FILMUSIC Chicago Burlesque
CONTENT CHICAGO-----------------------------4 BURLESQUE--------------------------8 EDITOR: Xiujun Xie
Chicago is a 2002 American musical comedy crime film based on the musical of the same name, exploring the themes of celebrity, scandal, and corruption in Chicago during the Jazz Age.[3] The film stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger and Richard Gere, and also features John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, Christine Baranski, Taye Diggs, Lucy Liu, Dominic West, Colm Feore, and Mýa Harrison. Chicago centers on Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) and Roxie Hart (Zellweger), two murderesses who find themselves in jail together awaiting trial in 1920s Chicago. Velma, a vaudevillian, and Roxie, a housewife, fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows. Directed and choreographed by Rob
Marshall, and adapted by screenwriter Bill Condon, Chicago won six Academy Awards in 2003, including Best Picture. The film was critically lauded, and was the first musical to win Best Picture since Oliver! in 1968.
Plot In 1924, Roxie Hart sees star Velma Kelly perform (“All That Jazz”) at a Chicago theater. Wanting stardom for herself, she begins an affair with Fred Casely, who claims to know the manager. After the show, Velma is arrested
for killing her husband Charlie and sister Veronica, who were in bed together. A month later, Casely admits to Roxie that he has no showbiz connections and just wanted her body. Enraged, she shoots him dead. She convinces her husband Amos to take the blame, telling him she killed a burglar in self-defense. As Amos confesses to the detective, Roxie fantasizes that she is singing a song devoted to her husband (“Funny Honey”). However, when the detective brings up evidence that Roxie and Casely were having an affair, Amos recants; Roxie furiously admits what really happened and is arrested. Ambitious District Attorney Harrison announces he will seek the death penalty.
At Cook County Jail, Roxie is sent to Murderer’s Row, under the care of the corrupt matron “Mama” Morton (“When You’re Good to Mama”). Roxie meets her idol Velma, but her friendship is rudely rebuffed. She learns the backstories of the other women there (“Cell Block Tango”). On Morton’s advice, Roxie engages Velma’s lawyer, the brilliant Billy Flynn (“All I Care About”). Flynn and Roxie manipulate the press, reinventing Roxie’s identity as an originally virtuous woman turned bad by the fast life of the city; she claims she had the affair with Casely because Amos was always working, but repented and dumped him for Amos, and Casely jealously attacked her (“We Both Reached for the Gun”).
The press believe the story; praised by the public as a tragic heroine, Roxie becomes an overnight sensation (“Roxie”). Velma, unhappy at losing the public’s attention, tries to convince Roxie to join her act, replacing the sister that she murdered (“I Can’t Do It Alone”), but Roxie, now the more popular of the two rivals, snubs her just as Velma originally did.
create more sympathy for Roxie, convinces him that the child is Casely’s, and that he should divorce Roxie in the middle of her predicament. Roxie over-confidently fires Flynn, believing she can now win on her own. However, when a Hungarian woman from Murderess’ Row is hanged, she realizes the gravity of the situation, and re-hires Flynn.
Meanwhile, Kitty Baxter, a wealthy heiress, is arrested for murdering her husband and his two lovers, and the press and Flynn pay more attention to her. To Velma’s surprise, Roxie quickly steals back the fame by claiming to be pregnant. Amos is ignored by the press (“Mister Cellophane”), and Flynn, to
Roxie’s trial begins and Billy turns it into a media spectacle (“Razzle Dazzle”) with the help of the sensationalist newspaper reporters and radio personality Mary Sunshine. Billy discredits witnesses, manipulates evidence, and even stages a public reconciliation between Amos and Roxie when she
says the child is his. The trial seems to be going Roxie’s way until Velma appears with Roxie’s diary: she reads incriminating entries in exchange for amnesty in her own case. Billy discredits the diary, implying that Harrison was the one who planted the evidence (“A Tap Dance”). Roxie is acquitted, but her fame dies moments later when a woman shoots her husband just outside the court. Flynn tells her to accept it, and admits that he tampered with her diary himself, in order to incriminate the district attorney and also free two clients at once. Amos remains loyal and excited to be a father, but Roxie cruelly rejects him, revealing that she is not pregnant, and he finally leaves her. Roxie does become a vaudeville performer, but is very unsuccessful (“Nowadays”). Velma is just as unsuccessful, and again approaches Roxie to suggest performing together: a double act consisting of two murderers. Roxie initially refuses, but later accepts when Velma points out that they can perform together despite their resentment for each other. The two stage a spectacular performance that earns them the love of the audience and the press (“Nowadays / Hot Honey Rag”). The film concludes with Roxie and Velma receiving a standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience, and proclaiming that, “We couldn’t have done it without you”.
