Lights, camera, action. Burlesque delivers what it promised.

Rating: 8/10 (12 December 2010)

What do you get when you take a legend and mix it with a modern pop diva? (And future legend in her own right!) An old fashion, honest to god musical. Christina Aguilera while shaky in some scenes, (though for a first timer she holds up the lead role quite well) plays the small town Iowa girl with a big voice very convincingly. Adding to the mix her exceptional vocal chops, the venue is perfect for a debut performance. Her comfort level is obviously exceeded in some key timing and delivery scenes, but what she loses in experience she makes up for with bravado. Where she is most clearly herself is on the stage performing numbers and routines. And hopefully with her next project she will learn to take the fluidity and grace with which she sings and translate it to better character development.
Now on to the all powerful goddess we mortals call Cher. What more is there to say, her presence alone creates an almost visible aura, her voice and quick wit is just an added bonus. Not to mention the fact that while other women her age are lounging around in Moo Moos and Granny pants, Cher manages to fit into skin tight leather corsets better than most twenty somethings. Her two numbers are great, but her final song "You Haven't Seen The Last Of Me" represents her perfectly. While other starlets have been pushed out of the entertainment industry due to their age and personal lives, Cher along with an elite group have broken the mold. Not allowing anyone or thing to hold her back is Tess' character, but all the while it expresses Cher's own spirit.
The supporting cast is great fun, with Stanley Tucci playing the prerequisite gay friend to Cher's divorced Tess. The two have wonderful chemistry and would be a pleasure to see together on screen again. As for the rest, Cam Giganget's Jack is sexy and sensitive, pulling off the black eyeliner with ease. His back and forth with Aguilera is cute to watch, and his characters sweet sense of humor immediately has you rooting for him and Ali. Others like Kristen Bell, Eric Dane, Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming, and Peter Gallagher all play their respective roles well. Although there is not much for them to sink their teeth into. (However from the little you see of Hough, she seems to have the sexy good girl next door quality that has made people like Jennifer Aniston mega stars.)
In summation, just go see it. If you like musicals you'll definitely enjoy it, and if you love either Christina or Cher, or both, then you will positively love it. So go and have a toe tapping, humming good time. And remember it's BURLESQUE!!!!!!