Girls night out! Modern fairytale Pretty Woman enjoys OZ premiere in Brisbane – with music
The hit film that made Julia Roberts a big star is the inspiration behind Pretty Woman: The Musical, which is having its Australian premiere in Brisbane.
These days musical adaptations take their cue from beloved hit movies more than stage plays – and that post-1990s trend has seen musicals increasingly dominate Australia’s live performance box office.
Pretty Woman: The Musical is the latest of these big international shows to hit our shores, with Brisbane scoring the honour of delivering the Australian premiere spearheaded by Samantha Jade in the role that made Julia Roberts a superstar.
I reviewed the 1990 movie for Brissie’s long-lost Sunday Sun newspaper, and I loved it. The Cinderella romantic fantasy overlaid those thigh-high boots with so much comedy, charm, charisma and couture that I, along with millions of others worldwide, happily turned a blind eye to the story’s philosophically challenging aspects.
Although rom-coms aren’t my favourite genre because often they’re not particularly funny, Pretty Woman was, and remains, my favourite. And when films, TV shows or concerts are blissfully satisfying, I’d rather preserve that memory than potentially have it diminished by a sequel, remake or adaptation.
So if I’m attached to the source material, I tend to approach musical conversions with some apprehension.
On the other hand, there are legions of movie fans who have wanted and waited decades for Pretty Woman: The Musical. The length of its creative development, and the fact that legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton wrote the musical’s book, guaranteed its faithfulness by reproducing key scenes and memorable lines.
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Even though plot and character details have been altered, expanded and updated – most notably, giving sex workers Vivian and her flatmate Kit De Luca greater autonomy and aspirations – the snapshots we remember are all there with words and visuals, including Vivian’s wardrobe, her iconic bathtub scene, the opera, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Wiltshire and, of course, Hollywood Boulevard, where the story begins.
Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance’s chart-topping pedigree is the right fit for this intersection of modern streetwise grit and big-time money and glamour. And the right fit for its blended audience, comprising fans of the movie (but not necessarily musicals) and musical theatre devotees.
Stylistically the 17 songs and three reprises land more like a pop and country-tinged soundtrack of upbeat numbers and ballads than a traditional musical score, while also effectively doing their job of setting tone and mood, and expressing characters’ emotions, dilemmas and dreams.
The lyrics resonate with deep universal themes of self-identity, personal freedom, and the importance of having dreams, whatever your circumstances. The inclusion of Roy Orbison’s title song is playfully dealt with in a running gag.
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Multi-talented pop star Samantha Jade and seasoned stage, film and TV performer Ben Hall are perfect fits for the songs as well as characters Vivian and uptight businessman Edward. My one criticism is that Jade performed Vivian’s establishing song, Anywhere But Here beautifully, but not in character.
The featured supporting characters’ casting is also spot-on, the crowd-pleasing characters of hotel manager Mr Thompson and Kit De Luca wonderfully realised by Tim Omaji and Michelle Brasier.
Special mention among the ensemble first goes to Jordan Tomljenovic, who radiates star quality. He stood out for the breadth and strength of his dancing in the opening number, Welcome to Hollywood, then for his combination of precise comedic and movement skills as porter Giulio.
In the opera scene from La Traviata, Rebecca Gulinello as Violetta and Callum Warrender gave us an unexpected thrill when we realised they were singing live – she is an award-winning operatic soprano and he is an alumnus of The Ten Tenors and The Voice semi-finalist.
Three-time Tony Award-winning Jerry Mitchell’s direction hits all the right marks with pace, energy and mood. However, some sections of his choreography feel underdone. As do some of the costume representations of high-end fashion.
More debatable might be my preferences to have seen Julia Robert’s unforgettable red dress identically recreated (it’s an updated representation) and for a clean-shaven Edward.
Pretty Woman: The Musical gives us everything from the movie we want to see again, but with a deeper contemporary relevance and message that sit well with how good it leaves us feeling.
Pretty Woman: The Musical plays Lyric Theatre, QPAC, until November 23.