Pretty Woman
Broadway Playbill
MusicBryan Adams
Jim Vallance
LyricsBryan Adams
Jim Vallance
BookGarry Marshall
J. F. Lawton
BasisPretty Woman
by J. F. Lawton
PremiereMarch 13, 2018 (2018-03-13): Oriental Theatre, Chicago
Productions2018 Chicago
2018 Broadway
2020 West End
2021 US tour
2023 US non-equity tour
2023 UK tour

Pretty Woman is a musical with music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and a book by Garry Marshall and J. F. Lawton.[1] The musical is based on the 1990 film of the same name written by Lawton and directed by Marshall. It centers on the relationship that develops between Vivian Ward, a free spirited Hollywood prostitute, and Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman who hires her for a week to be his escort for several business and social functions.

The original production of Pretty Woman 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 David T. Nederlander Theatre on August 16, 2018, to generally negative reviews, and closed one year later on August 18, 2019.[2]

Background

The musical is based on the 1990 film Pretty Woman.[3] The film was produced on a budget of just $14 million,[4] earning over $463 million in global box office receipts.[5] 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.[6]

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.[7] The following year Marshall revealed that rights had been secured.[8] Although Marshall died in July 2016,[9] producer Paula Wagner said that work on the musical would continue.[10] In September 2017, it was announced that the show would receive its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago, before an expected Broadway transfer in fall 2018.[5]

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."[11] Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" was originally excluded from the musical.[12] On June 19, 2019, the show included "Oh, Pretty Woman" during the curtain call.[13]

Productions

Chicago and Broadway

Pretty Woman made its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre in Chicago, Illinois on March 13, 2018,[14] for a limited five week run until April 15.[15] Following its initial run it transferred to Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre beginning previews on July 20, 2018[16] before the official opening on August 16, 2018.[17] Cast for the Chicago and Broadway productions featured Samantha Barks, in her Broadway debut as Vivian Ward,[18] Steve Kazee and Andy Karl as Edward Lewis,[19] Orfeh as Kit De Luca, Jason Danieley as Philip Stuckey, Eric Anderson as Mr. Thompson, and Kingsley Leggs and Ezra Knight as James Morse.[17] 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 (who died in 2016) [21] and was attended by Marshall's family and Julia Roberts, who played Vivian in the original film.[22] A seat in the Nederlander Theatre was also 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][2]

The production was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell,[27] with set design by David Rockwell,[28] costume design by Gregg Barnes,[29] lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg[30] and sound design by John Shivers.[31] 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.[32]

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.[33]

US tour

A US national tour was planned to begin in October 2020 at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, but it did not open due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[34] The tour finally kicked off on October 9, 2021 at the Providence Performing Arts Center and closed on May 7, 2023 at the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center in Sacramento, California.[35][36]

West End

Pretty Woman began previews at the Piccadilly Theatre on the West End on February 13, 2020,[37] before the official opening on March 2, 2020.[38] Casting included Aimie Atkinson as Vivian Ward, Danny Mac as Edward Lewis, Rachael Wooding as Kit De Luca, Bob Harms as Happy Man/Mr Thompson, Neil McDermott as Philip Stuckey and Mark Holden as James Morse.[39] The show closed on March 16, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened with the same principal cast on July 8, 2021 at the Savoy Theatre.[40] Courtney Bowman joined the cast as Kit De Luca on November 15, 2022.[41] Oliver Tompsett took over as Edward Lewis on April 4, 2023.[42] The production closed on June 18, 2023.[42]

Cracow

A Polish-language production will open on February 14, 2021 at Teatr Variété in Cracow,directed by Wojciech Kościelniak, starring Adrianna Dorociak and Maria Tyszkiewicz as Vivian Ward and Rafał Drozd and Marek Nędza as Edward Lewis.

Milan

In April 2021 Stage Entertainment Italy announced the first Italian version of the show, which opened on 28 September 2021 at the Teatro Nazionale in Milan.[43]

Spain (2023–present)

A Spanish-language production officially opened on 27 September 2022 at the Teatre Apolo in Barcelona, starring Cristina Llorente as Vivian Ward and Roger Berruezo as Edward Lewis.[44]

US non-equity tour (2023–present)

A non-equity tour kicked off on 2 October 2023 at the Stanley Theatre in Utica, New York, starring Ellie Baker as Vivian Ward and Chase Wolfe as Edward Lewis.[45]

UK and Ireland tour (2023–present)

A UK and Ireland tour opened on 17 October 2023 at The Alexandra in Birmingham touring until September 2024.[46] Cast include Amber Davies as Vivian, Oliver Savile as Edward, Ore Oduba as Happy Man / Mr Thompson and Natalie Paris as Kit De Luca.[47]

Musical numbers

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

A number of songs Adams and Vallance wrote for the musical ended up not being used in the show itself. However, several of them were included in subsequent Bryan Adams albums: "Please Stay" was recorded for the 2018 compilation album Ultimate, "I Could Get Used to This" can be found on the 2019 album Shine a Light, and "I've Been Looking for You" was included in the 2022 album So Happy It Hurts. Adams also re-recorded all the songs that did make it into the show for the album Pretty Woman – The Musical, released March 2022.

