Review: Find Your Dream with PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL

There is always an inherent risk to taking a classic movie and trying to redo it in some way. That risk pays off with Pretty Woman: THE MUSICAL. This production has charm, humor, and that all-essential romance we love from the film. Missing out on this touring show would be a big mistake. Big. Huge.

Celeste:

I have to admit, I came into this show a huge skeptic. I have long been a fan of the movie Pretty Woman and its iconic pairing of Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. I had to ask, could the musical version really capture that elusive chemistry? I am beyond happy to answer YES! I was pleasantly surprised not only by the respect paid to the original film but also by clever additions that make the whole thing new.

I was quickly and completely enraptured by Happy Man, played by Kyle Taylor Parker. This character is a brilliant mashup of a couple of characters from the film who becomes a cross between a narrator and fairy godmother in the musical. He was energetic, he was all-in, and I was smitten. Pretty Woman has always had funny moments, but Happy Man is part of taking Pretty Woman: THE MUSICAL to new levels.

There are two other characters who brought the fun and the impact: Kit De Luca and Giulio. Kit De Luca, played by Jessica Crouch, is a larger-than-life personality on that stage and owns every minute of it. I was impressed by the power of her voice and the way it balanced and enhanced her character. Vivian is lucky to have such a best friend. Giulio, played by Matthew Vincent Taylor, was pure charm and physical comedy. He was featured several times in scenes where he barely spoke, if at all, and still managed to tickle the audience's funny bone.

If I were to pick a highlight from the show overall, it would have to be "You and I." There is no way to describe this scene other than incredible. It starts with the music, an insane crossbreed of opera and rock ballad that somehow lands perfectly. This is also the moment where Adam Pascal comes into his own as a vocalist and holds everyone in thrall as the lovestruck Edward. I would gladly watch this show on repeat to witness that scene again.

This show would not be complete without Vivian, played by Olivia Valli. Is she exactly like Vivian in the film? No, but that in no way detracts from the experience. Ms. Valli brings the allure with a mix of goofy and genuine that charms you from the start. She steps into the role with confidence and an approach all her own that is a joy to watch.

Dylan:

Pretty Woman: The Musical is the kind of crowd-pleasing show that rendered my critical analysis compleyely moot. Audience members don't go to such shows like this for their artistry, but to getaway. The excellence of the performance, and the story, and the numbers isn't as important as the musical's capability to wave the world and its problems away for a few hours. On that level, this musical version of the 1990 film that made Julia Roberts a star was superb.

Olivia Valli stepped into the role of Vivian, a spirited sex worker who strikes up an conversation with Edward (Adam Pascal), an bothered venture capitalist who needs a mate for a week - and who presents her with $3,000 for her time. As it was clearly a Cinderella story, the audience knew from the get-go that by the final song, Vivian and Edward will fulfill their destiny as a couple straight out of a fairy tale - but that honestly didn't matter to me.

Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell helped present a first-rate performance from a cast that truly elevated the material. Particularly Valli and Pascal for me, whose intense chemistry was the show's greatest asset. Against the odds, they delivered a Vivian and Edward who were just credible enough as characters to make their unlikely relationship plausible.

Also impressive was Kyle Taylor Parker in the roles of a Hollywood guide who seemed to have wandered in from another, more fantasy musical, and a somewhat subdued hotel manager. Among the show's numerous highlights was Parker's performance in the impressively staged number "On a Night Like Tonight."

Whether the setting was a lavish Beverly Hills or dingy downtown Hollywood, David Rockwell's set has a kind of "Sesame Street" friendliness, and Kenneth Posner and Phillip S. Rosenberg's lighting overwhelmed everything in Disney-esque shade of orange and fuchsia.

A special shoutout and my personal the loudest clapping came when Amma Osei, the soprano performing Violetta in "La Traviata," (big shoutout to Danny Drewes as well) sang her character's farewell declaration of love.

Don't miss those all-important words, "Welcome to Hollywood, what's your dream?" and instead experience this modern fairy tale for yourself. Pretty Woman: THE MUSICAL is playing now until February 20th at the Murat Theatre.