Pretty Woman the Musical at Regent Theatre
Cameron Woodhead
MUSICAL THEATER
Pretty Woman: The Musical ★★★
Regent Theatre, until 13 September
beautiful woman was always going to be a popular feature when it comes to film-to-music adaptations. Its gender and class politics may be obnoxious—perhaps unavoidable when you turn Cinderella into a yuppie fantasy based on the so-called “whore with a heart of gold” trope—but the 1990 film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere remains one of the most credible Hollywood romantic comedies of all time.
Cha-ching is just sleeping. Money is the true language of love, even though the story makes feeble gestures to suggest otherwise. beautiful woman. Its cultural impact rests at least as much on the romantic chemistry of the leads as it does on the celebration of conspicuous consumption, such as Rodeo Drive shopping scenes, gorgeous dresses and fast cars, and lavish banquets with too many forks.
For fans of the film, this musical adaptation presses firmly on the nostalgia button to put their fingers on the edge of their seats. Nearly every iconic look and scene is recreated, and you couldn’t ask for better music other than bringing Roy Orbison back to life.
Canadian songwriting duo Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance’s songs are ’80s-style soft rock ballads with powerful melodies and romantic energy. While the music doesn’t always do enough dramatic work, it does exude a rock concert vibe that makes up for some of the vocal pyrotechnics and occasional slacker stage work.
Chemistry is integral to making the tale fly, and Samantha Jade and Ben Hall are both charismatic and well-matched vocally. They create intimacy and even create a few tastefully erotic scenes that don’t look silly, although they are a little clumsy at replicating the dynamic from the movie.
Jade gives a pocket rocket performance as Julia Roberts; Hall controls most of the show’s embarrassing moments, suddenly breaking into song during the Richard Gere segment; but to be fair, it’s an uneven performance, with Jade’s outgoing naiveté easier to reconcile with the mastery of musical theater than an introverted male lead.
The supporting cast includes superbly comedic contributions from Michelle Brasier as Vivian’s wisecracking bestie Kit and a well-rounded contribution from Tim Omaji as a homeless man and classy hotel manager. Douglas Hansell has the unenviable task of playing an evil corporate lawyer responsible for a disturbing final plot point that includes an attempted sexual assault.
It reminds us that gender policies have changed since then. beautiful woman appeared for the first time, but ultimately it’s not the show’s biggest hurdle.
This comes from a sense of spectacle that does not use the various aspects of the craft to serve each other, but to use musical and dramatic art to create something greater than the sum of its parts.
beautiful woman It has fun scenes, unforgettable music, and fans of the movie should enjoy this nostalgic movie. Still, it feels overextended as a full-length musical and could have been turned into a play with songs or performed as a staged concert without losing too much.
Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead
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