Bryan Adams expressed some frustration about the songwriting process for the musical in the Dutch newspaper Metro. "Writing that musical was a masterclass in songwriting, it was also a masterclass in not losing your mind, as there was so much re-writing and rejection during the process of the production. But that doesn’t mean that the rejected songs haven’t found a home. I love I've Been Looking for You, Please Stay, and I Could Get Used to This, and of course it’s too bad they aren’t in the musical, but that’s the way the Broadway ball bounces."[50]

Cast and characters

Character Chicago[15] Broadway West End[51][52] US tour[53][54] US non-equity tour UK tour[55]
2018 2020 2021 2023 2023
Vivian Ward Samantha Barks Aimie Atkinson Olivia Valli Ellie Baker Amber Davies
Edward Lewis Steve Kazee Andy Karl Danny Mac Adam Pascal Chase Wolfe Oliver Savile
Kit De Luca Orfeh Rachael Wooding Jessica Crouch Rae Davenport Natalie Paris
Happy Man / Mr. Thompson Eric Anderson Bob Harms Kyle Taylor Parker Adam Du Plessis Ore Oduba
Philip Stuckey Jason Danieley Neil McDermott Matthew Stocke Liam Searcy Ben Darcy
James Morse Kingsley Leggs Ezra Knight Mark Holden — — —
Giulio Tommy Bracco Alex Charles Matthew Vincent Taylor Joshua Kring Noah Harrison
David Morse Robby Clater Antony Hewitt Alex Gibbs Kerry D'Jovanni Chomba Taulo

Notable cast replacements

Broadway (2018-2019)

West End (2020-2023)

Critical reception

Pretty Woman 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.[58] 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.[58][59]

The score by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance was generally described as "pleasant" but "bland".[60][61][58] 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".[60]

