''Burlesque'' is a 2010 American backstage musical film written and directed by Steven Antin. It stars

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...

in her film debut,

Kristen Bell Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. List of Kristen Bell performances, Her work includes both film and television, and List of awards and nominations received by Kristen Bell, h ...

Cam Gigandet Cameron Joslin Gigandet (; born August 16, 1982) is an American actor whose credits include a recurring role on '' The O.C.'' and appearances in feature films ''Twilight'', '' Pandorum'', '' Never Back Down'', ''Burlesque'', '' Easy A'', ''Pries ...

Stanley Tucci Stanley Tucci Jr. ( ; born November 11, 1960) is an American actor. Known as a character actor, he has played a wide variety of roles ranging from menacing to sophisticated, earning numerous accolades, including six Emmy Awards and two Golden ...

Julianne Hough Julianne Alexandra Hough (; born July 20, 1988) is an American dancer, singer, actress and television personality. In 2007, she joined the cast of ABC's ''Dancing with the Stars'' as a professional dancer, winning two seasons with her celebrit ...

Alan Cumming Alan Cumming (born 27 January 1965) is a Scottish actor, writer and presenter. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award, two Emmy Awards, two Tony Awards, and an Olivier Award. He re ...

, and

Peter Gallagher Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19, 1955) is an American actor. Since 1980, he has played roles in numerous Hollywood films. He is best known for starring as Sandy Cohen in the television drama series '' The O.C.'' from 2003 to 2007, and ...

, and features cameos from

Dianna Agron Dianna Elise Agron ( ; born April 30, 1986) is an American actress and singer. List of Dianna Agron performances, Her work spans screen and stage, and her accolades include a Screen Actors Guild Award and nomination for a Brit Award. Agron bega ...

, and

James Brolin Craig Kenneth Bruderlin (born July 18, 1940), known professionally as James Brolin, is an American actor. Brolin has won two Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globes and an Emmy Awards, Emmy. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August ...

. The film tells the story of Ali (Aguilera), an aspiring singer who leaves her small hometown for Los Angeles, where she becomes a dancer at a struggling

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

lounge owned by Tess (Cher). 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. ''Burlesque'' marks Aguilera's first leading role, as well as Cher's first musical performance on screen since 1967's ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans (actor), Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was televis ...

''. Filming for ''Burlesque'' took place in California from November 2009 to March 2010. It was released in the United States on November 24, 2010 by

Screen Gems Screen Gems is an American film production company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. ''Screen Gems'' has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the de ...

. Its

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

-inspired

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

was released ahead of the film's release on November 19, 2010 by

RCA Records RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...

and Screen Gems. Aguilera and Cher both contributed to the album. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the cast's performance and the soundtrack but criticized the writing. ''Burlesque'' did modestly at the box office, grossing $91 million worldwide and earning an additional $42 million in domestic video sales. The film earned a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy at the

68th Golden Globe Awards The 68th Golden Globe Awards were broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais who hosted the ceremony for the second time. The nominations were announced on Dec ...

, where Cher's performance of "

You Haven't Seen the Last of Me In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

", written by

Diane Warren Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has won an Academy Honorary Award, Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and three consecutive ''Billboard'' Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year from 19 ...

won for Best Original Song. The soundtrack received a nomination at the

54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles being broadcast on CBS honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011. LL Cool J hosted t ...

for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media. The film spawned a stage musical adaptation, which premiered in June 2024.

