- PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL
- Music Hall – Kansas City, Missouri
- December 6, 2022
WELCOME TO HOLLYWOOD!
Hundreds of newcomers receive this greeting daily. For some new arrivals, it’s the beginning of fulfilling a dream. For Vivian Ward (Jessie Davidson), it’s a daily reminder of the life she now leads. A daily reminder that she has yet to find her prince. Yet?
There have been so many musicals in the pipeline recently – coming soon, shows based on “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and “The Nutty Professor” – and some are, to be polite, not very good. So please take this as a great compliment when I say that “PWTM” is much better than I expected. Based on the 1990 film that unleashed Julia Roberts on an unsuspecting world, “PWTM” is a very funny, and well produced, show that is carried squarely on the shoulders of the writers and the performers.
For those of you who may not be aware of the story, it’s the tale of Vivian, a working girl trying to drum enough business to help pay the rent. A chance meeting with Edward Lewis (Adam Pascal) leads her to an arrangement she cannot turn down. However, as things progress, unemotional business begins to take a backseat to actual feelings, as two lonely people connect.
Adam Pascal has one of the most powerful and recognizable voices in musical theater history (again, for those of you who don’t follow theater, he was Roger in the original production of RENT, as well as in the film). Pascal gives Edward a sense of decency that helps make the character likeable. Ms. Davidson also works some magic in making Vivian a true heroine of the story. It’s hard to create a fairy tale out of cutthroat businessmen and prostitutes, but together Pascal and Davidson pull it off. They are assisted greatly by a strong ensemble cast, including Jessica Crouch as Vivian’s roommate, Kit; Kyle Taylor Parker, as the overzealous greeter, proved an audience favorite. And I want to give a special shout out to Trent Soyster as the limber and mischievous bellboy Giulio.
A fun night at the theater, PWTM is playing in Kansas City through December 11th. For information on this stop of the tour, or upcoming shows, please click HERE.