Roy Berko
(Member: Cleveland Critics Circle, American Theater Critics Association)
The film PRETTY WOMAN, based on the Roy Orbison song, which was originally planned to be a tale about class and prostitution, but was reconceived into a romantic comedy, opened to both critical and audience delight. It still gets a considerable audience when it is shown on television.
Unfortunately, PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, a version of which is now on stage at the Connor Palace as part of the Key Bank Broadway Series, opened to universally negative reviews.
Based on the film’s success, before it’s official opening, the 2018 Broadway previews broke the then Nederlander Theatre box office record for an eight-performance week.
After the reviews came out, generally calling the Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance score as “pleasant but bland,” and “the plot needing updating” and the “gender dynamics of the movie’s plot having aged poorly,” the show limped along, running 27 previews and 420 regular performances.
The book by Garry Marshall and J. F. Lawton tells the tale of “Vivian Ward a free-spirited Hollywood prostitute who lives with her sarcastic wisecracking best friend and roommate, Kit De Luca. Vivian is hired by Edward Lewis, a handsome wealthy businessman, to be his escort for several business and social functions.” The question, of course, is whether this is going to be a Cinderella story where the unlikely duo becomes a real-life “happily ever after” tale.
The touring company pulled off a surprise coupe in its opening night.
Playing with a handful of substitutes, due to medical problems, the audience, which gave tepid applause to “Welcome to Hollywood,” a less than dynamic curtain-raiser, warmed up when charming Olivia Valli, playing the Julia Roberts’s role of Vivian, sang, “Any Where but Here,” the show’s “I want song,” whose purpose is to clarify the desires of the leading character and set the plot on track. Olivia doesn’t want to be a prostitute, but seems to have no options. It’s similar in plot development to “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” from MY FAIR LADY, where Eliza tells us of her desire to own a flower shop and no longer sell flowers on the street.
Eliza is taken in by Henry Higgins and Vivian hooks up with Edward Lewis and the plot and the woman’s wishes are accomplished.
The audience-production “hey, this is better than I expected” love-fest continued as comic characters, including Kit De Luca (a delightful Jessica Crouch), Nico DeJuses (a fill in for the role of Guilio, a hotel bellman, almost stole the show with his dancing and comic timing), and Happy Man/Hotel Manager (the dynamic Kyle Taylor Parker, who appeared on Broadway as the co-lead in KINKY BOOTS) came on stage.
DeLuca gave us the image of sex-worker having fun, DeJuses is a munchkin-sized charmer, and Parker delighted with “On a Night Like Tonight,” “Don’t Forget to Dance,” and “Never Give Up on a Dream.”
When handsome, gym-toned Chris Manuel, filling in for Adam Pascal, of RENT fame in the role of Edward, sang the plaintive “Something About Her,” and then belted out “Freedom” the applause was prolonged and the audience was on their way to experiencing an evening of satisfying musical theatre.
Don’t leave before the curtain call or you’ll miss the joint cast and audience singing, dancing, swaying and clapping version of “Pretty Woman,” the movie’s theme song, which is not part of the musical’s score.
Capsule Judgment: PRETTY WOMAN is not a great musical. It is definitely not CHORUS LINE, or MY FAIR LADY or WEST SIDE STORY, but this production, even with the obvious story line and mediocre score, is worth a sit-through. The audience, after rendering the required “we are nice Clevelanders and give almost every production a standing ovation,” left with high positive chatter!
PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL runs at the Connor Palace through March 27th. For tickets go to 216-640-8800 or go on line to https://www.playhousesquare.org/events/detail/pretty-woman
Please note: Though you no longer have to show proof of Covid vaccine, this production requires that those sitting in the first two rows of the lower level (Dress Circle A & B, rows D & E) wear a mask during each performance.
Coming up CLE events:
CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE
216-241-6000 or go to http://www.playhousesquare.org
7:30 Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30 Saturday and Sunday
ANTIGONE (March 5-27) -- This Sophocles tragedy is reimagined in a dystopian, war-torn world. The show was originally prepared for 2020, but was canceled due to the pandemic.
convergence continuum
convergence-continuum.org or 216-687-0074
Thursday-Saturday @ 8
DOG ACT (March 25-April 16)—Follow the adventures of Zetta Stone, a traveling performer, and her companion Dog (a young man undergoing a voluntary species demotion) as they wander through northeastern United States.
GREAT LAKES THEATER
http://www.greatlakestheater.org or 216-241-6000
Wednesday-Saturday @ 7:30, Saturdays @ 1:30, Sundays @ 3
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (March 5-April 10) --Beatrice and Benedick would rather exchange scorching insults than sweet nothings. However, the pugnacious pair is forced to forge a partnership in order to defend house and honor.
DANCE CLEVELAND DANCECleveland | DANCECleveland | Modern and Contemporary Dance in Cleveland, OH
| PAM GANOWITZ DANCE AND SIMONE DUBBERSTEIN, NEW WORK FOR GOLDBERG VARIATIONS (March 19, 7:30-- The Company will perform one of their most highly regarded works, NEW WORK FOR GOLDBERG VARIATIONS. Premiered in 2017 to rave reviews, the movement explores Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variation's musical architecture in a delightful interplay of rhythm, style and idiosyncrasy. The New York Times called the piece a “rare achievement.” |
