the Resident Evil films, with costs of $55 million. A couple of weeks later I heard from Cher's manager, who loved the song, and she ended up recording it. She unknowingly walks into a burlesque club run by Tess (Cher), which is facing financial hardship despite its talented group of dancers. 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. [9] Nolfi applauded Burlesque as "a campy, niche classic". I might've seen him at the party after, and I didn't thank him in the thank you speech [at the Globes]. That night, Ali and Jack sleep together, beginning an affair. In the United States, the soundtrack was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies in October 2011. 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. She didn't use any doubles. Don't come back to me without Cher!" Im old but Im still pretty on top of everything.. says the actress. By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and that you have read our Privacy Policy. Then there are the custom shoes and the blisters. One of Christina's costumes was made completely of pearls wired together. Aguilera told Collider in November 2010 that she wanted Alis character to be rewritten before she agreed to sign on to the project. Shawn Roberts was briefly considered for the role of Jack Miller. 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. AGUILERA: She's truly an incredible woman and a force of nature. 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! Aguilera and Cher developed a close bond behind-the-scenes of the film that emulated their characters' budding mother-daughter relationship in the movie. Critical reception was similarly muted, which many of those involved with the film feel was yet another byproduct of the exploitative pre-release coverage. This is all her, working hard and being spectacular. Jana Kramer was considered for the role of Tess. She gave me some good advice, shared some personal insight and stories on love, and also encouragement along the way when I needed to hear it! 1. 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. But there were many more meetings and conversations before she actually said yes. I was vocal about saying this isn't the best version of how this works. Antin wanted a big, familiar face for the role of Tess, and Antin had considered Queen Latifah or Michelle Pfeiffer for the role of the club owner Tess. A few years after, we sent her the script for Burlesque. We even did a rewrite to make the character more active. Although Cher enjoyed her time working on the movie, she admitted in 2013 that she wasnt proud of the project. 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. They were beyond genius. EW's oral history with the cast and crew celebrates the musical's 10-year anniversary with candid secrets from the set. AGUILERA: I had always been inspired by throwback classic pin-up art and burlesque style, essentially all things celebrating the female body and sexuality, so I was already versed in the history and appeal of this world, conceptually. It was insane. I think you should give it to someone else.' Christina Aguilera's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" fantasy was the first scene shot. 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. There were many reports that circulated during the filming of Burlesque which suggested that Antin and Culpepper would have fights on set and it delayed filming. In order to view the gallery, please allow Manage Cookies. There Ali attends multiple auditions with little success. 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. Tess asks Sean what happened to all the good dancers in LA, to which he responds Dancing with the Stars (2005). Marylin Alice "Ali" Rose, known by her nickname Ali, is the protagonist in the film, Burlesque. The DVD audience didn't know the background, the budget, the controversy, they didn't know any of that. She was coming out with words, going back and forth. [9] Circa 2002, the group performed at the Roxy Theatre, West Hollywood, with multiple artistsamong them Christina Aguileraand Steven Antin directed some of these shows. I think it was my 19th song I'd done with Cher, and I knew what it would sound like in my head, but it sounded better, if that's possible. 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. CHER (Tess): I loved performing "Welcome to Burlesque" so much that I decided to recreate a version of it for my live show. The reason Aguilera could seamlessly step into the role of the burlesque performer Ali was that she had already done her homework. [24], Burlesque received mixed reviews from critics. RELATED:10 Movies/Television Shows You Didn't Know Had Been Adapted Into Musicals. In the scene where Marcus meets with Tess about his offer, he is seen playing with a ring on his wedding finger when the camera pans to him after Tess's Sandbox comment. NEXT:The 10 Greatest Movies About Music, Ranked (According To IMDb), JJ Rankin is a culture and entertainment writer. Keep your legs straight while you bend and then bring your body back up, running your hands up your legs. No need to waste time endlessly browsing here's the entire lineup of new movies and TV shows streaming on Netflix this month. ANTIN: It's inspired by Burlesque: A re-imagination. Ali replaces Nikki one night to host a performance after the latter is too intoxicated to perform. Part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Powered by WordPress VIP. She was actually really funny about it, and I was surprised that she agreed to join us! She reminded me of the relationship that I had with Meryl Streep [on Silkwood], when Meryl took me under her wing, she said at the time. I said, "We're ambushing you. I went to her house alone with just the two of us for another meeting. That was the genesis. If you look at that number, the amount of coverage that he was able to get, when we took it into the cutting room, it gave him so much to work with. In retaliation, a furious Nikki quits after she reveals to have slept with Tess' ex-husband Vince (Peter Gallagher). There wasnt anything Steven wanted, creatively, that anybody disagreed with. Julieth Restrepo was considered for the role of Ali. How Marvel went big with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Their cast mate on this film, Julianne Hough, is one of the professional dancers on the Emmy-winning show. She'd rehearse, even at home, because Christina's not showing up to not be the best on set. Later, a sobered Nikki admits that she lied about sleeping with Vince out of anger, and Tess rehires her. ANTIN: Directors fight for what they believe in. The theatrical trailer was attached to screenings of Step Up 3D and Easy A. ", "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. This was Aguileras debut acting venture and though her performance was praised, the film got mixed reviews and experienced dismal box office earnings. Second, similar choreography. and then came Cher. 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. Jack refers her to Tess for an audition, but is rejected instantly and ushered out by Sean (Tucci). Amy really wanted Cher, and so did Clint.