The film is based on the 1975 Broadway musical, which ran for 936 performances but was not well received by audiences, primarily due to the show’s cynical tone. A film version of Chicago was to have been the next project for Bob Fosse,[4] who had directed and choreographed the original 1975 Broadway production and had won an Oscar for his direction of the film version of Cabaret (1972). Although he died before realizing his version, Fosse’s distinctive jazz choreography style is evident throughout the 2003 film, and he is thanked in the credits. The minimalist 1996 revival of the musical proved far more successful, having played more than 7,800 performances (as of August 2015), holding records for longest-running musical revival, longest-running American musical on Broadway, and third longest-running show in Broadway history. Its runaway success sparked a greater appreciation of the 1975 original production and renewed stalled interest in a long-anticipated film adaptation, which incorporates the influences of both productions.[5] The original production’s musical numbers were staged as vaudeville acts; the film respects this but presents them as cutaway scenes in the mind of the Roxie character, while scenes in “real life” are filmed with a hard-edged grittiness. (This construct is the reason given by director Marshall why “Class,” performed by Velma & Mama, was cut from the film.)[6] The musical itself was based on a 1926 Broadway play by Maurine Watkins about two real-life Jazz-era murderers Beulah Annan (Roxie Hart) and Belva Gaertner (Velma Kelly). The George Abbott-directed production, starring Francine Larrimore and Juliette Crosby, ran for 172 performances at the Music Box Theatre, and within a year was adapted to a film in which Gaertner herself had a cameo. Chicago was produced by American companies Miramax Films and The Producers Circle in association with the German company Kallis Productions. Chicago was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The courthouse scene was shot in Osgoode Hall. Other scenes were filmed at Queen’s Park, former Gooderham and Worts Distillery, Casa Loma, the Elgin Theatre, Union Station, the Canada Life Building, the Danforth Music Hall, and at the Old City Hall.[citation needed] All vocal coaching for the film was led by Toronto-based Elaine Overholt, whom Richard Gere thanked personally during his Golden Globe acceptance speech.
Production and development
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Musical numbers Main article: Chicago: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture “Overture / All That Jazz” – Velma, Company “Funny Honey” – Roxie “When You’re Good to Mama” – Mama “Cell Block Tango” – Velma, Cell Block Girls “All I Care About” – Billy, Chorus Girls “We Both Reached for the Gun” – Billy, Roxie, Mary, Reporters “Roxie” – Roxie, Chorus Boys “I Can’t Do It Alone” – Velma “Mister Cellophane” – Amos “Razzle Dazzle” – Billy, Company “A Tap Dance” - Billy “Class” – Velma and Mama (cut from film; included in DVD and 2005 broadcast premiere on NBC) “Nowadays” – Roxie “Nowadays / Hot Honey Rag” – Roxie, Velma “I Move On” – Roxie and Velma (over the end credits) “All That Jazz (reprise)” – Velma, Company
Plot Ali Rose (Aguilera) moves to Los Angeles after she quits her bar job when her boss refuses to pay her. Once in L.A., she tries and fails at every audition she does until one night, she finds herself unknowingly in a burlesque club when she hears the music on the street. She finds Tess (Cher) and the dancers performing “Welcome to Burlesque” and decides to pursue a career on stage once she meets Jack (Gigandet). Jack refers her to Tess for an audition, but is rejected instantly and ushered out by Sean (Tucci). Instead of leaving, Ali begins serving customers at the club as a waitress, while Tess and Sean observe with Jack asking Tess to give Ali a chance. When Georgia (Hough) becomes pregnant, auditions are held to replace her. Ali begins her audition when everyone leaves, and after performing “Wagon Wheel Watusi”, persuades Tess to allow her to become one of the club’s dancers, much to the annoyance of Nikki (Bell), a performer who is always late and caught drinking before numbers. One day Ali has to replace Nikki on stage because Nikki is too drunk to perform. Nikki sabotages the performance by turning off the music that the dancers usually lip sync to but before the curtain is dropped down, Ali impresses everyone with her amazing singing skills. Tess immediately decides to have Ali be the star of a whole new show at the club. It becomes increasingly popular and Ali enjoys her newfound stardom while Nikki fumes in the background. Despite the club’s growing success, Tess is still unable to pay the bank all the money that she owes it. One night after the club closes, Tess, worried with the club’s economic prospects, sings “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me”. A very jealous