The original production of Pretty Woman premiered at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago in March 2018 starring Samantha Barks (Eponine from Les Miserables) and Steve Kazee, as Vivian and Edward. (We saw Andy Karl [who starred as Sergeant Mike Dodds in Law and Order: Special Victims Unit] in the role of Edward.) The musical also stars Orfeh as Kit, Jason Danieley as Philip Stuckey, Eric Anderson as Mr. Bernard Thompson (and the "What's Your Dream" guy), and Kingsley Leggs and Ezra Knight as James Morse. It made its Broadway debut at the Nederlander Theatre on August 16, 2018 to generally negative reviews.(It will be closing exactly one year later.)
Pretty Woman: The Musical was generally poorly received by critics, with the show's writing being a frequent focus of criticism. Critics found that the gender dynamics of the movie's plot had aged poorly, and that the musical had failed to bring the story up to date for 2018. In his review for The New York Times, Ben Brantley criticized the verbatim reuse of dialog from the movie, writing that the show's creators had "hewed suffocatingly close to the film’s story, gags and dialogue". Critics from The Guardian and Variety took issue with the show's glossiness, and what they perceived as an attempt to make a "G-rated", "family show" from the source material.
The score by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance was generally described as "pleasant" but "bland". Critics generally approved of the show's performers, particularly stars Andy Karl and Samantha Barks, but found they were unable to rise above the show's material. In a review for Vulture, Sara Holdren expressed sympathy for the show's performers, writing that they were "hooked up like defibrillators to a body that, no matter how much energy they pump into it, can’t be revived".
The musical is based on the 1990 film Pretty Woman and the 1964 song Oh, Pretty Woman written and sung by the late Roy Orbison. The film was produced on a budget of just $14 million, earning over $463 million in global box office receipts.
In March 2014, it was announced that a musical adaption of the film was being developed for the stage, with original screenwriter Lawton and director Marshall attached to write the book. The following year, Marshall revealed that rights had been secured. Although Marshall died in July 2016, producer Paula Wagner said that work on the musical would continue. "I know he would have wanted us to continue on and therefore we will bring this story to Broadway." On September 26, 2017, the musical was officially confirmed, and it was announced that the show would receive its world premiere at the Oriental Theatre, Chicago, before an expected Broadway transfer in fall 2018..
In an interview, director Jerry Mitchell said that the score "will have the feel of late ’80s-early ’90s rock: That’s one of the great things about Bryan Adams—it’s where he lives. So you’ve got the rock and roll stuff, the up-tempos." On June 19, 2019 Pretty Woman: The Musical included Roy Orbison's song "Oh, Pretty Woman" during the curtain call..
Nederlander Theatre
Known over the years as the National, the Billy Rose, and the Trafalgar, the David T. Nederlander Theatre stands in honor of the patriarch of the Nederlander Family, now in its third generation as the owners and operators of many of the most distinguished theatres and concert venues throughout America.
Built in 1921, some of the best known plays have been presented here including Cyrano de Bergerac, Private Lives, Julius Caesar, King Lear, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. One of its most distinguished attractions was Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, for which she won a special Tony Award.
Located near the heart of the Times Square Theatre District, it was the perfect venue for Jonathan Larson’s rock opera, Rent, which was inspired by Puccini’s La Boheme. To reflect the aura of the East Village, the theatre façade and interior were decorated to resemble a downtown nightclub.
No comments:
Post a Comment