Plot

Alice "Ali" Marilyn Rose is a young waitress from

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

who dreams of becoming a professional dancer ever since losing her mother in her childhood. After her selfish boss refuses to pay her salary, she takes what he owes her from the register and moves to LA, where she attends many auditions with little success. One night, Ali comes across a

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

club where its owner Tess Scali and an entourage of dancers perform an opening number. She also meets songwriter-bartender Jack Miller at the club's bar. He refers Ali to Tess for an audition, but she tells her to return another time and her assistant Sean ushers her out. Upon seeing their waitress shortage, Ali picks up a tray and begins serving. As a result, she manages to get a job waiting tables at the club. When Georgia, one of the lead dancers, becomes pregnant, auditions are held in search of her replacement. Ali performs a difficult dance routine and eventually persuades Tess to hire her. This infuriates Nikki, a lead performer struggling with alcoholism. Ali replaces Nikki one night to host a performance after the latter is too intoxicated to perform. In a fit of rage, Nikki tries to sabotage it by turning off the music that the dancers usually lip sync to until Ali impresses everyone with her singing skills. Her performance is an instant success, and Tess casts her in an upcoming show. Despite the club's growing popularity, Tess struggles with a bank loan and a lien on her ownership rights of the building. One night after the club closes, Tess is increasingly worried about her finances when a drunken Nikki shows up, accusing her of rejecting their long friendship. In defense of Ali, Tess questions Nikki's lack of gratitude for the help she has received during her binges. In retaliation, the furious dancer quits after revealing to have slept with Tess' ex-husband Vince. Tess leaves, angrily smashing a window of Nikki's convertible. Meanwhile, Ali and Jack become romantically attracted. However, he is already engaged to Natalie, an actress working in NYC. Sean encourages Jack to end the engagement, as Ali is a better person than his shallow fiancée. Wealthy clubgoer Marcus becomes infatuated with Ali, who begins spending time with him, making Jack jealous. The group later attends Georgia's lavish wedding to Damon, funded by his wealthy father who is delighted he is settling down and with the impending arrival of his grandchild. Jack appears to call off his engagement and gets drunk. That night, he and Ali sleep together. In the morning, Natalie unexpectedly returns from New York and finds them in bed together. She angrily insists she and Jack never broke up, although he denies this yet asks Ali to leave. Feeling heartbroken and betrayed, Ali runs to Sean for support and learns that he is gay. Marcus calls her, and Sean encourages her to go out with him. Seeing a model of Marcus' plans to build a skyscraper on the club's property, and not simply interested in the "

air rights In real estate, air rights are the property interest in the "space" above the Earth's surface. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building includes the right to use and build in the space above the land without interference by oth ...

" above it, the distraught Ali abruptly leaves. Telling Tess about his plan, they inform the owner of new million-dollar condos being sold across the street. Fearing the obstruction of his prospective purchasers' view, he buys the air rights to the club's property from Tess. She then uses the money to buy out Vince's share, pay off the bank, and redecorate the club in her own vision. Later, a sobered Nikki admits that she lied about sleeping with Vince out of anger. They reconcile, and Tess rehires her. Ali rekindles her relationship with Jack after he tells her that he broke up with Natalie because she cared more about her job than their relationship. Nikki finally accepts Ali, who then performs "Show Me How You Burlesque", a song written by Jack, with all of the dancers on stage, delighting the crowd.

Cast

as Tess Scali *

as Alice Marilyn "Ali" Rose *

Eric Dane Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Mark Sloan (Grey's Anatomy), Mark Sloan on ' ...

as Marcus Gerber *

as John "Jack" Miller *

as Georgia *

as Alexis *

as Vincent "Vince" Scali *

as Nikki *

as Sean *

as Natalie *

Glynn Turman Glynn Turman (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor. First coming to attention as a child actor in the original 1959 Broadway production of ''A Raisin in the Sun'', Turman is known for his roles as Lew Miles on the prime-time soap opera '' ...

as Harold Saint * David Walton as Mark the DJ *

Terrence Jenkins Terrence Jenkins (born April 21, 1982) is an American actor, television presenter, model and Entertainment journalism, entertainment reporter best known as the host of BET's popular music video countdown show ''106 & Park'' from 2006 until 2012. ...

as Dave * Chelsea Traille as Coco * Tanee McCall as Scarlett * Tyne Stecklein as Jesse * Paula Van Oppen as Anna *

Michael Landes Michael Christopher Landes (born September 18, 1972) is an American actor of television and film. Personal life Michael Christopher Landes was born to Patricia and Bernard Landes on September 18, 1972, in The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the no ...

as Greg *

Blair Redford David Blair Redford (born ) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles such as Scotty Grainger on ''The Young and the Restless'', Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald on ''Passions'', Ethan Whitehorse on ''The Lying Game'', Tyler "Ty" Mendo ...

as James / Bumper Band Member *

as Mr. Anderson * Stephen Lee as Dwight

Production

Development

Steven Antin's sister Robin was a member and creator of the girl band

the Pussycat Dolls The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a neo-burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the troupe mainstrea ...