Nikki shows up drunk and picks a fight with Tess, calling Ali a “slut with mutant lungs”. Tess, who has grown frustrated with Nikki, questions her gratitude for the help she has received. Angered, Nikki quits on the spot (before falsely confessing that she slept with Vince after his and Tess’ honeymoon), and the altercation ends when Tess angrily retaliates by smashing the passenger side window on Nikki’s convertible with a crowbar. Tensions arise between Ali and Jack as Marcus grows increasingly infatuated with Ali, making Jack jealous. At Georgia’s wedding, Jack appears to call off his engagement, getting drunk. That night, Ali and Jack sleep together, but the following morning Jack’s fiancé, Natalie (Agron), returns unexpectedly from her play in New York and tells Ali that the engagement is still on. Jack denies this, and while trying to fix things, he asks Ali to leave. Feeling heartbroken and betrayed, Ali runs to Sean for support, who prompts her to go with Marcus after his phone call. While spending time with Marcus, Ali finds out about “air rights”, which refers to the empty space above a building and what can be done with it. Ali breaks things off with Marcus after she sees his plans to build a skyscraper on the property the club is on. Ali tells Tess, and together they inform the owner of the new million-dollar condos across the street; fearing the loss of business that would result from the obstruction of his prospective tenants’ view, he purchases the air rights to the club’s property. The resulting money is enough for Tess to buy out Vince’s share, pay off the bank, and re-fashion the club to her own vision. She also makes up with Nikki and rehires her at the club. In the end Ali, having reunited with Jack and earned Nikki’s respect, performs “Show Me How You Burlesque” with all of the dancers, a song which Jack wrote and finally finished.
Burlesque is a 2010 backstage musical film written and directed by Steven Antin. It stars Cher and Christina Aguilera. The film was released on November 24, 2010 in North America. This film was the debut of pop singer Aguilera as an actress, and also starred Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci and Dianna Agron. Cher and Aguilera contributed to the soundtrack album, with Aguilera contributing eight out of the ten songs and Cher taking the remaining two. The album was released in the USA on November 22, 2010[3] and received two nominations at the 54th Grammy Awards. The song “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me”, penned by Diane Warren and sung by Cher, won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 2011, while the movie was nominated for the Golden Globe Award in the Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category. The film has grossed over $110 million worldwide. It is rated PG-13.
Production Aguilera made her theatrical film and musical debut as the lead character, a “small-town girl with a big voice,” who finds work at a Los Angeles Neo-Burlesque club, inspired by Bob Fosse’s Cabaret and European Burlesque entertainment.[11] Burlesque started shooting on November 9, 2009[5] and ended on March 3, 2010. Cher co-stars in her first film role since 2003’s Stuck on You and first musical film.[12] She plays Tess, a former dancer who struggles to keep the nightclub open and serves as a mentor to Aguilera’s character, Ali. Aguilera’s love interest is played by Cam Gigandet, Stanley Tucci is the nightclub’s manager, and Alan Cumming, Kristen Bell, Eric Dane, and Julianne Hough round off the cast. [5] Dianna Agron makes a cameo as Jack’s fiancee, Natalie. Director Steven Antin wrote the original
screenplay. Diablo Cody (Juno) revised it uncredited.[13] It was later further revised by Susannah Grant, also uncredited.[11] Burlesque is Screen Gems’ most expensive movie, with the exception of the Resident Evil films, with costs of $55 million.[14]
Musical numbers “Something’s Got a Hold on Me (Christina Aguilera)” – Ali and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe “My Drag (Deva Dragon & Squirrel Nut Zippers)” – The Burlesque Lounge Troupe “Welcome to Burlesque Tango” – The Band “Welcome to Burlesque (Cher)” – Tess and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (Swing Cats Remix) (Marilyn Monroe)” – Nikki, Georgia and the Burlesque Lounge Troupe “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (outro by Christina Aguilera)” – Ali “Long John Blues (Megan Mullally)” – Nikki “Nasty Naughty Boy (Christina Aguilera/instrumental version)” – Ali “Wagon Wheel Watusi (Elmer Bernstein)” – Ali “Ray of Light (Madonna)” – The Burlesque Lounge Troupe “That’s Life (Alan Cumming)” – Alexis (DVD Blu-ray Special Feature) “Tough Lover (Etta James)” – The Burlesque Lounge Troupe “Tough Lover (Christina Aguilera)” – Ali “I Am a Good Girl (Christina Aguilera)” – Ali “A Guy What Takes His Time (Christina Aguilera)” – Ali “Express (Christina Aguilera)” – Ali and the Burlesque Lounge
