Review by Pamela Zoslov
They don’t make gay icons like they used to. In Burlesque, a new musical directed by Steve Antin and largely set in a Sunset Strip “neo-burlesque” club, we witness the contrast between the larger-than-life diva – Cher – and the newer model, the big-voiced but ultimately bland warbler Christina Aguilera. The presence of Cher, in all her iconic splendor, is all that redeems this shopworn show-business fable, a tepid Cabaret/Chicago/Dreamgirls/Showgirls mashup that is essentially a vanity showcase for Aguilera, who has negligible acting ability but is the movie’s star and an executive producer.
