Theater Review: 'Pretty Woman: The Musical' Tour at the Bushnell

Hartford - Pretty Woman: The Musical has come to The Bushnell in Hartford and continues through May 1. The musical is based on the Touchstone Pictures motion picture that was written by J. F. Lawton and directed by the late Garry Marshall. The film “Pretty Woman” was the most successful of the 18 films that Marshall directed, and before he passed away in 2016, he knew that the creative team in place would make the musical version a “joyous reality.”

As a fan of the film version, I fervently hoped that one of Hollywood’s most beloved stories of all time would be faithfully brought to life in this musical version. The fact that the book for the musical was written by Marshall and Lawton, with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, certainly seemed to suggest that the love story would be reimagined respectfully.

The strength of the production team, plus the casting of Adam Pascal as Edward Lewis for the touring company, made for a joyous performance, and I believe that most fans of the beloved film were not disappointed. A few elements had to be tweaked for the stage, but the story, set in Hollywood, once upon a time in the 1980s, is charmingly accurate.

The first act opens with “Welcome to Hollywood” and “Rodeo Drive” and the final “Together Forever” are production numbers that are “big….huge.” Expect to hear references to Skinny Marie, Edward’s secretary serving as a bridesmaid to a former girlfriend, the safety pinned black boots, a “standard H,” a beck and call girl, and Kit’s off-color pronunciation of “Cinderella.”

The grand piano that Edward plays has been moved to the penthouse, the bathtub scene has been moved offstage, but the mean sales ladies in the first boutique that Vivian visits are here. The elegant dinner with David Morse (Christian Brailsford) and his grandfather (who has been cut) has morphed into dancing at a fancy club, but the trip to the opera in the fitted red gown and “broken” opera glasses unfolds in the box seats. Securing the black lace cocktail dress (“You’re stunning/You’re forgiven”) is accomplished via a telephone call rather than a visit to the department store where Bridget works.

Adam Pascal gives a superb performance as Edward. Pascal was the original Roger in “Rent” on Broadway, in London and in the film version. The singing actor also played Shakespeare in “Something Rotten” on Broadway and Edward in Broadway’s “Pretty Woman.” His vocals bring a rocker’s touch to his numbers and some bars accompanied only by the guitar were actually reminiscent of “Rent” music.

Olivia Valli, who was in the second national tour of “Wicked,” plays the iconic role of Vivian Ward. Her powerful singing voice hits all of the right notes, as does her performance. Jessica Crouch, who was in the national trou of “We Will Rock You,” rocks the role of best friend Kit De Luca. Trent Soyster is a delight in the dancing role of Giulio, the bellboy and Matthew Stocke plays the role of lawyer Philip Stuckey.

In a clever casting choice, several of the characters have been combined into one billed as “Happy Man,” in this production played by Kyle Taylor Parker. The actor, who made his Broadway debut as Lola in “Kinky Boots,” welcomes the audience as “the godfather of Hollywood Boulevard” and asks “What’s Your Dream?” in the numbers that open both acts. He goes on to upstage the orchestra conductor and gets to play one of my favorite supporting characters, hotel manager Bernard Thompson.

The orchestra is small but mighty, if sometimes over amplified. Daniel Klintworth conducts and plays keyboard one, except for a very funny scene when his seat is overtaken by a member of the cast.

All of the choreography was designed by the director Jerry Mitchell, who balances all of the moving parts. Scenic design by David Rockwell includes the back of a portion of the iconic Hollywood sign; the gritty boulevard is balanced by the penthouse suite. Lighting by Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg is pretty, but the sound design by John Shivers was earsplitting at times. The iconic costumes might be a bit updated, but not in a bad way. The dress and hat for the polo scene have been notably switched to navy and white polka dots. The hair design by Josh Marquette helps Vivian transform into a classier version of herself.

In my book, it is true that if you love the movie, you’ll love the musical. “Pretty Woman” is presented with one 20-minute intermission. Tickets still available: bushnell.org/PrettyWomanTheMusical

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theatre reviews since 2012 as a way to support local theatre venues. She posts reviews of well over 100 productions each year. In 2016, she became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle. She continues to contribute theatre news, previews, and audition notices to local Patch sites. Reviews of all levels of theatrical productions are posted on Naugatuck Patch and the Patch sites closest to the venue. She recently became a contributor to the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column and theatre reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.

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