. Circa 2002, the group performed at

the Roxy Theatre The Roxy Theatre (often just the Roxy) is a nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, owned by Lou Adler and his son, Nic. History The Roxy was opened on September 20, 1973, by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler, along with ...

, West Hollywood, with many artists—among them Christina Aguilera—and Steven Antin directed some of these shows. The first outline of the screenplay was written by Antin and Clint Culpepper, the Screen Gems' president. It was about "a girl escaping her life", showing up in a neo-burlesque club and launching a career as a performer. Cher accepted the supporting role of Tess Scali because she wanted to sing in a movie and thought this would be her last opportunity to do so. While on the film set, she went on to praise co-star Christina Aguilera's acting abilities, revealing to ''

Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Par ...

'': "She was keeping up, and she was hot. I mean, it was, like, she was really up there. Her game is good." Canadian actor

Shawn Roberts Shawn Roberts (born April 2, 1984) is a Canadian actor best known for his roles in zombie films such as '' Land of the Dead'', '' Diary of the Dead'' and the ''Resident Evil'' franchise. Early life Roberts was born in Stratford, Ontario. He has ...

, who was previously cast in another Screen Gems production '' Resident Evil: Afterlife'', was briefly considered for the role of Jack Miller.

Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress, singer, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera ' ...

and

Jessica Biel Jessica Claire Timberlake (née Biel ; born March 3, 1982) is an American actress. Biel began her career as a vocalist appearing in musical productions until she was cast as Mary Camden in the family drama series '' 7th Heaven'' (1996–2007 ...

auditioned for the role of Nikki.

Filming

''Burlesque'' started shooting on November 9, 2009 and ended on March 3, 2010. Although director Steven Antin wrote the original screenplay,

Diablo Cody Brook Maurio (previously Busey-Hunt; ''née'' Busey; born June 14, 1978), known professionally by the pen name Diablo Cody, is an American writer and producer. She gained recognition for her candid blog and subsequent memoir, ''Candy Girl: A Year ...

(''

Juno Juno commonly refers to: *Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods * ''Juno'' (film), the 2007 film Juno may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters *Juno, a character in the book ''Juno of ...

'') revised it uncredited. It was later further revised by

Susannah Grant Susannah Grant (born January 4, 1963) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. Early life Grant was born in New York City. She studied at Amherst College and attended the AFI Conservatory. She is also a Miss Porter's School alumna ...

, also uncredited. ''Burlesque'' is Screen Gems' most expensive film, with the exception of the ''

Resident Evil ''Resident Evil'', known as in Japan, is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...

'' films, with costs of $55 million. Filming locations included the exterior and adjacent parking as the "Burlesque Lounge" of the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood, as well as the interior of the

Cathedral of Saint Vibiana The Cathedral of Saint Vibiana (), often called St. Vibiana's, is the former Catholic cathedral for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Located in Downtown Los Angeles, the building opened in 1876 as the cathedral for what was then known as the Dio ...

Music

Musical numbers

# "

Something's Got a Hold on Me "Something's Got a Hold on Me" is a song by American singer Etta James. The song was written by James, Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods, while production was handled by Leonard and Phil Chess. It was released in 1962 as the third single from her ...

" – Ali and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe (performed by Christina Aguilera) # "My Drag" – The Burlesque Lounge Troupe (a song by Deva Dragon &

Squirrel Nut Zippers Squirrel Nut Zippers is an American swing and jazz band formed in 1993 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by James "Jimbo" Mathus (vocals and guitar), Tom Maxwell (vocals and guitar), Katharine Whalen (vocals, banjo, ukulele), Chris Phillips (d ...

) # "Welcome to Burlesque Tango" – The Band # "Welcome to Burlesque" – Tess and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe (performed by Cher) # "

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" is a jazz song written for the stage musical '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'' (1949), with music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Leo Robin. Carol Channing introduced the song in the original Broadway production, an ...

(Swing Cats Remix)" –written by Leo Robin and Nikki, Georgia and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe (a song by Leo Robin and Jules Styne for the musical Gentleman Prefer Blondes]) # "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" – Ali (outro by Christina Aguilera) # "Long John Blues" – Nikki (performed by

Megan Mullally Megan Mullally (born November 12, 1958) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Karen Walker in the NBC sitcom '' Will & Grace'' (1998–2006, 2017–2020), for which she received eight Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outst ...

) # " Nasty Naughty Boy" – Ali (a song by Christina Aguilera/instrumental version) # "Wagon Wheel Watusi" – Ali (a song by

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 orig ...

) # "

Ray of Light ''Ray of Light'' is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on February 22, 1998, by Maverick Records. A major stylistic and aesthetic departure from her previous work, '' Bedtime Stories'', ''Ray of Light'' is ...

" – The Burlesque Lounge Troupe (a song by

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

) # "That's Life" – Alexis (performed by Alan Cumming; DVD/Blu-ray special feature) # "Tough Lover" – The Burlesque Lounge Troupe (a song by

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer and songwriter. Starting her career in 1954, James frequently performed in Nashville's R&B clubs, collectively known as the Ch ...

) # "Tough Lover" – Ali (performed by Christina Aguilera) # "But I Am a Good Girl" – Ali (performed by Christina Aguilera) # "A Guy That Takes His Time" – Ali (performed by Christina Aguilera, originally by

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

) # "

Express Express, The Expresss or EXPRESS may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''Express: Aisle to Glory'', a 1998 comedy short film featuring Kal Penn * ''The Express: The Ernie Davis Story'', a 2008 film starring Dennis Quaid * The Expre ...

" – Ali and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe (performed by Christina Aguilera) # "Jungle Berlin (Instrumental)" – Alexis and The Contortionists # "

" – Tess (performed by Cher) # "Bound to You" – Ali (performed by Christina Aguilera) # "

Show Me How You Burlesque "Show Me How You Burlesque" is a song recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera for the accompanying soundtrack album to the film ''Burlesque'' (2010), which stars Aguilera. It was written by Aguilera, C. "Tricky" Stewart and Claude Kelly a ...

" – Ali and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe (performed by Christina Aguilera)

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album features ten tracks: eight performed by Aguilera including "

"; and two performed by Cher which are her first original recordings in 7 years. The soundtrack includes a mix of original and cover songs. Both the ballads from the soundtrack – "Bound to You" performed by Aguilera and "

" performed by Cher – were nominated for the

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song is a Golden Globe Award that was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The award is presented to the songwriters of a ...

. Cher's "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me", which was written by

, won the award. In the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, the soundtrack was certified Gold by the

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

for shipments of 500,000 copies in October 2011.

Release

Marketing

The

theatrical trailer A trailer (also known as a preview, coming attraction, or attraction video) is a short advertisement, originally designed for a feature film, which highlights key scenes of upcoming features intended to be exhibited in the future at a movie thea ...

was attached to screenings of ''

Step Up 3D ''Step Up 3D'' (also known simply as ''Step Up 3'') is a 2010 American 3D dance film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Amy Andelson and Emily Meyer. It serves as a sequel to 2008's '' Step Up 2: The Streets'' and the third installment in t ...

'' and ''

Easy A ''Easy A'' (stylized as ''easy A'') is a 2010 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck, written by Bert V. Royal, and starring Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Cam Gigandet, L ...

