Curve, Leicester
16th September 2024
“Everyone
who comes to Hollywood needs a dream”
Garry Marshall’s 1990 movie made a
star of Julia Roberts and was the highest grossing R-rated Disney film until
this year. Originally a darker script, J. F. Lawton made it a lighter rom-com when
picked up by Disney and Touchstone Pictures. The Disneyfication, as such, of
sex workers on the boulevards of Los Angeles was box office gold. Bryan Adams’
and Jim Vallance’s musical adaptation had a short run on Broadway in 2018
before opening in London just before the pandemic. As the show nears the end of
its UK tour (its last stop is in Sheffield next week), the musical, as light and
bubbly as the hotel suite’s champagne, appears to be a hit with UK audiences as
much as the film.
A big (huge) part of that is because
the intellectual property of its origins is well-known and popular. Wealthy businessman
Edward Lewis (Oliver Savile, in fine voice) picks up Vivian (Amber Davies) who’s
walking the streets of Hollywood. Their meet cute is over her fascination of
his posh car and his for her hourly rate. Out of loneliness or sheer curiosity,
he takes her back to his suite in the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and offers her
$3000 in exchange for her company for the week. Despite (perhaps because of) the
foundations on which their relationship is built, this twist on the Pygmalion
tale easily has the audience rooting for them as a couple. Savile and Davies’
chemistry really connected with the audience last night and even though we may
have misgivings about both characters’ decisions, this is frothy rom-com territory
delivered well. The problem is that the musical steers so close to the source
material it’s practically chained to it – the plot, much of its dialogue and even
some of Tom Rogers’ costumes are recognisable from the film. Lawton’s
screenplay is the basis for the show’s book by him and Marshall. It may give
audiences some reassurance that it’s simply the movie live on stage, but I
would argue that it doesn’t add anything new or provide much depth to what we
already know.
Other than Roy Orbison and Bill
Dees’ title song, which makes an appearance at the curtain call, it’s pleasing
to say the rest of the show’s score is new. Adams’ and Vallance’s music is
largely pop-rock with a mixture of upbeat and ballad numbers. I particularly
liked their interest in Hollywood. A character called Happy Man, who sells maps
to homes of the stars, sings numbers like ‘Welcome to Hollywood’ and ‘Never
Give Up on a Dream’ which provide a thread for the musical’s setting. It’s in
these upbeat songs that Adams and Vallance scratch away at the idea of
Hollywood being a place of ambition and dreams but also of unhappiness; a place
people escape to and also want to escape. That idea is enhanced in Vivian’s
ballad ‘Anywhere but Here’ (the title speaks for itself) and Edward’s song ‘Freedom’
(one of the more memorable songs). The end of Act One number ‘You’re Beautiful’
is a crowd-pleaser in which Vivian fully looks and feels worthy of her
surroundings. But other than that, a lot of the other songs are sadly
forgettable.
Under Jerry Mitchell’s steady
direction, the show has excellent production values. David Rockwell’s design captures
the two sides of Hollywood: one with the fire escapes and migraine-inducing
neon with an underlying grubbiness, the other the flowing drapes and neo-Renaissance
frills of the hotels, theatres and boutiques, all of it framed by starlit palm
trees. Also a nice surprise is Ore Oduba in a sort of everyman role as Happy
Man, hotel manager, store manager and even conductor, connecting the dots in
this dotty town. His performance(s) has enough distinguishing features to separate
his various characters, his singing and dancing are solid, and he’s
entertaining without being cloying. The role has been made into a vehicle for
his talents to a winning effect.
I can see why the show was snubbed
at the Tonys and Oliviers but it delivers what it promises. In Savile and Davies’
star performances in particular, Pretty Woman is a heart-warming musical
rom-com which steers away from the darkness.
Pretty Woman plays at Curve
Leicester until 21st September as part of its UK tour. For further
information please visit https://uk.prettywomanthemusical.com/
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| The company of Pretty Woman. Credit: Marc Brenner |
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