‘Pretty Woman:’ Musical adaptation of rom-com

‘PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL’: Andy Karl & Samantha Barks. Photo: Matthew Murphy

PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL
Book by Garry Marshall & J.F. Lawton
Music & lyrics by Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance
Directed & choreographed by Jerry Mitchell
Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st Street
(877) 250-2929
www.PrettyWomanTheMusical.com

By Scott Harrah

The musical stage adaptations of Kinky Boots and Pretty Woman were both directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Kinky Boots was originally a British indie movie turned into a spectacular Tony Award-winning musical, thanks mostly to Cyndi Lauper’s delightful score. Pretty Woman was a mega-hit Hollywood movie starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and has now been turned into a colorful, entertaining but otherwise middling rom-com musical that will thrill fans of the film.

The book by the late Garry Marshall and original screenwriter J.F. Lawton is really the old Cinderella story with a twist; this time it’s the prostitute that meets the millionaire. The musical isn’t advanced any further by Bryan Adams’ pleasant yet forgettable power-pop score, so it is difficult for Mr. Mitchell to infuse any real imagination and 21st century sensibility into the narrative when the book is still stuck in 1990 (the year the film was originally released).

What does work here is the delightful Samantha Barks as Vivian Ward, the pretty woman and Andy Karl as millionaire Edward Lewis. Ms. Barks makes an impressive Broadway debut with her spunky charm and a beautiful, soaring singing voice. Mr. Karl is superb as usual in an undemanding role. They have chemistry and they elevate the material to a reasonably enjoyable evening.

You probably already know the story: Hooker with a heart of gold Vivian (Ms. Barks) meets up with rich businessman Edward (Mr. Karl) on the street, he takes her to the posh Beverly Wilshire Hotel and she stays for much longer than just an hour or night. He falls for her and much of what’s in the movie is depicted here, such as the iconic scene in which she goes shopping on Rodeo Drive and snooty salesladies refuse to wait on her.

The songs by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, such as the opener “Welcome to Hollywood” and Vivian’s “Anywhere but Here,” are certainly ebullient, and Ms. Barks stops the show in Act II’s “I Can’t Go Back.” Mr. Mitchell’s trademark bouncy choreography is high-spirited in all the right places. However, as much fun as the show is, it’s also derivative at times. Case in point: The opening number of Act II “Welcome to Our World (More Champagne)” seems lifted straight out of the famous My Fair Lady number “The Ascot Gavotte,” but instead of dukes, earls and peers at the posh English horse race, we have catty Hollywood wives, society matrons and corporate tycoons all dolled up in Gregg Barnes’ lavish costumes, ready for a charity polo match in the California sun.

Pretty Woman mostly delivers the glamorous goods as a musical stage adaptation, with David Rockwell’s eye-catching sets. In addition to Ms. Barks and Mr. Karl, there are some fine performances from the cast, particularly Tony nominee Orfeh (for Legally Blonde) as Vivian’s animated, quick-witted friend Kit De Luca. Audiences will have a good time here in comparison to some of the lackluster musicals that opened this summer, but the most glaring flaw of Pretty Woman: The Musical is how anachronistic it is in the “#MeToo” era, when women and gender politics have changed American culture so much, and a fairy tale about a streetwalker meeting her prince just seems out of place in 2018.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published August 24, 2018
Reviewed at August 23, 2018 press performance.

‘PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL’: Andy Karl & Samantha Barks. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘PRETTY WOMAN’: (left to right) Andy Karl, Ezra Knight, Samantha Barks & Robby Crater. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL’: Eric Anderson, Samantha Barks, Andy Karl, Anna Eilinsfeld & company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICIAL”: Orfeh & company. Photo: Matthew Murphy

‘PRETTY WOMAN; THE MUSICAL’: (left to right) Ellyn Marie Marsh, Eric Anderson, Orfeh & Renee Martino. Photo: Matthew Murphy