A Pretty Woman Came to Austin
By Mason Wenzel
When Edward and Vivian, Pretty Woman’s lead characters, attend a performance of Verdi’s La Traviata, he tells her opera is something you either love or you don’t. You can learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of your soul.
The same is true for Pretty Woman: The Musical.
The National Tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical, a theatrical-retelling of the iconic 1990 film, passed through Austin’s Bass Concert Hall from Jan. 17 to Jan. 22.
Some movies translate well to the stage. Pretty Woman isn’t one of them.
The musical, written by Gary Marshall and J.F. Lawton, tells a simple story. Edward, a New York billionaire, meets Vivian, a Hollywood Boulevard prostitute. He buys her for the week so she can accompany him to various business events, where he hopes to close on a lucrative deal.
Edward initially sees her as a means to an end. But Vivian’s charm overcomes Edward’s stone facade, and they fall in love.
He saves her from the streets, and she saves him from himself.
This gendered, white-knight-savior premise has been the crux of many who say the story is questionable. And at first glance, it is.
In the film, you get a sense there is so much more happening beneath the surface. Which is the reason why, despite its problematic premise, the film remains a beloved classic.
The musical fails to capture the subtleties that made the 1990 film so great.
It’s hard to see tears swell in Vivian’s eyes during the opera from the second balcony. From so many rows away, it is easy to miss the moment when Edward decides to kiss Vivian on the mouth, something they both agreed was too personal for a transactional relationship.
You don’t feel emotional depth in the musical, no matter how hard it tries.
Iconic scenes from the film — the sudden snap of the jewelry box, Vivian’s shopping spree, the opera — are replicated in the musical, but feel like fan service instead of genuine moments.
The musical was entertaining when considered separately from its film predecessor.
It executes what all good musicals should. There’s powerful singing, fun dances, smooth transitions, and creative lighting.
Jessie Davidson portrayed Vivian Ward. She had big shoes to fill.
Well, thigh-high black leather boots, that is.
Davidson commanded the stage with charisma, and filled the theater with a belting vibrato becoming of a would-be Broadway star.
Adam Pascal’s portrayal of Edward Lewis brought complexity and compassion to the role. In the film, Edward can come off a little hollow. Several musical numbers and dialogue tweaks fleshed out Edward for the better.
Another character of note is Happy Man, portrayed by Travis Ward-Osborne. He represents several fun side characters, including a Hollywood Boulevard charlatan and the hotel manager.
He added vibrance and energy to every scene, and the loud applause he received at bows indicated he was a fan favorite.
Costuming was perhaps the most impressive technical element of the musical. Vivian sports a variety of outfits that perfectly matched her iconic looks from the 1990 film – the red dress, the thigh-high boots, the large sun hat – they all make an appearance.
Except for the brown polkadot dress from the polo match scene. In a moment which broke the fourth wall, Happy Man apologized to the audience before a curtain rose and revealed her dress was blue.
While it fails to capture the charm of the 1990 film, Pretty Woman: The Musical was a fine performance worth the price of admission. It was easy to digest, entertaining, and filled with lots of fun and happy scenes.
The defining moment when Edward falls in love with Vivian occurs during a rousing performance of La Traviata’s “Che fai?” where the opera’s lead female passionately proclaims her love to the opera’s lead male.
The song is in Italian, but you understand every word. The emotion stirs in your stomach, crawls through your chest, and buries itself right behind your eye balls.
A tear or two is the only appropriate response.
Vivian sheds a tear, and Edward’s dry eyes notice.
Edward doesn’t love opera. Although he’s learned to appreciate it and recognize its beauty, he doesn’t get it. Opera is not a part of his soul.
But it’s a part of Vivian’s. And if her heart is big enough to love opera, then maybe she can love him, too, he thinks.
Leave it to a 170-year-old opera to provide some emotional support to a musical that desperately needs it.
Pretty Woman: The Musical — ***
Pretty Woman: The Musical will visit the Barbara B. Mann PAC in Ft. Meyers, Florida, from Feb. 21–26.
