If you’re a popular-enough movie with a strong feminine edge, there’s a good chance you have been, will be, or are receiving the screen-to-stage treatment. Over the last near-two decades we’ve seen such titles as Legally Blonde, Bring It On, 13 Going On 30, and Mean Girls all get the musical treatment, and now, the latest cab off the rank looks to a film that precedes such examples – 1990’s Pretty Woman, the staple romantic comedy that made a star out of Julia Roberts and idealized a premise that, admittedly, had its share of controversies.
The “hooker with a heart of gold” trope that the film was unable to avoid criticisms for is, thankfully, not something book writers Garry Marshall (who directed the original film) and original screenwriter J.F. Lawton even attempt to fix here, letting Pretty Woman: The Musical exist in its 1990s setting and revel in the escapism that the genre provides. It has a certain solid foundation already built in by riffing on much of the original dialogue, but it wisely doesn’t simply imitate what Roberts and Richard Gere put forth, with pop superstar Samantha Jade (the X Factor winner marking her stage debut here) and the suitably dishy Ben Hall placing their own stamp on respective proceedings.
The musical, which boasts music and lyrics from Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, largely follows the same narrative as Marshall’s film, but given how much of a rewatch movie Pretty Woman proves to be, even those overtly familiar with the steps won’t mind another iteration of Hollywood streetwalking sweetheart Vivian Ward (Jade, absolutely sublime) and her week-long contract with the corporate raider, Edward Lewis (Hall). We know where it’s going (“You work on commission, right? Big mistake. Big. Huge!”) and how it will end (“She rescues him right back”), but there’s not one care really given when it’s filtered through fresh interpretations and packaged amongst a beaming soundtrack of power pop that incorporates such subgenres as soft rock (Hall quite effortlessly dominates Edward’s lament, “Freedom”), anthemic ballads (Vivian’s “I Can’t Go Back” allows Jade to flex her vocal run ability), and rhythmic Latin (the showstopping ensemble number “On A Night Like Tonight”, fronted by charm personified Tim Omaji, which may just alter the way anyone will look at the tango going forward).
On the mention of Omaji, like Jade he has a certified pop performing background (Timomatic, anyone?), and his ability to stay “on” as a showman keeps Pretty Woman: The Musical consistently at an eleven. He largely plays double duty throughout the show, serving as Happy Man, an optimistic dreamer so often keeping Vivian and her cohort Kit (Michelle Brasier, the comedian proving pure dynamite here) company, and as Mr. Thompson, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel manager who can’t help but take a liking to Vivian’s fish-out-of-water temperament. Incorporating the character of Happy Man, enhancing the presence of Mr. Thompson, and fleshing out more of a character for Kit certainly gives the show a sense of padding, but none of it ever feels unnecessary, with their largely vibrant numbers proving a nice offset to the more emotionally charged tunes that belong to Vivian and Edward.
Though the film itself boasts a soundtrack that could have made way for one or two inclusions (Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love” and “King of Wishful Thinking” by Go West two of the more defining songs), music supervisor Will Van Dyke prudently favours the original music, trusting that the melodies created by both Adams and Vallance will worm their way into the audience’s ears; however, the show is all too aware it couldn’t go without Roy Orbison’s titular ditty, and so the defining pop tune slithers its way in when the audience are at their best.
As easy as it is to say that Pretty Woman didn’t need to be given the musical treatment, the absolute love for the movie will continually win out. And in a time with so much real world uncertainty, it feels like the most opportune time to celebrate live theatre, delight in escapism, and let Jade and Hall’s playful chemistry coexist alongside the greatness of Roberts and Gere. Honouring its source material as much as it is lining it with a slew of fresh brush strokes, Pretty Woman: The Musical is a divine treat that, to paraphrase Miss Ward, is so nice you won’t wanna let go.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Pretty Woman: The Musical is playing at Brisbane’s QPAC Lyric Theatre through to November 23rd, 2025, before arriving in Sydney at the Theatre Royal Sydney from November 30th. For more information and ticket purchases, head to the official site here.