Troupe “Jungle Berlin (instrumental)” – Alexis and The Contortionists “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me (Cher)” – Tess “Bound To You (Christina Aguilera)” – Ali “Show Me How You Burlesque (Christina Aguilera)” – Ali and the Burlesque Lounge Troup
Soundtrack Main article: Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack The soundtrack album features ten tracks: eight performed by Aguilera including “Express”; and two performed by Cher which are her first original recordings in 7 years. The soundtrack includes a mix of original and cover songs. Both the ballads from the soundtrack – “Bound to You” performed by Aguilera and “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” performed by Cher – were nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Cher’s “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me”, which was written by Diane Warren, won the award.[15][16] In United States, the soundtrack was certified Gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies in October 2011[17]ww
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Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. In the early 1990s, she appeared on television series Star Search and The Mickey Mouse Club. In 1998, Aguilera signed with RCA Records and recorded her self-titled debut album, which was released in 1999. The album was a commercial success in the United States, spawning three U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles—”Genie in a Bottle”, “What a Girl Wants”, and “Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)”, and helped Aguilera win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. In 2000, RCA released Aguilera’s Spanish-language album Mi Reflejo and holiday-theme album My Kind of Christmas. Her 2002 fourth studio album, Stripped, ventured into various genres including hip hop, Latin, and rock, and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for its second single “Beautiful”. Aguilera’s 2006 fifth studio album, Back to Basics, was inspired by blues, soul, and jazz music of the 1920s-40s. The album peaked at number one on record charts of thirteen countries and won a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for its first single “Ain’t No Other Man”. In 2010, RCA released Aguilera’s electronic-influenced album, Bionic, which failed to match the success of her previous albums; later that year, she starred in her first film Burlesque. The following year, Aguilera was featured on Maroon 5’s top-ten single “Moves like Jagger” and became an original coach on the U.S. television series The Voice, having since appeared on five of its nine seasons. Her 2012 seventh studio album, Lotus, became the lowest-selling album of her career. However, she later experienced rehabilitated commercial success in 2013, being featured on the top-ten singles “Feel This Moment” and “Say Something”, which won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Aguilera has been recognized as a pop icon and earned the title “Princess of Pop”.[1][2] Her work has earned numerous awards and accolades, including five Grammy Awards, one Latin Grammy Award, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has sold over 17.9 million albums in the United States as of 2014 and 50 million albums worldwide as of 2011.[3][4] In 2009, she was ranked at number 58 on Rolling Stone ‘s list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, thereby becoming the youngest and the only artist under 30 to be named.[5][6] Billboard recognized her as the twentieth most successful artist of the 2000s, and Time listed Aguilera among the top 100 Most Influential People in the World of 2013.[7][8] Besides her work in the entertainment industry, Aguilera is involved in charitable activities through human rights, world issues, and her work as a UN ambassador for the World Food Programme. Aguilera is a soprano,[166] having a vocal range spanning four octaves (from Bb2 to C♯7).[167][168] Since the start of her career Aguilera’s voice has been compared to that of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.[169] David Browne writing for The New York Times noted that Aguilera’s vocal performance was highly influenced by Carey and Houston, sharing that “Aguilera has been one of the foremost practitioners of the overpowering, Category 5 vocal style known as melisma”, and “Ms. Carey, Ms. Houston and Ms. Aguilera, to name its three main champions, are most associated with the period from the late ‘80s through the late ‘90s”.[169] A journal by Ann Powers for the Los Angeles Times pointed out the influences of Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin on Aguilera’s vocal style, opining that the “Aguilera’s Streisand-esque
