7 Showgirl Themed Films To Watch Now
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know by now that Taylor Swift has made some pretty major announcements lately. Her engagement post surpassed 1 million reposts on Instagram in just six hours, and of course, she’s created quite the flurry with news of her next album, The Life of a Showgirl, which she announced on the New Heights podcast, run by her fiancé, Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce.
In the lead-up to her album release on October 3rd, we’ve rounded up a list of showgirl-themed films to watch now, while we’re in the mood for glitter and feathers.
The Last Showgirl
Gia Coppola directs Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl as Shelly, a seasoned Las Vegas showgirl whose three-decade revue is unexpectedly shuttered, forcing her to reckon with her identity and the ghosts of her glittering past. Anderson is joined by Kiernan Shipka, Brenda Song, Billie Lourd, Dave Bautista and Jamie Lee Curtis in a powerful ensemble that makes the ideal girls’ night in watch.
Gia Coppola directs Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl as Shelly, a seasoned Las Vegas showgirl.
Burlesque
Released in November 2010, this glitzy musical showcases Cher as Tess, the owner of a fading Los Angeles burlesque club, and Christina Aguilera as Ali, a small-town dreamer who finds her voice on the stage. Rounding out the dazzling cast are Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming, and Peter Gallagher.
Moulin Rouge!
Baz Luhrmann’s kaleidoscopic musical Moulin Rouge! dazzled audiences on its 2001 release with Nicole Kidman as the tragic courtesan Satine and Ewan McGregor as Christian, an idealistic poet entangled in a fevered romance amid Montmartre’s Bohemian underworld. With John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, and Richard Roxburgh in supporting roles, the film blends some now-iconic tunes and dazzling sets to deliver one of the best showgirl films on the list.
Cabaret
Bob Fosse’s adaptation of the famed stage musical Cabaret premiered in February 1972, featuring Liza Minnelli in an Oscar-winning role as Sally Bowles and Michael York as Brian Roberts. Set in Berlin’s decadent Kit Kat Klub, the film unfolds as a haunting allegory of hedonism amid rising fascism, earning a whopping eight Academy Awards.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe lit up the screen in Howard Hawks’s hilarious 1953 musical comedy Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, portraying Dorothy Shaw and Lorelei Lee, respectively – two showgirls navigating men, money, and Manhattan with witty charm and unforgettable tunes. Released in July 1953, the film revolves around Lee and Shaw’s journey to Paris, pursued by a private detective hired by the suspicious father of Lorelei’s fiancé.
Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe lit up the screen in Howard Hawks’s hilarious 1953 musical comedy.
Chicago
Rob Marshall’s Oscar-winning musical Chicago, released in December 2002, stars Renée Zellweger as the fabulous Roxie Hart, while Catherine Zeta-Jones smoulders as fellow inmate and rival Velma Kelly. Richard Gere is as suave as ever as smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn, with Queen Latifah and John C. Reilly adding to the very memorable ensemble. A sharp critique of celebrity culture dressed up in dazzling choreography and sultry jazz, the film became the first musical in decades to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Gypsy
This lavish 1962 musical drama, adapted from the Broadway hit, had Rosalind Russell play Rose Hovick, the overbearing stage mother, and Natalie Wood as her reluctant daughter, Louise, who blossoms into the burlesque sensation Gypsy Rose Lee. Alongside Karl Malden, the film explores themes of ambition, identity, and the price of fame within the shifting showbiz landscape. For catchy music and fabulous costumes, this is a stunning showgirl-themed film.
