Based on the hugely successful movie which made Julia Roberts a star, Pretty Woman was turned into a Broadway musical. The show opened last summer and was not nominated for a single Tony Award. The original cast is soon to finish its year long run so I decided to catch a glimpse of this critically dismissed but popular show.
Vivian Ward is a hooker but this is a fairy tale. The setting is “Hollywood – Once Upon a Time in the 1980s.” Edward Lewis is a corporate raider businessman who bumps into Vivian and wants to hire her. That proposal turns into a week long affair. Like our cockney Eliza in My Fair Lady, she’ll dabble in society; this time at the Polo grounds. She’ll go shopping. She will even break her cardinal rule and kiss her client on the mouth. It’s fairly unbelievable that this romantic comedy soft porn could be staged post #metoo and the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct Hollywood fiasco.
In my memory, Julia Roberts made the film somehow innocently charming and zingy fun. I found Samantha Barks’ performance to be effortlessly endearing and beautifully sung. She nailed her 11:00 empowerment number, “I Can’t Go Back.” Like the movie, you have to suspend all disbelief and ignore the slime factor to settle in and enjoy this musical. Ms. Barks (Éponine in the Les Misérables movie) ensures that will happen in a confidently radiant yet nicely grounded way.
As Vivian’s fellow working gal and best friend Kit De Luca, Orfeh (Legally Blonde) is brash, funny and her trademark pipes blast songs into the stratosphere. Eric Anderson (Kinky Boots, Soul Doctor, Waitress) completely steals the show from everyone onstage in the double role of Happy Man and Mr. Thompson. He is hilarious as the hotel manager who, oddly, becomes the real heart and soul of this musical. Happy Man is a philosophizing hobo and semi-narrator who opens Pretty Woman with Kit and the ensemble singing the woefully predictable “Welcome to Hollywood” number. It’s like “Welcome to the Renaissance” from Something Rotten but, unfortunately, far less tongue-in-cheek.
I am an enormous fan of Andy Karl who plays Edward Lewis. I’ve seem him in Rocky, Legally Blonde, On the Twentieth Century and the exceptionally fine but unloved Groundhog Day. He is never short of excellent. This role is not a perfect fit. I totally bought his musical comedy romantic male lead side but not the ruthless businessman which is a significant (if superficially developed) part of this plot.
1980’s pop icon Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance penned the very average but listenable soft rock score. Mr. Karl’s vocals fit the music nicely. He actually sounded quite a lot like Mr. Adams in hits like “Summer of ’69” and “Straight From the Heart.” The book is credited to Garry Marshall (the film’s director) and J. F. Lawton (the film’s writer). Expect no surprises in this unimaginative update.
Director and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell’s production is cheap looking and the action is fairly flat. The two-dimensional palm trees get to move in and out frequently to conjure California. The pastel lit backdrop makes you realize how inadequately space is used. Opulence and splendor is nowhere to be found in David Rockwell’s fairly basic scenic design.
Even the easy liberal Broadway targets misfired for me. The second act opens with another welcome song, this one called “Welcome to Our World (More Champagne).” The grossly wealthy Polo enthusiasts are having an event for charity and Vivian is clearly not in her element but smashingly outfitted. High society evilness is mocked with the cynical lyric “whatever charity we dug up.” I’ve known and worked for quite a number of super moneyed individuals. They may be pompous, self-involved and unconcerned for the common man in their business dealings. I have never met a single one who did not take charity very seriously (although having their name attached is the de rigueur narcissistic cherry on top).
All things considered, Pretty Woman is a reasonable evening in the theater. Fans of the film could orchestrate some drinks and dinner followed by this mediocre but pleasurable enough diversion. Two days ago there was an announcement that this musical is closing in August but planning a national tour in 2020. If you can ignore the ickiness factor perhaps Vivian’s unlikely princess story might be a fun night out with the gals. Cocktails are advised.