Review: BURLESQUE THE MUSICAL, Savoy Theatre
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
Burlesque The Musical, now playing at the Savoy Theatre, follows small‑town Ali Rose as she arrives in New York and discovers a hidden burlesque club run by the formidable Tess. Packed with glittering production numbers and standout performances, the show invites audiences on a dazzling journey through ambition, rivalry and reinvention.
Jess Folley is a revelation as Ali. With a powerhouse range and commanding stage presence, she delivers a vocal performance that is nothing short of astonishing. Her riffs, control, and vocal power are so precise and rich, it is as though you are listening to the original Christina Aguilera.
Orfeh portrays Tess with strength and vocal richness, her tone reminiscent of Cher’s iconic alto. She brings warmth, presence and maturity to the role, but her character is let down by the material. Her solo number has the opportunity to anchor her emotional journey but lacks the necessary build and vocal intensity to leave a lasting impact. ‘You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me’, once an award-winning number and moment of catharsis in the film, is reduced to a brief and easily missed segment.
The staging, designed by Nate Bertone, is inventive and dynamic. A revolving stage, sunken platforms, and upper balconies are used to great effect, creating natural transitions and giving the production vertical dimension. Projections, including sweeping shots of New York, help orient the audience and create momentum between scenes. The use of space is especially impressive in Jackson’s flat, where minimalism contrasts sharply with the visual overload of the club.
Rory Beaton’s lighting brings theatrical polish and intensity to key moments, with bold spotlights, deep colour washes, and dazzling stage effects that elevate the production’s big numbers. The use of contrasting colours across the stage is visually stunning though, at times, certain lights directed out toward the audience feel somewhat blinding and distracting. Sound design by Ben Harrison supports the energy well, though ensemble clarity occasionally suffers in diction-heavy moments. Marco Marco and Roberto Surace’s costumes offer plenty of glitter and sensual flair, but often lean more into spectacle than storytelling. While glamorous, many looks feel overtly stylised or chosen for visual impact alone, and some of the cast's costumes lack flattering tailoring or cohesion. One styling misstep in particular comes in Act Two with an unpolished wig choice for Ali’s character, which disrupts the visual continuity of her earlier look and makes her appear noticeably less refined than the surrounding ensemble.
Todrick Hall also appears on stage as Sean and Miss Loretta, delivering charisma, comic timing and strong audience rapport. His Coldplay ad-lib brings genuine laughter, and he proves himself a triple threat: actor, singer, and dancer. However, his creative presence is so prominent, from direction to staging to choreography, that it occasionally overshadows the ensemble. His performance sparkles, but the production risks becoming more about his influence than the central narrative. This is especially evident in the musical numbers, where his new material contrasts sharply with the established songs from the original film.
The original film numbers are delivered with energy, polish and flair. ‘Express’ is particularly well executed. The choreography, staging and tone are all in perfect alignment with the spirit of the film. It is a slick, sensual, high-energy moment that captures the show’s potential at its very best and demonstrates the potential of transitioning this beloved musical film to the stage. ‘Show Me How You Burlesque’, used as the finale, is a visual feast. Golden BURLESQUE letters, glittering lights and confetti create a satisfying, high-impact close to the show. This makes it even more noticeable that the newer material falls short. Hall contributes nineteen new songs to the production and unfortunately, there is a clear mismatch in the musical identity. Hall’s stylistic imprint dominates the production to the point where it occasionally overwhelms the story itself. While his creative talent is undeniable, the show sometimes loses its narrative shape under the weight of a single stylistic vision. It often feels as though Burlesque The Musical is pulling in two directions, part homage, part the Todrick Hall show.
Paul Jacob French plays Jackson, Ali’s love interest. Though vocally solid, he lacks chemistry with Folley, their romance is not believable, and isn’t something the audience routes for. Asha Parker Wallace delivers a committed performance as Nikki and has a strong voice, but the character does not develop enough to serve as either a meaningful threat or a layered rival.
One of the most significant changes is the removal of a central plot point from the film, that Tess is the only performer who sings live, with all other girls lip-syncing until Ali’s voice changes everything. That narrative choice adds dramatic weight to the film, and the line “They don’t come to hear us sing” carries real purpose. In the stage version, this entire structure is gone. All performers sing live from the outset, so when Ali does, it feels routine. Her extraordinary talent, though clear, is not positioned as transformative. The moment that should be the turning point of the show is glossed over.
Though not without its flaws, Burlesque The Musical delivers an exciting night at the Savoy Theatre. Its lavish production values and powerhouse vocals culminate in a finale awash with glittering confetti that leaves the house buzzing. Jess Folley shines in a performance that cements her as a leading star, and Todrick Hall’s magnetic presence electrifies every scene. Film fans may find Hall’s expanded creative control as director, writer and choreographer both ambitious and distancing from the original emotional core, resulting in a bold reinvention rather than a faithful celebration. However, when the company tackles the original film numbers, they are executed with polish, flair and genuine excitement. The production’s energy and standout moments reminds us why Burlesque continues to captivate audiences 14 years later.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Laura Harris
