Christina Aguilera, Cher premiere ‘Burlesque’; Ronni Chasen tragedy looms
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After weeks of buzz, a few revealing in-depth interviews and lots of hair and makeup, ‘Burlesque’ premiered in Hollywood with stars Christina Aguilera and Cher.
At Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Aguilera walked her first carpet as a film star, decked out in a green Elie Saab number. The mega-selling singer hit Hollywood Boulevard earlier in the day to receive her star on the Walk of Fame.
Cher knows a thing or two about fame, and as usual the 64-year-old defied gravity and Father Time, showing up with a youthful glow and an embellished black mini.
Director Steven Antin beamed over his supporting cast Julianne Hough, Cam Gigandet and Stanley Tucci as well as camp-loving luminaries including Will Ferrell, Kathy Griffin, Patricia Clarkson, Debi Mazar and AnnaLynne McCord (click the photo of McCord on the left to launch a picture gallery of celebrity arrivals). Chaz Bono, Cher’s son, showed up with girlfriend Jennifer Elia.
An after-party at Drai’s Hollywood at the W Hotel saw legend Jane Fonda holding court at her own inside tables, flanked with Ultimat vodka. Host and actress Ricki Lake turned up in full courtesan costume for the — you guessed it — burlesque-themed bash, while Aguilera enjoyed an outside table by the pool.
Though festivities continued until around 1 a.m., tragedy struck a guest off-site a half-hour earlier. After attending the premiere and after-party, longtime Hollywood publicist Ronnie Chasen was shot five times in the chest while behind the wheel of her Mercedes-Benz, which crashed into a light pole near Sunset Boulevard and Whitter Avenue in Beverly Hills.
Chasen, who lived in Westwood, was later pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she’d been taken by paramedics.
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‘Burlesque’ went through bumps and grinds to make it to the big screen
— Matt Donnelly
Twitter.com/MattDonnelly
Top photo: ‘Burlesque’ writer-director Steven Antin, second from the right, with actors Peter Gallagher, left, Cher, Christina Aguilera and Julianne Hough at the film’s Nov. 15, 2010, Hollywood premiere. Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press
Left photo: Actress AnnaLynne McCord blows a kiss on the ‘Burlesque’ red carpet at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Credit: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters