Pretty Woman: The Musical

Pretty Woman: The Musical is a musical with music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and a book by Garry Marshall and J. F. Lawton. The musical is based on the 1990 film of the same name written by Lawton and directed by Marshall. It centers around a free spirited Hollywood prostitute Vivian Ward, who is hired by Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman, to be his escort for several business and social functions, and their developing relationship over the course of her week-long stay with him.

Pretty Woman
The Musical
Broadway Playbill
MusicBryan Adams
Jim Vallance
LyricsBryan Adams
Jim Vallance
BookGarry Marshall
J. F. Lawton
BasisPretty Woman by J. F. Lawton and Garry Marshall
PremiereMarch 13, 2018 (2018-03-13): Oriental Theatre, Chicago
Productions2018 Chicago
2018 Broadway
2020 West End

The original production of Pretty Woman: The Musical premiered at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago in March 2018, with direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, and starring Samantha Barks and Steve Kazee, as Vivian and Edward. It made its Broadway debut at the Nederlander Theatre on August 16, 2018 to generally negative reviews, and closed one year later on August 18, 2019.[1]

Background

The musical is based on the 1990 film Pretty Woman.[2] The film was produced on a budget of just $14 million,[3] earning over $463 million in global box office receipts.[4] Written by J. F. Lawton, and directed by Garry Marshall, the musical centers around Vivian Ward a free spirited Hollywood prostitute who lives with her sarcastic wisecracking Greek American best friend and roommate Kit De Luca. Kit taught Vivian the prostitute trade. Vivian is hired by Edward Lewis a handsome wealthy businessman to be his escort for several business and social functions. And their developing relationship over the course of her week-long stay with him.[5]

In March 2014, it was announced that a musical adaptation of the film was being developed for the stage, with original screenwriter Lawton and director Marshall attached to write the book.[6] The following year Marshall revealed that rights had been secured.[7] Although Marshall died in July 2016,[8] producer Paula Wagner said that work on the musical would continue. "I know he would have wanted us to continue on and therefore we will bring this story to Broadway."[9] On September 26, 2017, the musical was officially confirmed, and it was announced that the show would receive its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago, before an expected Broadway transfer in fall 2018.[4]

In an interview, director Jerry Mitchell said that the score "will have the feel of late '80s-early '90s rock: That’s one of the great things about Bryan Adams—it's where he lives. So you’ve got the rock and roll stuff, the up-tempos."[10] "Oh, Pretty Woman" was originally excluded from the musical.[11] On June 19, 2019 Pretty Woman: The Musical included Roy Orbison's song "Oh, Pretty Woman" during the curtain call.[12]

Productions

Chicago and Broadway

Pretty Woman: The Musical made its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, Illinois on March 13, 2018,[13] for a limited five week run until April 15.[14] Following its initial run it transferred to Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre beginning previews on July 20, 2018[15] before the official opening on August 16, 2018.[16] Cast for the Chicago and Broadway productions features Samantha Barks, in her Broadway debut as Vivian Ward,[17] Steve Kazee and Andy Karl as Edward Lewis,[18] Orfeh as Kit De Luca, Jason Danieley as Philip Stuckey, Eric Anderson as Mr. Thompson, and Kingsley Leggs and Ezra Knight as James Morse.[19] Kazee left the show after the Chicago engagement due to "family reasons" and was replaced by Andy Karl.[20]

During previews on August 2, 2018, a performance was dedicated to Garry Marshall[21] and was attended by his family and original Vivian Julia Roberts.[22] A seat in the Nederlander Theatre was dedicated in his honor.[23] The musical broke the Nederlander Theatre box office record for an eight-performance week before its official opening August 16 with a gross of $1,142,989 (83.72% percent of its potential).[24] On July 9, 2019 Wesley Orbison and Alex Orbison joined the cast on stage to perform "Oh, Pretty Woman" to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the song's release and to pay tribute to their late father Roy Orbison.[25] The production closed on August 18, 2019, after 27 previews and 420 regular performances.[26][1]

The musical has a book by Garry Marshall and J. F. Lawton,[27] with direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell,[28] set design by David Rockwell,[29] costume design by Gregg Barnes,[30] and lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg.[31]

Hamburg

On December 13, 2018, it was announced that the musical will begin performances at Stage Theater an der Elbe, Hamburg, Germany on September 23, with an official opening night of September 29, 2019.[32]

US National tour

On May 8, 2019, it was announced that a US national tour will begin in October 2020 at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island.[33]

West End

Pretty Woman: The Musical began previews at the Piccadilly Theatre on the West End on February 13, 2020,[34] before the official opening on March 2, 2020.[35] The show has been closed since March 16, 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Music

Pretty Woman features an original score, with music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance,[36] sound design by John Shivers[37] and orchestrations by Will Van Dyke.[37] The musical uses a nine-member orchestra consisting of keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, violin, viola, and cello.[38] The Broadway cast recording for the musical was made available from Atlantic Records digitally on September 21, 2018. Physical CDs of the cast album went on sale October 26, 2018.[39]

Broadway

The musical numbers from the 2018 Broadway production are as follows:

Chicago

The musical numbers from the 2018 Chicago out-of-town production are as follows:

Cast
Character Chicago (2018)[14] Broadway (2018) London (2020)[41][42]
Vivian Ward Samantha Barks Aimie Atkinson
Edward Lewis Steve Kazee Andy Karl Danny Mac
Kit De Luca Orfeh Rachael Wooding
Happy Man/Mr. Thompson Eric Anderson Bob Harms
Philip Stuckey Jason Danieley Neil McDermott
James Morse Kingsley Leggs Ezra Knight Mark Holden
Violetta Allison Blackwell Kimberly Blake
Giulio Tommy Bracco Alex Charles
Alfredo Brian Calì Oliver Brenin
David Morse Robby Clater Antony Hewitt
Scarlett Anna Eilinsfeld
Rachel Jennifer Sanchez
Amanda Ellyn Marie Marsh Hannah Ducharme

Notable Broadway cast replacements
  • Adam Pascal replaced Andy Karl as "Edward Lewis" from January 15 to 20, 2019.
  • Brennin Hunt replaced Adam Pascal as "Edward Lewis" on July 22, 2019.

Critical reception

Pretty Woman: The Musical was generally poorly received by critics, with the show's writing being a frequent focus of criticism. Critics found that the gender dynamics of the movie's plot had aged poorly and that the musical had failed to bring the story up to date for 2018.[43] In his review for The New York Times, Ben Brantley criticized the verbatim reuse of dialog from the movie, writing that the show's creators had "hewed suffocatingly close to the film’s story, gags and dialogue." Critics from The Guardian and Variety took issue with the show's glossiness and what they perceived as an attempt to make a "G-rated family show" from the source material.[43][44]

The score by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance was generally described as "pleasant" but "bland".[45][46][43] Critics generally approved of the show's performers, particularly stars Andy Karl and Samantha Barks, but found they were unable to rise above the show's material. In a review for Vulture, Sara Holdren expressed sympathy for the show's performers, writing that they were "hooked up like defibrillators to a body that, no matter how much energy they pump into it, can’t be revived".[45]

Awards and nominations

Broadway production
Year Award Category Nominee Result
2019
 Broadway.com Audience Awards[47] Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical Andy Karl Won
Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical Orfeh Won
Favorite Diva Performance Won
Favorite Onstage Pair Samantha Barks and Andy Karl Nominated
Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female) Samantha Barks Nominated

