The Rise and Fall of the 21st Century Musical

Burlesque, the most recent cinematic musical to hit theatres - starring the roaring talents of Christina Aguilera, left movie critics generally cold. However, after recently seeing the film Fl@unt is left pleasantly surprised. Yes, the plot is hardly original - small-town girl moves to the city of the stars hoping to make it big - however the enjoyment of the movie does not rely on the story thankfully.

The glitz, the sass, the songs - and the jewelled Louboutins - is what makes Burlesque a satisfying movie experience, as Aguilera successfully eases herself into the world of acting. Having said this, the film has its flaws of course.

The characters are generic, stereotypical and basic, fitting the recycled plot, however this is soon forgotten about once Ms Aguilera releases her pipes. Once, you realise that the aim of this film is to simply entertain and captivate for a couple hours you'll lose yourself into the world of stage performance.

Check this song performed by Christina perfectly capturing the essence from Burlesque:

So how should the modernised musical be portrayed? Looking back on past successes such as, Moulin Rouge and Chicago, it seems that as well as containing playful, showcasing performances, these musicals must include at least a couple of charismatic central characters with sincere - yet flawed - personalities in order for the audience to truly connect with the stories being conveyed, whether its  a doomed love affair or the plight of an abused woman.

These characters are usually played by season actors/actresses creating authenticity in the performances, yet they must also be able to put on a show. Catherine Zeta Jones particularly wowed audiences in 2002 with her portrayal of weary yet determined inmate Velma Kelly, winning an Oscar for the part in 2003. 

Attempts to recreate the magic of these award-winning modern musicals have been occurring ever since, sometimes hitting the right mark for the target audience (Hairspray) and other times falling flat (Nine). Recent musical failures may have discouraged others but Fl@unt believes the genre isn't dead yet....it just needs to be executed with care and in the right way.