years during talent shows.[12] She also cites Mariah Carey and Celine Dion as an inspiration, she also covered the latter’s songs - These Are the Special Times on My Kind of Christmas and performed The Prayer on the NBC reality singing competition The Voice.[189][190] According to author Pier Dominguez of the book Christina Aguilera: A Star is Made, Aguilera stated that Carey and her debut single, “Vision of Love” (1990), had the biggest influence on her vocal style.[191][192] Aguilera points out the musical film The Sound of Music and its lead actress, Julie Andrews, as her first inspiration for singing and performing.[193] At the age of six, the film helped Aguilera cope with her violent childhood, “Bad things happened in my home; there was violence. The Sound of Music looked like a form of release”.[14] Aguilera credits Madonna and Janet Jackson as two biggest inspirations for her image, “for being re-inventive and being brave as strong females, to explore whatever, even if they do get bad press. It’s just like they were fearless”.[194] During the promotion of Back to Basics, her image was also inspired by the “Golden age of Hollywood” actresses including Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Carole Lombard, Greta Garbo and Veronica Lake.[195] Aguilera is also inspired by her Burlesque co-star, Cher: “I have always had tremendous respect for her. She is a woman who did everything before anyone else did it. She is an icon and she inspired me through some of my career. We’ve had similar costumes too!”[196]
Musical style and themes In contrast, Bionic (2010) sees significant influence from futuristic electronic music.[117] The soundtrack for her 2010 feature film Burlesque (2010) was influenced by Cabaret, and featured several established songs that were redone as dance numbers in a fashion similar to Moulin Rouge! (2001).[205] Aguilera partnered with mainstream producers including Shellback and Max Martin during production of Lotus (2012); when discussing her interactions with the latter, she commented that “He’s known about me but we haven’t crossed paths”, adding “Those records were the kind I wanted to stray apart from. If you look at what I did in the past (after my debut), I always try to do things that will challenge me and challenge the listener, too
tendencies” “[help] her [Aguilera] figure out how to become the ‘great singer’ she’s been dubbed since she released her first single, the wise-beyond-its-years ‘Genie in a Bottle’, at 18”.[170] Sasha Frere-Jones wrote in The New Yorker, “Aguilera doesn’t need to reincarnate Sarah Vaughan to be a serious singer. She already is one, in the tradition of nineteen-nineties pop and R&B, skillfully deploying melisma for razzle-dazzle”.[171] In 2003, Aguilera was placed 5th on MTV’s “Best Voice in Music Ever” list,[172] while ranking atop both COVE and Latina magazine’s best Pop and Latina vocalist of all time in 2004 and 2013 respectively.[173][174]
However, Aguilera has also been criticized for her excessive use of melisma and oversinging on songs and in concerts.[175 [176][177][178] John Eskow of The Huffington Post named Aguilera a main proponent for “oversouling”, described as the “gratuitous and confected melisma”.[179] Lucy Davies, a writer for BBC Music, opined that although Aguilera had “a stunning voice”, she “could be more varied, simply by cutting out some of the ‘y-e-e-eeeh, woah yeh’s’”.[180] Longtime produce Linda Perry, who wrote the song “Beautiful”, revealed about the recording sessions with Aguilera, “I tried to keep it straigh I told her to get rid of the finger waves. Every time she’d start going into “hoo-ha”, I’d stop the tape. I’m like, ‘You’re doing it again’”. Perry ended up using the song’s first take adding, “She had a hard time accepting that as the final track. She’s a perfectionist. She knows her voice really well, and she knows what’s going on. She can hear things that nobody else would catch.”[181] An editor from Entertainment Weekly, Chris Willman, stated that the oversinging on Aguilera’s albums was inspired by Carey, writing that “the Mariah venerators don’t get away with it so easily. Aguilera, for one thing, has a slightly nasal tone that really only becomes obvious when she’s overselling a song”.[176]
Aguilera has credited blues singer Etta James as her main influence and inspiration, elaborating, “Etta is my alltime favorite singer. I’ve said it for the last seven years – since I had my first debut record out – in every interview”.[182] Following James’ death in 2012, Aguilera was asked to perform “At Last” at James’ funeral.[183] Prior to the performance, Aguilera revealed, “There’s a line in this song that says ‘I found a dream that I could speak to.’ And for me that dream, all my life, has been Etta James”.[184] Other classic artists, including Billie Holiday, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald, are also Aguilera’s major influences; her fifth studio album Back to Basics is inspired by vintage jazz, blues and soul music records by them.[185][186][187]
Aguilera mentions Whitney Houston as another influence,[188] having performed many of her songs in her early