As the star of Burlesque the Musical, not only does Jackie Burns have to meet the expectations of the legions of fans who were captivated by the original movie upon which the show is based, she also has to step into the shoes of Cher.
“Honestly,” she says, “I think this is the most nervous I have ever been. There is no pressure that anyone can put one me that is bigger than the pressure I put on myself. Nobody wants to do this role more justice.”
Burlesque had its world premiere in Manchester in June where a two-week run at the Opera House sold out within days. Now the show is returning to the theatre for an extended run next month.
Jackie plays Tess, the forthright owner of an underground club, the role Cher took on in the 2010 film which has achieved cult status.
Jackie is no stranger to major roles. She has played Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway more times than any other performer and has also starred in Hair and most recently played Celine Dion in the smash Off Broadway hit Titanique.
But, she acknowledges, that bringing Burlesque the Musical to the stage has been a special challenge.
“I am a huge fan of the movie,” she said, “it means so much to me.
“When I was on tour with Wicked in 2010 I was away from home in Toronto and it was Thanksgiving and we had show that night. I was missing my family and as a cast we went to see matinee of Burlesque. It was awe-inspiring; it gave us the strength to go and do the show that night. It reaffirmed all the reasons why we got into this business in the first place.
“So if you’d told me then I’d be playing the Cher role in the world premiere of Burlesque the Musical I would have said ‘you’re punking me’. There was no way that was going to happen. I still have those pinch me moments when I think ‘am I really doing this or will I be waking up from a really good dream being really sad that it’s not true?’.”
From the outset, Jackie was determined that she would not do an impersonation of Cher.
“As an actor you try things out to see what may and may not work,” she said. “Maybe at the very start of rehearsals I thought that I could try and be Cher but I knew that wasn’t right.
“I knew I had to be my own version of Tess but at the same time felt it right to honour Cher. So there are certain things about Cher that I have infused in my performance.”
Tess is a hard-bitten character who takes no prisoners.
“Tess has zero apologies,” said Jackie. “She comes into a room and ‘bang’ she’s there. Bringing that energy and understanding how that works helped me to create my version of Tess.”
But is there any of Jackie in the character?
“I’m kind of goofy,” she laughed, “so I’ve tried to find those moments where you can have some levity and playfulness - that is very me.”
In Burlesque the Musical, Tess takes a young girl from a small town under her wing. In the film Ali was played by Christina Aguilera, a role taken on stage by newcomer Jess Foley.
Read also: Jess Foley's amazing rise from The Voice Kids to star of Burlesque the Musical
“Oh she’s just other worldly,” said Jackie. “She’s a brilliant actress, she can dance, she’s also the nicest human being and writes these amazing songs. You just think ‘what can you not do girl?’. She’s amazing.”
Fans of the film will notice a few changes in the stage musical which Jackie believes adds to the storyline.
“I won’t give anything away but they have changed a key plot point which has allowed us to see the other side of Tess.
“Also it’s not set in LA but New York which is a very different place,” she said. “And the dynamic between Ali and Tess is different which really adds to the stage show and makes their characters more human. It’s not all about these massive star numbers where they are singing and dancing, you get to see the vulnerability in these two women.”
Having been involved in the production from the outset, Jackie has seen the show evolve.
“Because we have effectively been creating this from scratch everyone has been really flexible,” she said. “We have been encouraged to have our input and things have continually evolved.
“What is special is that we have had a break between opening and returning to Manchester. That never happens. But it means we have time to let things marinate and the characters can only get more grounded.”
The audience reaction to those first shows was, according to Jackie “simply wild”.
“You never know how a show will turn out until you get it in front of an audience,” she said. “After every number they would be on their feet screaming a though it was a Taylor Swift concert - UK audiences are insane in the best possible way.”
Hopes are high that Burlesque the Musical will be given a West End run with a possibility that the way Jackie has portrayed Tess will influence future performers taking on the role in years to come.
“Oh, I’d really like that,” she laughed. “I’d be so happy if people wanted to play this role because of something I did.
“It is a special show and to get the great audience reactions is amazing. You feel so good about what you’re doing knowing they are having so much fun.
“How many people get to finish their day at work and have people standing and clapping them, is that not a gift? You have people wanting to take a picture with you because they say that you have made their day – that’s a pretty awesome job.”
Burlesque the Musical, Manchester Opera House, Thursday, October 3 to Saturday, November 2. Details from www.atgtickets.com
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