''. The first TV spot premiered during the season 2 premiere of

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

's ''

Glee Glee may refer to: * Glee (music), a type of English choral music * ''Glee'' (TV series), an American musical comedy-drama TV series, and related media created by Ryan Murphy * ''Glee'' (Bran Van 3000 album) * ''Glee'' (Logan Lynn album) * Gle ...

'' on September 21, 2010. A third TV spot also aired the following day during ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...

'', later followed by another during MTV's ''

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore, commonly called the Shore by locals, is the coast, coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The term encompasses about of shore, oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy, New Jersey, Perth Amboy in the n ...

''. Several teasers have been released for promotional purposes including the

's "

". This was then followed by the track "But I Am a Good Girl" which was released in November 2010. Aguilera performed "Bound to You" on ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...

'' and gave an interview and performance on '' Conan''. Aguilera also gave an interview to show host

Chelsea Handler Chelsea Joy Handler (born February 25, 1975) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, television host, and producer. She hosted the late-night talk show '' Chelsea Lately'' on the E! network from 2007 to 2014 and released a documenta ...

to discuss the film and other subjects. On November 19, 2010, Aguilera also gave a television interview to

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American former comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy in the early 1980s, gaining national attention with a 1986 appearance on '' ...

. She then performed a track from the soundtrack, the Etta James track "

". Aguilera performed "

" at the

American Music Awards of 2010 The 38th Annual American Music Awards were held November 21, 2010, at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010's music list. Nominees were announced on October 12 ...

and "Show Me How You Burlesque" at the ''

'' finale. She also performed "Express" on the final of the seventh series of ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...

'' which received criticism and complaints for the raunchy content.

Home media

The DVD and Blu-ray were released in North America on March 1, 2011. A Blu-ray/DVD combo has been released as well. The DVD and Blu-ray sales exceed one million units and have grossed $20,563,918 in the United States alone; and, , it is the 19th highest selling movie of the year. In all, the DVD has sold over 1.4 million units in the United States. Overall, it has grossed over $30,053,366 on video sales (DVD and Blu-ray sales) in United States alone.

Reception

Box office

''Burlesque'' was released on Wednesday, November 24, 2010, the day before

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in October and November in the United States, Canada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Germany. It is also observed in the Australian territory ...

in the United States; on its opening day, it came in third to ''

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1'' is a 2010 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The film is the first of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallo ...

'' and ''

Tangled ''Tangled'' is a 2010 American animated musical film, musical Adventure film, adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale "Rapunzel" in th ...

''. 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 Unstoppable may refer to: Film and television * Unstoppable (2004 film), ''Unstoppable'' (2004 film), an American film directed by David Carson * ''Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis'', a 2005 America ...

'' and went down to fifth on Friday, November 26, 2010. On Sunday, November 28, 2010, it went back up to third place behind ''Tangled'' and ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1''. 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''. By the Christmas weekend, it was number 15 at the box office. 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. , it had grossed $39.4 million in North America, and, , $51.1 million in foreign countries, for a total of $91 million worldwide, and an additional $42 million in domestic video sales (DVD and Blu-ray).

Critical response

''Burlesque'' received mixed reviews from critics. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the film has a rating of 37% based on 178 reviews, with an average rating of 4.90/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Campy and clichéd, ''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.'" On

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, the film holds a score of 47 out of 100, based on 38 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...

gave the film an average grade of "A-" on an A+ to F scale. Michael Phillips of the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...

'' said, "The choicest dialogue in ''Burlesque'' provokes the sort of laughter that other, intentionally funny films only dream of generating."

Mick LaSalle Mick LaSalle (born May 7, 1959) is an American film critic and the author of two books on pre-Code Hollywood. Up to March 2008, he had written more than 1,550 reviews for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and he has been podcasting them since Sep ...

from ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...

'' 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". Kirk Honeycutt of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' called Burlesque "a refreshing throwback to movie musicals that celebrates its stars while indulging in sexy fun" and also praised Aguilera's acting and singing.

