It’s show time and if you like musicals, you’re in for a treat. I just saw a movie that brought to mind “Caberet,” “Chicago” and “Moulin Rouge,” but delivered a fun flavor all its own.
You see, “Underneath the city lights/There is a world few know about/Where rules don’t apply.  No.”
So sings mega star Christina Aguilera in her song “Show Me How You Burlesque.” It’s just one of the many numbers she pours her enormous vocals into for her major motion picture debut in “Burlesque,” which is in theaters now.
Aguilera stars in the film as a small-town girl who drops everything to move to Los Angeles and become a star. She winds up at an old-fashion, burlesque-style night club and goes from cocktail waitress on the floor to show-stopping main attraction on the center stage. She finds love and solves the club’s financial woes all in one musical stroke.
I was pleasantly surprised by “Burlesque.” I think my gal pals and I expected a mediocre but fun romp for Aguilera and Cher on the big screen, but instead we discovered in this film a huge guilty pleasure done up in spaghetti straps, pearls and high heels. Speaking of pearls, for one number, that’s all Aguilera wears on the stage. Yes, quite cheeky!
“Twilight” actor Cam Gigandet was yummy (He was that villainous James, remember?). Kristen Bell was formidable as ever, and Stanley Tucci is always a delight.
This isn’t an Oscar-caliber film, but there is a decent plot here, perhaps thanks to the infamous Diablo Cody’s influence on the script.
The real appeal of “Burlesque” is in the musical numbers that will have audiences — men and women alike — mesmerized.
I’m a fan!