Awards and nominations

Broadway production

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2019 Broadway.com Audience Awards[62] 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. ↑ Jones, Chris (September 25, 2017). "Pretty Woman musical will have pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Gans, Andrew (August 18, 2019). "Pretty Woman: The Musical Ends Broadway Run August 18". Playbill. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  3. ↑ Passy, Charles (September 26, 2017). "'Pretty Woman' Is Coming to Broadway". wsj.com. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  4. ↑ Pretty Woman: 15th anniversary (DVD). Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Touchstone. 2005.
  5. 1 2 Paulson, Michael (September 26, 2017). "'Pretty Woman' as a Broadway Musical? Get Ready". The New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  6. ↑ "'Pretty Woman': THR's 1990 Review". hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood Reporter. March 23, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  7. ↑ Riedel, Michael (March 12, 2014). "'Pretty Woman' heading to Broadway as a musical". nypost.com. New York Post. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  8. ↑ Andriakos, Jacqueline (March 24, 2015). "Director Garry Marshall Speaks Out About Pretty Woman Musical". people.com. People. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Pretty Woman director Garry Marshall dies". telegraph.co.uk. The Telegraph. July 20, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  10. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Garry Marshall's Death Will Not Halt 'Pretty Woman' Musical", Playbill, July 20, 2016.
  11. ↑ Gans, Andrew. " Pretty Woman Musical, Directed by Jerry Mitchell, Aiming for Broadway in 2018–2019 Season", Playbill, May 25, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Pretty Woman: The Musical: Bringing Garry Marshall’s Passion Project to Life", ETOnline
  13. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (June 19, 2019). "Pretty Woman Musical to Incorporate Roy Orbison Hit". Playbill.
  14. ↑ "Broadway-Bound Pretty Woman Musical Begins in Chicago". playbill.com. Playbill. March 13, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  15. 1 2 Jones, Chris (March 29, 2018). "'Pretty Woman The Musical' opens in Chicago: Who needs Julia Roberts?". chicagotribune.com. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Pretty Woman: The Musical Begins Previews on Broadway July 20". playbill.com. Playbill. July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  17. 1 2 Clement, Olivia. " Pretty Woman Musical Finds Its Broadway Home, Sets Summer 2018 Opening" Playbill, November 21, 2017
  18. ↑ "Samantha Barks to be Broadway's Pretty Woman". bbc.co.uk/news. BBC News. September 26, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  19. ↑ McPhee, Ryan. "Jason Danieley Joins Broadway-Bound Pretty Woman Musical" Playbill, October 6, 2017
  20. ↑ Paulson, Michael (May 23, 2018). "Andy Karl Joins Cast of 'Pretty Woman' Musical". The New York Times. 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. ↑ Quinn, Dave (August 3, 2018). "Julia Roberts Catches Broadway's Pretty Woman: The Musical to Honor Director Garry Marshall". people.com. People. 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. ↑ McPhee, Ryan (August 13, 2018). "Grosses Analysis: Pretty Woman Breaks Box Office Record Before Opening". playbill.com. Playbill. 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. ↑ Cox, Gordon (September 25, 2017). "'Pretty Woman' Musical Sets Broadway Path With Bryan Adams, Garry Marshall". variety.com. Variety. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  28. ↑ "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.
  29. ↑ "Finding the Look for Pretty Woman On Broadway". playbill.com. Playbill. July 8, 2018. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  30. ↑ Clement, Olivia (January 22, 2018). "What to Expect From the Broadway-Bound Pretty Woman Musical". playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved April 2, 2018.
  31. ↑ Clement, Olivia (July 20, 2018). "Samantha Barks and Andy Karl on What Pretty Woman Is Really About". playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  32. ↑ Clement, Olivia (August 10, 2018). "Pretty Woman: The Musical Cast Recording Sets September Release Date". playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  33. ↑ Clement, Olivia (December 13, 2018). "Pretty Woman: The Musical to Play in Germany". playbill.com. Playbill. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  34. ↑ Peikert, Mark. " Pretty Woman National Tour to Launch in 2020" Playbill, May 8, 2019
  35. ↑ Harms, Talaura. "Pretty Woman Musical Confirms October Launch of National Tour" Playbill, July 13, 2021
  36. ↑ Gans, Andrew (October 9, 2021). "Pretty Woman: The Musical Tour, Starring Adam Pascal and Olivia Valli, Begins October 9". Playbill. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  37. ↑ Wood, Alex. "Pretty Woman musical West End dates, venue and more confirmed". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  38. ↑ 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.
  39. ↑ "Pretty Woman in the West End full cast announced | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  40. ↑ "PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL Will Return to the West End at the SAVOY THEATRE From 8 July 2021". www.bestoftheatre.co.uk. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
  41. ↑ "Courtney Bowman joins Pretty Woman in the West End | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  42. 1 2 "Pretty Woman sets West End closing date and announces new lead casting | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
  43. ↑ "Pretty Woman: il debutto del musical al Teatro Nazionale". 29 September 2021.
  44. ↑ Camps, Magí (September 6, 2022). "La versión española del musical Pretty Woman se estrena en Barcelona". lavanguardia.com. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  45. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (2023-08-23). "Full cast and route revealed for Pretty Woman: The Musical North American tour". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  46. ↑ "Pretty Woman: the Musical announces UK and Ireland tour | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  47. ↑ ChaCha (2023-07-11). "Pretty Woman The Musical UK Tour | 2023 - 2024 Dates & Tickets". Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  48. 1 2 "Pretty Woman Songs". ibdb.com. Internet Broadway Database. August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  49. 1 2 "Pretty Woman: The Musical – Opening Night at the Nederlander Theatre". playbill.com. Playbill. August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  50. ↑ Oitmann, Pierre (9 March 2022). "Bryan Adams trok zich niets aan van negativiteit tijdens lockdowns". Metronieuws.nl (in Dutch).
  51. ↑ "Leads Announced for PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL". bestoftheatre.co.uk. Best of Theatre. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  52. ↑ "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.
  53. ↑ "Pretty Woman: The Musical – Broadway Musical – Tour | IBDB". www.ibdb.com. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  54. ↑ Sullivan, Lindsey (September 7, 2021). "Full Cast Set for the National Tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  55. ↑ "Pretty Woman UK Tour". prettywomanthemusical.com. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  56. ↑ "Pretty Woman sets West End closing date and announces new lead casting | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  57. ↑ "Courtney Bowman joins Pretty Woman in the West End | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  58. 1 2 3 Soloski, Alexis (August 16, 2018). "Pretty Woman review – Broadway romcom transfer is a tasteless disaster". The Guardian.
  59. ↑ Verini, Bob. "Broadway Review: 'Pretty Woman: The Musical'", Variety, August 16, 2018
  60. 1 2 Holdren Sara. "Theater Review: 'Pretty Woman' and the Trouble With Onstage Nostalgia" Vulture, August 16, 2018
  61. ↑ Dziemianowicz, Joe. "'Pretty Woman' musical just feels wrong in the #MeToo era", New York Post, August 16, 2018
  62. ↑ 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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