We love stories about a person’s journey from rags to riches. More so if it is romance. This is the reason why Pretty Woman became a blockbuster hit in 1990. The romantic comedy’s handling of the “poor lady fell in love with a rich man” trope is the first of its kind and became a formula followed by other movies in the years that came after. At the same time, the movie walks on eggshells with its depiction of heavy themes and sensitive storyline. Nonetheless, its charm shines through, resulting in it becoming an enduring tale people go back to watch again and again. Since it is a beloved feel-good movie, it is rightfully so that it will be adapted to the stage. Pretty Woman is not just a movie anymore; it also is a musical with stellar songs and dances. If you enjoyed the movie, you will enjoy the musical more. See the show at the Eccles Theater from April 2 – 7, 2024. If you don’t witness this amazing musical, it is going to be a “Big mistake. Huge!”
Pretty Woman – The Musical Tickets:
“Pretty Woman dazzles!” – Deadline
“Irresistible! A romantic fantasy. A contemporary fairy tale.” – The Hollywood Reporter
“If you love the movie, you’ll love the musical!” – Buzzfeed News
The musical will not be where it is today without the movie, hence the need to discuss the beginnings of the movie, as well. In its development, Pretty Woman was supposed to be a dark movie about life as a prostitute in 80s Hollywood. But as casting went on and Julia Roberts and Richard Gere were chosen to become the pairing, the rights went to Disney. Due to this, they decided to change the storyline. The movie’s title, 3,000 ( a reference to how much money the main character gets for the services she offers), changed to Pretty Woman.
Before this movie, Julia Robers was not a known actress in Hollywood. Her main role in this movie was a break-out performance, which brought her into stardom. Her charm and big American smile were the heart of the movie. She received a nomination for Best Actress in both Golden Globe and Academy Awards. She won the latter.
Director Gary Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton brought the movie to box-office success. It became one of the top ten movies of the year in the US. It also was a huge hit in other countries. In the UK, it was the top one for nine weeks. This was higher in Australia, which topped for twelve weeks. All in all, the movie grossed over four hundred million dollars worldwide. It became the highest-grossing adult Disney movie.
Twenty years after Pretty Woman became a go-to movie for many people, news about a stage adaptation of the musical came up. It was officially announced in 2014, with Marshall and Lawton reprising their roles as director and playwright. They both worked on the book. In 2015, Disney gave the rights and the development of the musical commenced. Sadly, Marshall passed away the following year, but the production pushed through.
Longtime collaborators Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance worked on the music and lyrics of the musical. Both worked on multiple songs in their music careers. Adams is known for being one of the best-selling music artists. Songs like “Straight From the Heart,” “Summer of ’69,” “Heaven,” and “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” are among his timeless hits. On the other hand, Jim Vallance is one of the most sought-after songwriters. Apart from extensively working with Adams, he also worked with many big names in the music industry. Bonnie Raitt, Aerosmith, Tina Turner, Alice Cooper, and Scorpions are some of the legendary musicians he lent his songwriting with. Both were chosen to capture the late 80s and early 90s vibe of Pretty Woman.
The two collaborators were interested in trying to write and compose music for Broadway for several years. Then came the opportunity for Pretty Woman. Despite their long list of accolades, they had to go through an audition to get the job. When they started making the music, both had a hard time and had a lot of reworks.
“Writing that musical was a masterclass in songwriting; it was also a masterclass in not losing your mind, as there was so much re-writing and rejection during the process of the production,” says Bryan Adams in an interview with Metro.
It took them two years to complete the whole soundtrack. From the initial 40 songs, they cut it off to 21. “Welcome to Hollywood,” “Something About Her,” “Rodeo Drive,” “On a Night Like Tonight,” “You’re Beautiful,” Welcome to Our World (More Champagne),” “Never Give Up on a Dream,” “Long Way Home,” and “Together Forever” are the highlights of the whole show. All of these songs are reminiscent of 80s and 90s soft rock.
“Entertaining, upbeat, and quite lively…a true, Cinderella-worthy fairytale.” – MD Theatre Guide
“A frothy rom-com with professional polish.” – Edmonton Journal
In 2017, the musical development was completed, and it premiered the year after. The stage adaptation did not deviate from its source. The work was more on the songs and choreography. Chicago’s Oriental Theatre hosted the premiere and became its home for five weeks. It transferred to Broadway in August of that year at the Nederlander Theatre. It was a huge hit on its Broadway run and was sold out for multiple weeks. A year later, it closed after more than 400 hundred performances.
In 2020, it opened on the West End at the Piccadilly Theatre. However, it closed shortly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When West End opened its doors once again, it transferred to the Savoy Theatre.
In its multiple productions and five years of run, the musical only received accolades from Broadway.com Audience Awards. It received five nominations and bagged three: “Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical,” Favorite Featured Actress in a Musical,” and “Favorite Diva Performance.”
Its US non-equity tour began in 2023. This year, one of their stops is at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City. From April 2 to 7, the production will bring good old rom-com magic to the theatre. Watch the cast that consists of Ellie Baker as Vivian Ward, Chase Wolfe as Edward Lewis, Rae Davenport as Kit De Luca, Adam Du Plessis as Happy Man, Liam Searcy as Philip Stuckey, Kerry D’Jovanni as David Morse, and Sarah Wang as Violetta stun in this beloved movie musical. Tickets for the musical are now on sale, and you can get yours here by hitting the “Get Tickets” link.