Established romantic comedy meets entirely new Bryan Adams tunes in “Pretty Woman: The Musical”

Pretty Woman Photo provided by Matthew Murphy

When Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Bryan Adams spoke to TV reporters on the red carpet for “Pretty Woman: The Musical,” he revealed working on the entirely new soundtrack with longtime collaborator Jim Vallance was a constantly evolving process that also extended to several other aspects of the show (which features a book by the late “Happy Days” creator Garry Marshall and the film’s screenwriter J.F. Lawton, plus direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell). In other words, those who caught the established romantic comedy turned stage show in previews, at the official world premiere or at any point during its pre-Broadway run at the Oriental Theatre (through April 15) are likely to see some updates when it reaches New York or swings back around on tour.

Samantha Barks is lovely in her portrayal of Vivian and Steve Kazee is believable as Edward going from an uptight tycoon with tunnel vision to a genuinely caring guy.

Pretty Woman

Bryan Adams by Andy Argyrakis

However, one aspect that’s sure to stay the same is the story of a stuffy business man getting lost in a seedy part of L.A. and having a prostitute help him find the way back to his Beverly Hills hotel (where she’ll remain as an escort to his highfalutin functions), which blends both raciness and aspects of genuine love in arcs that are admittedly clichéd at times, but also attempt to break stereotypes on other occasions. While the very premise of the 1990 movie that minted Richard Gere as Hollywood’s main man and served as a launching pad for Julia Roberts probably won’t be a cultural reference for so many women’s empowerment movements of today, fans of the flick taking it in as simply a fictional story will probably be pleased with its consistency.

Of course, it will always be impossible for anyone to match the superstar combination from the film, though Samantha Barks is lovely in her portrayal of Vivian and Steve Kazee is believable as Edward going from an uptight tycoon with tunnel vision to a genuinely caring guy. And for what “Pretty Woman” is lacking in extreme depth, the gorgeous gowns and tastefully choreographed ballroom dancing scenes further add to the matinee or evening of escapism, while also helping speed up some of the otherwise slower spoken scenes.

Pretty Woman

Bryan Adams by Andy Argyrakis

As for Adams and Vallance’s many tunes, there isn’t an “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” “Summer Of ‘69” or “Heaven” just yet, but the selections aptly illustrate what’s required and fall right in line with the ‘80s/‘90s flavors that accompany the movie. Oddly, the musical ditches the smashes “It Must Have Been Love” (Roxette) and “King Of Wishful Thinking” (Go West) from the movie, along with everything else from a star-studded soundtrack that included Roy Orbison, Natalie Cole, Peter Cetera, Red Hot Chili Peppers and David Bowie, though at least Adams’ hit-making streak frequently speaks for itself.

And like he said paraphrasing the words of the latter, Chicago can expect some “ch-ch-ch-ch-changes” to “Pretty Woman: The Musical,” which after some additional fine-tuning, has the potential to follow in the footsteps of the film. In the meantime, dedicated viewers can join the creative trenches by tracking the ongoing refinement process, while first-timers should get ready to find love in one of the most unexpected scenarios ever imagined.


“Pretty Woman: The Musical” continues at the Oriental Theatre through Apr. 15. For additional details, visit BroadwayInChicago.com.