References
  1. Gans, Andrew (August 18, 2019). "Pretty Woman: The Musical Ends Broadway Run August 18". Playbill. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  2. "'Pretty Woman' Is Coming to Broadway". wsj.com. The Wall Street Journal. September 26, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  3. Pretty Woman: 15th anniversary (DVD). Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Touchstone. 2005.
  4. "'Pretty Woman' as a Broadway Musical? Get Ready". nytimes.com. New York Times. September 26, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  5. "'Pretty Woman': THR's 1990 Review". hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter. March 23, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  6. "'Pretty Woman' heading to Broadway as a musical". nypost.com. New York Post. March 12, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  7. "Director Garry Marshall Speaks Out About Pretty Woman Musical". people.com. People. March 24, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  8. "Pretty Woman director Garry Marshall dies". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. July 20, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  9. Viagas, Robert. "Garry Marshall's Death Will Not Halt 'Pretty Woman' Musical", Playbill, July 20, 2016.
  10. Gans, Andrew. " 'Pretty Woman' Musical, Directed by Jerry Mitchell, Aiming for Broadway in 2018–2019 Season", Playbill, May 25, 2017.
  11. ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’: Bringing Garry Marshall’s Passion Project to Life (Exclusive)
  12. Pretty Woman Musical to Incorporate Roy Orbison Hit
  13. "Broadway-Bound Pretty Woman Musical Begins in Chicago". playbill.com. Playbill. March 13, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  14. "'Pretty Woman The Musical' opens in Chicago: Who needs Julia Roberts?". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. March 29, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  15. "Pretty Woman: The Musical Begins Previews on Broadway July 20". playbill.com. Playbill. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  16. Clement, Olivia. " 'Pretty Woman' Musical Finds Its Broadway Home, Sets Summer 2018 Opening" Playbill, November 21, 2017
  17. "Samantha Barks to be Broadway's Pretty Woman". bbc.co.uk/news. BBC News. September 26, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  18. McPhee, Ryan. "Jason Danieley Joins Broadway-Bound 'Pretty Woman' Musical" Playbill, October 6, 2017
  19. Clement, Olivia. " 'Pretty Woman' Musical Finds Its Broadway Home, Sets Summer 2018 Opening" Playbill, November 22, 2017
  20. "Andy Karl Joins Cast of 'Pretty Woman' Musical". nytimes.com. New York Times. May 23, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  21. "See Julia Roberts, Jerry Mitchell, and More Honor Garry Marshall at Pretty Woman". playbill.com. Playbill. August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  22. "Julia Roberts Catches Broadway's Pretty Woman: The Musical to Honor Director Garry Marshall". people.com. People. August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  23. "Julia Roberts Shows Up to 'Pretty Woman: The Musical' to Pay Tribute to Late Director Garry Marshall". etonline.com. Entertainment Online. August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  24. "Grosses Analysis: Pretty Woman Breaks Box Office Record Before Opening". playbill.com. Playbill. August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  25. VIDEO: Roy Orbison's Sons Perform 'Oh, Pretty Woman' With the Cast of PRETTY WOMAN
  26. Gans, Andrew. " Pretty Woman: The Musical Ends Broadway Run August 18" Playbill, August 18, 2019
  27. "'Pretty Woman' musical will have pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. September 25, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  28. "'Pretty Woman' Musical Sets Broadway Path With Bryan Adams, Garry Marshall". variety.com. Variety. September 25, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  29. "A Pretty Woman Musical Is Headed to Broadway and It'll Be Big. Huge". vanityfair.com. Vanity Fair. September 26, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  30. "Finding the Look for Pretty Woman On Broadway". playbill.com. Playbill. July 8, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  31. "What to Expect From the Broadway-Bound Pretty Woman Musical". playbill.com. Playbill. January 22, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  32. "Pretty Woman: The Musical to Play in Germany". playbill.com. Playbill. December 13, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  33. Peikert, Mark. " 'Pretty Woman' National Tour to Launch in 2020" Playbill, May 8, 2019
  34. "Pretty Woman musical West End dates, venue and more confirmed | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  35. Perks, Daniel (March 3, 2020). "Pretty Woman with Aimie Atkinson and Danny Mac in the West End: opening night photos". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  36. "Watch Bryan Adams Perform Song From 'Pretty Woman: The Musical'". rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. June 18, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  37. "Samantha Barks and Andy Karl on What Pretty Woman Is Really About". playbill.com. Playbill. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  38. "Pretty Woman: The Musical – Opening Night at the Nederlander Theatre". playbill.com. Playbill. August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  39. "Pretty Woman: The Musical Cast Recording Sets September Release Date". playbill.com. Playbill. August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  40. "Pretty Woman Songs". ibdb.com. Internet Broadway Database. August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  41. "Leads Announced for PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL". bestoftheatre.co.uk. Best of Theatre. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  42. "Full Casting Announced for the West End Production of PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL". bestoftheatre.co.uk. Best of Theatre. January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
  43. "Review", The Guardian, August 16, 2018
  44. Verini, Bob. "Broadway Review: 'Pretty Woman: The Musical'", Variety, August 16, 2018
  45. Holdren Sara. "Theater Review: 'Pretty Woman' and the Trouble With Onstage Nostalgia" Vulture, August 16, 2018
  46. Dziemianowicz, Joe. "'Pretty Woman' musical just feels wrong in the #MeToo era", New York Post, August 16, 2018
  47. Evans, George (April 19, 2019). "'Be More Chill', 'Pretty Woman' Top Broadway's Audience Choice Awards". Broadway.com. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
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