Burlesque grew from two connected beginnings: writer-director Steven Antin’s longstanding interest in burlesque and musicals, and a Viper Room performance by Christina Aguilera with the Pussycat Dolls that Antin and Sony executive Clint Culpepper saw. Their accounts describe different stages of the film’s conception and development, rather than competing versions of a single origin.
What inspired Burlesque?
Antin said he had been interested in burlesque for years and was writing musicals for studios when Screen Gems encouraged him to develop a film about the subject. He described building a story, pitching it, writing a treatment, and then writing the screenplay on spec. In a 2010 interview, he put it this way: “I’ve been involved in burlesque for a really long time and I’ve always been really interested in burlesque, and I was writing musicals for different studios.” (Collider interview republished by Aguilera Online, November 29, 2010.)
![Lady of Burlesque Newly Restored Limited Edition Release [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41WHBUTDw6L._SL160_.jpg)
![Burlesque [Blu-ray] [Blu-ray] (2011) Cher; Christina Aguilera; Eric Dane](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fwzVHuPGL._SL160_.jpg)
Aguilera’s account adds a specific event. She recalled performing at the Viper Room with the Pussycat Dolls, before the group became a pop act. Antin and Culpepper were in the audience; she said they saw potential in a film about a character bringing vocal performance to burlesque. (Redbook interview.) Her concise recollection was: “I did a show at the Viper Room with the Pussycat Dolls years ago, before it was a pop group.”
These details fit together: Antin’s comments describe his broader interest and the screenplay’s development, while Aguilera’s describe a performance that helped connect the project to her and its central singer. The interviews do not establish that the Viper Room show alone originated the film.
#1 Best Overall
- A small town singer, Ali (Christina Aguilera), moves to the big city for her chance at stardom where she is enchanted by Burlesque, a glamorous nightclub packed with dancers, sizzling music, and an owner (Cher) in need of a star. Jam-packed with visually stunning musical numbers and an all-star cast featuring Eric Dane, Kristen Bell and Stanley Tucci.
How Christina Aguilera became part of the project
Antin saw a comic side to her
Antin said Aguilera’s comedic Kim Cattrall impersonation on Saturday Night Live in 2007 convinced him she could handle the role’s humor. (Redbook interview.) His reasoning went beyond casting a singer for the musical numbers: he believed she could play the comedy as well.
Aguilera asked for a more assertive Ali
Aguilera said she did not initially accept the role because the first version of Ali felt too naive and lacked drive. She asked for more passion and bite; according to her account, the character was rewritten before she agreed to play her. (Redbook interview.)
Rank #2
What the film is—and what its origin does not prove
Burlesque is a 2010 musical written and directed by Antin. Sony’s official synopsis describes Ali as a small-town singer who moves to the big city and discovers a glamorous nightclub. (Sony Pictures’ official film page.) That premise is not evidence that Ali’s story is Aguilera’s biography. Nor do the reviewed accounts confirm that a particular real-life burlesque performer was the character’s model.
The Los Angeles Times reported a production budget of $55 million in 2010; that figure is the newspaper’s reported budget, not an audited cost. (Los Angeles Times, 2010.)
Recommended Free Tools
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Includes Exclusive Corset
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
