THIS TOUR of Pretty Woman the musical started last October right here at the Alex in Birmingham.
I missed it then but caught up with the show last night when it returned. It’s now in its tenth month on the road and finishes at the Lyceum in Sheffield in a few weeks’ time.
The road may have been long but the vitality on stage at last night’s performance showed no sign of weariness – quite the opposite in fact – almost like the electricity of a first night – gearing up, not winding down.
Picture by Marc Brenner. sThe show is of course based on the much-loved movie of the same name starring the wonderful Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. The film is an adult rom-com with no singing. Pretty Woman was of course the title song, not written for the film but a Roy Orbison classic that many of us have sung along with for the past six decades.
Refreshingly, the stage version is a musical in the proper sense of the genre with a great book by JF Lawton (who wrote the original movie script) and the late Garry Marshall and original, specially composed songs and score by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. No jukebox classics shoehorned in to try and fit a weak storyline and turn a quick buck.
The set by David Rockwell is stylish and simple. Like the show itself, it’s fast moving and transportive – from the backstreet corners on the seedy side of Sunset Boulevard to the sumptuous penthouse in the Beverly Wiltshire Hotel by way of Rodeo Drive – as the opening number says ‘Welcome to Hollywood!’
Just as the film, the musical is a love story between two people who become unlikely lovers. What starts as a business arrangement between hooker and client becomes personal. A cross between My Fair Lady and Sweet Charity with a bit of Madame Butterfly thrown in for good measure.
Picture by Marc Brenner. sThe sex scenes are erotic and tasteful and the whole show exudes naughty but nice. Powerful singing is backed by a driven orchestra via musical director and conductor Griff Johnson.
The ensemble cast are all high energy, engaging and diverse – they are not used simply to dress scenes but to be a synergy of back stories. All credit to the original director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell and to Dominic Shaw who has recreated it for this tour.
Oliver Savile is both charismatic and believable as Edward Lewis the businessman with a heart of stone, with Amber Davies equally so as Vivian Ward the happy hooker who melts it. They meld together perfectly.
Natalie Paris has a voice with a pitch to shatter crystal – she really rocks as Vivian’s chum and hooking mentor Kit De Luca.
Picture by Marc Brenner. sStrictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba is a revelation as Happy Man/ Mr Thompson the General Manager of the Beverley Wilshire. He is our guide for the Pretty Woman journey, often breaking down the fourth wall to call us in. Oduba is sleek, smooth and immensely watchable.
Lila Falce-Bass puts in a scene stealing gig as the mightily-lunged Violetta.
Picture by Marc Brenner. sI loved the film and quite honestly was not expecting to be quite so captivated as I was by the musical, which I can honestly say is ‘a stand-alone triumph!’
Pretty Woman runs at the Alexandra Theatre until Saturday, August 24. Click here for times, tickets and more information.
