Burlesque The Musical review: West End adaptation trades air rights for queer rights

A musical adaptation of Burlesque, the 2010 cult classic film starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, with direction by everyone’s favourite Drag Race choreographer-cum-polarising reality TV fixture Todrick Hall, has all the ingredients for what could have been a hollow disaster.

However, in what was a pleasant surprise, the end result is one of the most fun, camp and frothy displays we’ve enjoyed on the West End in recent memory. The show opened at the Savoy Theatre earlier this week, starring Jess Holley as Ali Rose, the role originated on screen by Aguilera, reimagined on stage as a member of a gospel choir in Iowa who consistently steals the show with her roaring vocal acrobatics (sound familiar?). Holley, who also penned a number of new songs for the show, has the unenviable task of having to live up to one of pop music’s all time greatest vocalists. However, astonishingly, she manages to match Aguilera’s elaborate runs almost note for note at times (a feat that is all the more impressive when we consider that the ‘Beautiful’ singer was sat in the audience observing her successor on the evening we caught the show).

As well as Holley’s impressive vocal abilities, the adaptation’s new songs, which she co-penned with Hall, make for very worthy additions to the show’s soundtrack, padding the story out nicely in between the songs from the film which are, admittedly, the real star of the show here. The Aguilera-written ‘Express’ and finale song ‘Show Me How You Burlesque’ sound truly excellent performed in this live setting, as does the Diane Warren-penned Cher ballad ‘You Haven’t Seen The Last Of Me Yet’ which picked up a Golden Globe for ‘Best Original Song’ back in 2011.

There is a lot to feast on in this silly but charming adaptation. Other highlights include the costuming, which features a number of nods to the film’s most iconic looks, Hall’s athletic choreography, and the show’s art direction. One particularly memorable image sees Ali standing a top a of a billowing dress created by the dancer’s fans which felt reminscent of Gaga’s recent Mayhem tour opening. Indeed, Hall’s contributions as both a director and a performer enhance this show tenfold – in spite of how many might feel about him as a pop culture figure, he is undeniably funny in both of his on-stage roles as Ali’s Iowan choir mentor Miss Loretta and the club’s MC, which he pivots between to create comedic effect throughout the show.

The stage show’s book, which was penned by the film’s writer and director Steve Antin, features some key changes from the film’s storyline which mostly work well. Rather than merely seeking fame, the musical version of Ali leaves her small town in search of her birth mother, Tess, the character originally played by Cher on screen, here played by the legend’s real life goddaughter Orfeh. Whilst the update feels oddly reminiscent of the plot of Crossroads, another iconic popstar to moviestar vehicle, it adds an emotional gravitas to proceedings which raises the stakes nicely. Gone are the cast of lip-syncing dancers who populate the club’s stage prior to Ali’s arrival – here, everyone in the building is an all singing, all dancing protégé of Tess, though none are a match for the voice which booms from Ali’s “mutant lungs”.

Perhaps the most glaring deviation from the film comes in the story’s resolution. Back in 2010, scores of Cher and Xtina fans around the world were schooled on the concept of “air rights” which Tess eventually sells in order to save her floundering club. Sadly, the stage show makes no use of this brilliantly absurd loophole. Instead the club owner manages to pay off her debts using cash she had previously put aside for her newly reunited long lost daughter.

The script also leans much more into straightforward comedy than its on-screen predecessor, including a number of giggle-worthy topical jokes such as a gag about the recent Coldplay concert kiss-cam controversy. At other points it veers towards panto-esque slapstick but always manages to pull its cheeky humour off with enough charm to prevent you rolling your eyes.

Another notable update is how unmistakably queer this stage version feels. Granted, a film rooted in performances by Christina and Cher was always going to please the gays, but save for Alan Cumming’s small role as an androgynous Emcee-style host at the club and the presence of Stanley Tucci’s gay best friend character, the film’s storyline was quite a traditional, heteronormative tale. The 2025 version features explicit call outs to ‘the gays, theys and ladies’ in one number, and sees the addition of a character named Trey, who we first meet as a crossdressing male dancer who initially simply can’t seem to stay out of the ladies’ dressing room but later transitions into Chardonnay and changes their pronouns. We even get one scene of Tess grappling with their transition before ultimately accepting it – a small but important display of how easily someone’s transition ought to be accepted given it impacts nobody but themselves.

Just like its film counterpart, Burlesque is not likely to win any awards for originality or innovation, but it delivers on offering a top notch romp that will leave you grinning from ear to ear and beaming with enthusiasm about the “passion”, “fashion” and “emotion” of the wonderful world of burlesque.