A game cast livens up Pretty Woman at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre

Matthew Murphy

Pretty Woman, the movie, opened in 1990 and it can be argued that the film catapulted Julia Roberts to superstardom after her Oscar nominations the previous year for Best Supporting Actress in Steel Magnolias. It also allowed audiences to see a different, softer side to Richard Gere, whose career to that point had been mostly in serious dramas. The film was a massive hit, earning over $463 million against a $14 million budget, and it earned Roberts her second Oscar nomination but this time for Best Actress. The idea for a stage musical was announced in 2014, the show had its world premiere in Chicago in September 2017 and it transferred to Broadway in 2018, running for 420 regular performances before closing a year later. A national tour was set to launch in 2020, but was unable to hit the road due to the pandemic. But … it’s on the road now and it should be a treat for fans of the movie.

The story pretty much follows the movie, with a lot of dialogue lifted directly from the screenplay. A young woman named Vivian Ward (Olivia Valli) has somehow found her way from Georgia to Hollywood, and as so many with stars in their eyes have learned, Tinsel Town ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. To make ends meet, Viv turns to a life of prostitution (a fantasy version of hooking) while she and her friend Kit (Jessica Crouch) try to earn enough money to not lose their apartment. It turns out to be Viv’s day when lost businessman Edward Lewis (Adam Pascal) parks himself on her corner hoping to get directions to his hotel. Viv offers to help, for $20, but when she realizes he can’t even drive his borrowed car — Vivian knows a thing or two about them — she offers to drive, and when she sees the swanky hotel she realizes she may have found a goldmine in Edward. Taking her to his penthouse suite, she tells him she charges $100 an hour, and when he asks how much for the night she quickly says $300, the amount she needs to pay her rent. One thing leads to another and Edward hires Vivian to be his companion for the week to hang on his arm at various events, but people in Edward’s inner circle begin to wonder who this woman is, especially after she puts her two cent in on a deal Edward is about to make, buying a faltering company and shutting it down which would make it more profitable but would put hundreds of people out of work. Edward’s lawyer Philip Stuckey (Matthew Stocke) learns Vivian’s little secret and uses that to insult her enough to hopefully drive her away from Edward. Vivian begins to wonder if her feelings for Edward are real, or is this truly just a business transaction?

I don’t think I’ve seen Pretty Woman since opening day 1990, and for the time it was a pleasant enough rom-com that succeeded mainly because of the presence and chemistry of Roberts and Gere. For the touring production of the musical, there certainly is star power with Adam Pascal as Edward — who also played the role on Broadway and was last seen touring in Something Rotten — and the not-quite-as-well-known Olivia Valli as Vivian (not to diminish her immense talent), but the role of Edward is so thankless that it’s difficult for Pascal to breathe any life into him. Edward is a stiff, but he’s also a ruthless shark engaging in hostile takeovers of companies to turn a profit for himself. That affords him a life of luxury … and loneliness. It’s hard to see why Vivian would even be interested in this guy aside from his wallet, but he does begin to thaw a bit as his feelings for her grow. When Pascal sings, he’s got a magnificent voice, but at times it’s almost a little out of character for Edward, more raspy and rocky befitting his role in Rent. Pascal can be an electrifying performer but in Pretty Woman he’s kind of just … there.

Olivia Valli comes off a bit better with her wide-eyed attitude hardly masked by the ‘working girl street smarts’ she tries to convey. Her Vivian is a sweetheart and you really do root for her to find something with Edward but it takes a long time for that to happen — in Act II, in fact, during the magnificent opera scene (in which Valli and Pascal are almost totally upstaged by the two cast members (Chris Manuel & Amma Osei, I believe) singing opera beautifully, stunning the audience enough that they got a round of applause each time they sang, which came in between the verses of Edward’s song where he realizes he does have feelings for Vivian), which melted my heart. That scene alone is one reason to see Pretty Woman. But in the end, Valli is also stuck with a trite character. She gives Vivian some lovely vulnerability, but she’s also saddled with trying to make Viv a badass empowered woman who can make her own decisions … which is then completely undone by the story reveal that what she really wants is Prince Charming to take care of her. Mixed messages there, but Valli is a joy and she has a lovely voice.

Matthew Murphy

Aside from the opera scene, where the show is really the strongest is in its supporting cast who you actually want to see more of when they leave the stage. Jessica Crouch as Kit, Vivian’s friend and roommate, is the rocker chick who lives more for today instead of worrying about if she’s going to have a place to sleep at the end of that day. I don’t even remember Kit in the movie (played by Laura San Giacomo) but I will remember Crouch’s spotlight stealing performance from the show. She’s got great comic timing, and she kills each one of her numbers. Also a standout is Trent Soyster as Giulio (the role played on Broadway by Big Brother Houseguest Tommy Bracco), the hotel bellhop who seems to always be in the wrong place at the right time and will drop everything to dance dance dance. Soyster is just a ray of sunshine every time he sets foot on stage. The part of Happy Man/Mr. Thompson is normally played by Kyle Taylor Parker, but at the opening night performance in Baltimore the role was played by understudy/ensemble member Michael Dalke … and I can’t imagine Mr. Parker or anyone else in this role. Dalke basically opens the show, welcoming the audience to Hollywood, singing about the denizens of the street. Then he’s quickly transformed into Mr. Thompson, the hotel concierge. He also turns up in a few other roles, including a hoot of an appearance during the opera scene. Dalke brings some heart to the role of Mr. Thompson as well, actually showing a bit more growth with Vivian than Edward does, a first looking down his nose at this woman a guest has brought into this high class establishment and then almost becoming her protector as the relationship with Edward seems to be nothing but business. It’s a shame Dalke is just the understudy for the role because I would say his performance would be the main reason to see the show, he’s that good. And you can tell he’s having a fantastic time.

The supporting players really elevate the show to being a bit more than just fine. Pascal and Valli, while the leads, are really hampered by the script which is just too stuck in the era of the film. It’s pretty shocking that in this day and age no one thought to try to update the story, make Vivian just a bit stronger instead of simply falling back into wanting a fairy tale ending. And even that is a bit clumsily handled in the show’s final scene which barely has any real emotional impact. Pascal and Valli do the best they can with what they’ve been given, but the script really does them no favors. And while the songs are pleasant (co-written by Bryan Adams), there really isn’t anything you’re going to be humming on the way out of the theatre … except for the Roy Orbison classic ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ which is performed during the curtain call. The sets are fine, the lighting is fine, the direction is fine. It’s just all fine with a few brilliant moments (thanks to those supporting players). The show should appeal to fans of the movie, though. It’s a pleasant enough evening of theatre but as a whole it’s not going to be very memorable.

Pretty Woman runs about 2 hours and 20 minutes with one 15 minute intermission. Recommended for ages 12 and up, but there are some sexually suggestive moments and bits of language that may only be appropriate for older teens.

Pretty Woman runs through April 10 at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre. Other cities on the schedule include Charlotte NC, Durham NC, Hartford CT, Portland OR, Seattle WA, Los Angeles CA, Atlanta GA, Nashville TN, Greensboro NC and more. Visit the official website for more information.