Review: PRETTY WOMAN at The Hippodrome

Pretty Woman, The Musical has shimmered onto the stage at Baltimore's Hippodrome and landed squarely on it's Jimmy Choo'd feet. A bold and brassy tune fest, it's an homage to the 1990 film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere and this version's cast is definitely up to the inevitable comparisons.

On the off-chance any readers are unfamiliar with this Cinderella plot line (although in this version she's referred to as Cinderf&*^&*^ella), we have a very nice lady who's fallen on hard times and taken to working the streets of Hollywood as a prostitute, name of Vivian Ward, who meets a melancholy billionaire, one Edward Lewis, who hires her to warm his bed and be his escort on the DL for a week. While ensconced at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Vivian is exposed to the kind of lifestyle girls like her are seldom, if ever, privy to. Vivian's best friend and roommate, Kit De Luca, along with the staff of the hotel offer advice and commentary along the way, leading to the Prince Charming rescue moment at the climax. Which nonetheless begs the question, 'just who rescued who?'

With music and lyrics by 90s pop star Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance and a book by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton, the musical tracks pretty closely to the plot scenes in the movie. Julia and Richard created two of the most beloved characters in contemporary rom-com and their story has benefited quite nicely by the addition of the musical backdrop.

Multiple Tony award winner Jerry Mitchell's direction is crisp and serves the story line well. He fills the space between scenes with clever business and one of the funniest bits on the stage is his use of Vivian's wig as an improvised feather duster. You have to see it to get it, but trust me, it's hysterical. His choreography falls a little short of some of his previous work that I'm familiar with (especially Kinky Boots and Hairspray) but we'll give him a pass on that score. The overall effect is one of a seamless, well-paced production.

David Rockwell's scenic design with flying set pieces is clever and well imagined, and Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg illuminate the cast and set beautifully. My one small quibble would be with the sound levels at the show's opening, which veered for me into the strident. Costumes were also period and well planned by Gregg Barnes.

The ensemble is outstanding. With a nod to diversity, the multiple ethnicities represented contain some outstanding voices, particularly the duo who sing the duet from La Traviata, Christian Douglas and Amma Osei. And especially Trent Soyster as Guilio, who all but steals the show with his rubber band body and excellent comedic timing. Matthew Stocke is appropriately smarmy as the slimy lawyer played by Jason Alexander in the movie.

Understudying the part of Happy Man last night was Michael Dalke, called in for this performance. Doing double duty as the Hotel Manager, this guy had everything. I'll tell you, my husband falls asleep during most productions (even the ones I'm in) but he was so entertained by Mr. Dalke that he didn't miss a single minute. The two characters Dalke portrays couldn't be more different and yet he was totally believable and thoroughly entertaining in both. Big props to a wonderfully talented actor.

Jessica Crouch's Kit De Luca has a voice that can give you the shivering fits. Raw, gutsy with a vocal range that is amazing, she struts across the stage like she owns the place, but lets her tender side peep out from time to time where her best friend Vivian is concerned. Her streetwise, protective nature is a joy - the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold, even though she probably 'borrowed' it from somebody else.

I've had a thing for Adam Pascal for decades, ever since his early days as one of the original cast of Rent. His Edward Lewis is just the right mix of detached neediness and smoldering sexiness. He's aging disturbingly well (might there be a portrait in somebody's attic, hmmm?) And the voice has never sounded better. As he finds himself falling for Vivian (which rather strained my sense of credibility at the beginning) it was his sheer talent and ability to play to his strengths as an aging heartthrob that makes this such an enjoyable performance.

And as for Oliva Vallli, she is a more than worthy successor to the patent leather thigh-high boots of Ms. Roberts. Beautiful and uber-talented, she is a vocal powerhouse that makes her character totally distinctive. You can't unsee Julia, but you can definitely forget about her while Ms. Vali is on stage. Her Julia is louder, more fun, less guarded and more open. And that voice! I hope this is the first of many more opportunities we'll get to see her on local stages, but she's worth a trip to anywhere she is.

So the Pretty Woman is alive and well, doing her thing with all the backbone and grit as a Hollywood Hooker with more than the golden heart. This one has her own ideas, makes her own choices, sets her own terms and calls her own shots. Don't let her get away without seeing her this time around!

Pretty Woman runs through April 10, 2022 at The Hippodrome, 12 North Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD. Click here for information and tickets.

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