's performance received praise from ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' and ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' thought the dance numbers were thrilling. '' Time Out'' labelled the drama "perfunctory" while

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...

said that "''Burlesque'' shows Cher and Christina Aguilera being all that they can be, and that's more than enough." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' observed that the film "wants to be ''

Cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

'', but lacks the edge and historical context to pull it off." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' said that the story line "had already gathered dust by the time fthe 1933 musical ''

42nd Street 42nd Street most commonly refers to: *42nd Street (Manhattan), a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan It may also refer to: *42nd Street (film), ''42nd Street'' (film), a 1933 American Warner Bros. musical film with lyri ...

''". Aguilera's portrayal of the main character received positive reviews, and has been ranked among the hundred best acting performances by musicians by the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' magazine. Sarah Carty of RTÉ.ie opined that the singer "manages to bring an unforced charm to her first starring role." ''Urban Cinefiles Louise Keller praised the film for the "knock out performances by the sizzling hot Christina Aguilera and the legendary Cher."

Awards

Legacy

According to Joey Nolfi of ''

'', since its release the movie "inspired everything, from drag queen revues to viral internet moments". Nolfi applauded ''Burlesque'' as "a campy, niche classic". In 2019, a full-length ''Burlesque'' tour, based on the movie, embarked, including at British venues. It starred

Farrah Moan Cameron Clayton, better known by the stage name Farrah Moan (born September 11, 1993), is an American drag queen, model, actress, make-up artist and internet personality best known for participating in the 9th season of the reality TV show ''RuP ...

as Ali Rose and

Chad Michaels Chad Michael Storbeck, known professionally as Chad Michaels (born March 20, 1971), is an American Drag queen, drag performer and professional Cher impersonator. He was a runner-up in the RuPaul's Drag Race season 4, fourth season of ''RuPaul's D ...

as Tess Scali. The ''Burlesque'' stage musical was supposed to open at the

Paper Mill Playhouse Paper Mill Playhouse is a regional theater containing approximately 1,200 seats located in Millburn, within Essex County, New Jersey, United States, on the banks of the Rahway River. Due to its relative proximity to Manhattan, the theater draw ...

, New Jersey, in autumn 2020, followed by a

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, American and British English spelling differences), many of the List of ...

adaptation, but the plans were cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. The movie was also referenced in the third season of the

VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...

reality show ''

RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars ''RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars'' is an American reality competition spin off edition of the original ''RuPaul's Drag Race'', which is produced by World of Wonder, for Logo TV and later VH1. The show premiered on October 22, 2012, on Logo TV, ...

''. In a 2020 interview Antin revealed a "hybrid television event/series", based on the movie, was under development. In January 2021, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue won the gold medal at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. During the 2020–21 season they danced to a medley of Aguilera's ''Burlesque'' songs, which included "

Stage musical adaptation

A stage musical adaptation of the film opened in West End, after completing tryouts at the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring Theatre (structure), theatre that plays host to touring Musical theatre, musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed buil ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, and at the Theatre Royal in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

from June to November 2024. Steven Antin returned to write the book, with music and lyrics by

, Sia,

Todrick Hall Todrick Hall (born April 4, 1985) is an American singer, rapper, choreographer, and YouTuber. He gained national attention on the ninth season of the televised singing competition ''American Idol''. Following this, he amassed a following on Yo ...

, and Jess Folley. Antin and Aguilera also produced the adaptation.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Burlesque 2010 films 2010 LGBTQ-related films 2010 musical films 2010 romantic drama films 2010s American films 2010s dance films 2010s English-language films 2010s musical drama films 2010s romantic musical films American dance films American LGBTQ-related films American musical drama films American romantic drama films American romantic musical films Backstage musicals English-language musical drama films English-language romantic drama films English-language romantic musical films Films about burlesque Films about orphans Films about singers Films about striptease Films produced by Donald De Line Films scored by Christophe Beck Films set in Iowa Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles Satellite Award–winning films Screen Gems films