NEED TO KNOW
Christina Aguilera has officially given Burlesque The Musical her stamp of approval.
Over the weekend, the Grammy Award-winning singer saw the stage musical adaptation of the 2010 fan-favorite film she starred in, which is now in performances through Sept. 6 at London’s Savoy Theatre. And she didn’t hold back with her review, giving it a five-star rating.
“BLOWN AWAY!!” wrote Aguilera, 44, in the caption of a reel posted to her Instagram on Saturday, July 20.
The upload followed Aguilera’s experience seeing the show, with footage from the musical sliced in with clips of Aguilera cheering the cast on from the crowd. She was even seen greeting audiences members as she entered into the theater.
Fittingly, Aguilera set the video to “Show Me How You Burlesque,” the song she penned for the film’s soundtrack.
It’s one of the many tunes from the movie that is part of the musical. Fans can also hear “Welcome to Burlesque,” “Express” and “Bound to You” — the power ballad co-written by Sia.
All are padded out with new music by YouTube sensation/American Idol alum Todrick Hall, and newcomer Jess Folley. Hall also directs the musical, choreographs and stars in it (as club stage manager Sean, Stanley Tucci’s character in the film).
Folley has a role in Burlesque, too — stepping into Aguilera’s high-heeled shoes as Ali, the small-town girl with a big voice. The actress, who won The Voice Kids UK and later triumphed in X Factor: The Band with her group RLY, previously played the part to critical acclaim during the show’s out-of-town tryouts in Manchester and Glasgow.
Joining Folley and Hall is Tony nominee Orfeh as Tess, the no-nonsense club owner made famous on screen by Cher. Best known for her scene-stealing turn as Paulette in Legally Blonde on Broadway, the actress was most recently seen in New York City in Chicago: The Musical. Her stage credits also include Pretty Woman: The Musical, Saturday Night Fever, Footloose and Fascinating Rhythm.
Other cast members include Olivier Award winner George Maguire as Vince (Peter Gallagher, in the movie), Asha Parker Wallace as Nikki (Kristen Bell’s role), and Paul Jacob French as Jackson (who Cam Gigandet played).
Stephen Vaughan/Screen Gems
Like the movie, the musical follows Ali as she discovers an underground club where sequins, seduction and sisterhood reign supreme — though the action moves from Los Angeles to New York City, now, where Ali is searching for her mother. The book is written by Steven Antin, who also directed the film, with additional material by Kate Wetherhead.
And Aguilera isn’t just going to be watching from the audience. She’s executive producing Burlesque The Musical, too, alongside producers Adam Paulden & Jason Haigh-Ellery, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky, Steven Antin and Clint Culpepper.
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“I am so thrilled to see Jess Folley kill it in Burlesque,” she said in a separate reel shared on Monday, July 21.
Burlesque The Musical officially opens on Tuesday, July 22. Tickets are now on sale.
