Melbourne Reviews

Adapting a beloved film with the cultural status of 1990s Pretty Woman is a huge creative swing. Even when the team behind the musical are the original creators of the film, translating a potentially dated and dark story of a sex worker into a genre more accustomed to ‘razzle dazzle’ than pimps and prostitutes is a risk.

Garry Marshall, who directed the original film, and J.F. Lawton, who wrote its screenplay, reunited to write the book for the musical. It’s impressive material to pull from, and many of the film’s original scenes are recreated verbatim on stage, including many scenes seared into my brain from watching it dozens of times over the years.

Part of the Pygmalion universe, Pretty Woman leans into the ancient Greek myth of Pygmalion, a disillusioned sculptor who creates a statute of his ideal woman. Pygmalion falls in love with the statue, and, at the behest of the goddess of love Aphrodite, she comes to life.

George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion captured this in 1913 and then again in 1956 and 1964 with the direct musical adaptation, My Fair Lady. Since then, there have been dozens of interpretations of the rags-to-riches tale that creates the ‘perfect woman’ under the watchful eye of the male gaze … it’s starting to sound like toxic masculinity has been around long before the ‘manosphere’ existed.

The success of My Fair Lady for over 70 years would make Pretty Woman an ideal vehicle for a musical adaptation. However, while the fairytale elements are timeless, this plot doesn’t translate into the musical theatre genre so easily.

The music by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance is nondescript to say the least. Sung by a cast of supremely talented singers, the lack of variation or defining characteristics quickly becomes uncomfortably monotonous.

Samantha Jade shows off her incredible vocals in the role of Vivian. However, she leans into the goofier elements, making Vivan more cartoonish than a fully fledged person. Tim Omaji is working harder than anyone as he pivots between roles; a sort of camp Greek chorus, he moves the narrative along with effortless professionalism. Ben Hall as Edward is another incredible vocalist with not much to do. He has all the charm and swagger of the original character played by Richard Gere, but the script takes his transformation from buttoned-up businessman to Shakespeare-spouting free spirit into two-dimensional pantomime territory. Rounding out the principal cast is Michelle Brasier as Kit Deluca, who not only has the vocal chops to match Jade but is also a gifted comedienne who delivers Kit’s lines with sass and specificity. Brasier quickly becomes the most interesting person on stage, giving a highly memorable and joyful performance.

The costuming by Tom Rodgers is perfection, and the sets by David Rockwell are both efficient and effective.

Pretty Woman The Musical is a production that should work. The material is already there – the audience of nostalgia-loving Millennials and Gen X are waiting … but it somehow misses the mark. Even with the original creators of the film behind it, the heart and soul that made Pretty Woman so iconic is missing from the musical and ultimately gives more bachelorette party than Broadway.