PRETTY WOMAN in Chicago — Page 4

Saw the show last night and I have to agree with a lot of what has been written already (except for the shill, of course.) To say that the show is bland is an insult to the word bland. It's really just terrible. There's not one moment of excitement in the show. It follows the movie so closely, that there is no excitement whatsoever.

As others have said, Steve Kazee seems bored most of the time. He's so lowkey, you almost forget about his character.

Poor Orfeh....she does what she can with a very underwritten role. Why did she choose this role after such a long break? It doesn't challenge her. It doesn't support her. And it doesn't make her shine. I was just disappointed for her.

I have no idea why Jason Danieley is in this at all. It's such a tiny role with no great scenes. I just don't get it.

Samantha Barks is in great voice but she's trying too hard to be Julia Roberts. I understand that the choices are that of the director but they are not good choices.

The songs are just so forgettable. As I was walking back to my car, I realized that I couldn't even remember any of them. Not one bit.

Jerry Mitchell. I just don't get why he gets to direct so often. It must just be me but I don't connect with a lot his more recent work. There is not one single thing in this show that we haven't seen before.

For me, Eric Andersen was the standout. His voice is amazing and he really just steals the show.

I can't imagine this show being successful on Broadway. It's just so dull.

It’s intermission now and I’ve got a few quick thoughts.
They cut Jason’s only song.... so he has no purpose with the show. I bet they’ll cut him and just make the role apart of an ensemble track when it hits broadway.

They need to replace Steve.... Jason wouldn’t be a bad replacement. I don’t think I’ve seen a more stale performance than that

Eric’s teaching Vivian how to dance was my favorite so far.

Sets and choreography are a little underwhelming.

Samantha is doing a great job!!

Edit:

Now home...

That Opera Scene was killer and Allison Blackwell is a scene stealer! Look out for her!

Loved that Sunday clothes homage during the polo club scene.

I’ve never seen the film, but it felt like there was absolutely zero conflict and they threw in that Stuckey plot at the end.

Overall, I thought the quality was pretty poor. Though, it did manage to put a grin on my face all throughout the show. Whether that be me laughing at how bad some of the dialogue(sure, it only took one line for Edward to give his credit card to Vivian) or just enjoying the music. It’s a nice, upbeat, fun show. And some nice butts on that stage.....



also some interesting things about this performance. It looked they were filming it for B-roll and I was seated next two of the swings. It was interesting to see their reactions, of both the show and myself.

---

Updated On: 3/22/18 at 10:01 PM

I saw the show last night and I was pleasantly surprised after what I'd read on here. I'd say the show is nice and enjoyable and best described as a blander Legally Blonde without any memorable numbers. The opening number falls flat and is, if anything, boring. The other numbers are an improvement but I as I walked away, I remembered scenes, not songs.

Some of most compelling actors on stage aren't given a chance to develop their characters and that's shame to me. Tommy Bracco as the bellhop Julio was wonderful and I really wish he'd been given room to develop and perhaps his own song. Multiple people around me whispered when he was on stage about how adorable he is. He completely steals the scene in foxtrot lesson song which was one of my favorites. Luckily, Eric Anderson is given some room to develop and in many ways carries the show.

Samantha Barks and Steve Kazee were both great as well and in contrast to some other posters, I definitely felt their chemistry. Hopefully this is just a sign that the show is changing and improving and they're becoming more comfortable in their roles. I just hope they're able to make some changes to the score.

Updated On: 3/22/18 at 03:24 PM

I saw this yesterday and gotta say was kind of surprised, I was expecting something just terrible based on some of the posts, but surprise it was actually a pretty decent pretty woman.

I loved the staging of this piece, I think this is Jerry Mitchell's strong point. I whole heartly agree the opera scene is wonderful and magical, and felt very different from the rest of the show. I also loved David Rockwell's Sets, especially his neon hollywood blvd.

Samantha Barks is really lovely, winning, and in great voice although her southern accent comes and goes, it didn't bother me. I hope this does for her what the original did for Julia Roberts. And like all on here, Eric Anderson walks away with the show, his tango with the bell boy was one of the few highlights.

Now for the not so great, Steve Kazezee looks really bored, he's in great voice, but he has no chemistry with Samantha at all. I know the character is supposed to be uptight and proper, but even when he loosens up he still looks miserable. Also, the Bryan Adams score a few okay numbers, but overall it is generic. I can't remember any of it to save my life. I give props for trying.

However, my biggest gripe is the shows source material. Pretty Woman is such a strange piece. You have this cinderella story set against the grittiness of prostitution of Hollywood Blvd. It's very much I want my cake and eat it too story, which doesn't gel for me.

Chris Jones: "Kazee needs to perk up, sex it up, charm it up, take off his shirt, emote less and smile more....you could feel how much the core demographic of fun-seeking women out with women, clearly fans who fondly recall the film, wanted to love him in all the shady ways. They won’t leave happy otherwise."

Jennifer Stevenson: "Woman will come alive when it focuses fully and completely on the women. Women being exploited, women keeping other women down, women empowering other women. Edward is last to the party: we watch him play catch-up, the obligatory white guy whose transformation is a necessary foil to the indomitable heart of the heroine.This show is going to sell a million tickets to women who for 28 years have been sitting down with their girlfriends, wine, cake, and this movie. They might bring their husbands. But we know who is driving the boat. "
http://bookviewcafe.com/blog/2018/03/14/theatre-review-pretty-woman-the-musical/

A comment on the latter review mentions something that surprised me:
"I also thought the simulated sex was a little too much and they could have ended the scene a little earlier. I’m far from a prude but it was jarring to, in a musical, then see Vivian on her knees unbuckling his belt and opening his pants, similar to him starting to go down on her on top of the piano. Seeing that live feels very different than seeing it in a movie and the musical context just made me cringe imagining a 10 year old would be watching this with their parents."

An interesting take on the shows target audience.

---

Updated On: 3/29/18 at 09:27 AM

A pan from Time Out.

Kris Vire: Feel free to walk on by this rote and regressive new musical with old sensibilities...

The pair have delivered exactly what they were presumably asked for: a collection of songs largely stripped of character, coherence or specificity, tagged with blandly meaningless titles like “Something About Her” and “You and I,” and filled with platitudinous lyrics so artless and generic you wonder how the performers can memorize them....

As Cinda-****in’-rella stories go, this one’s not quite ready for the ball.

https://www.timeout.com/chicago/theater/pretty-woman-the-musical

---

And the producers will collect their pay, and the writers will still be wealthy from their pop/movie careers. And the investors will lose their money, but can attend the party.

Which makes me wonder - will the tax situation for theatrical investors change next year, with You-Know-Who's new plan?

fanatic3 said: "Just curious -- Does Vivian come out in the red dress during curtain call?"

She does not.

If parents choose to take a 10 year old kid to a show about prostitutes and don't expect adult content there are bigger problems than the questions the kid might ask at intermission...



MrsSallyAdams said:
A comment on the latter review mentions something that surprised me:
"I also thought the simulated sex was a little too much and they could have ended the scene a little earlier. I’m far from a prude but it was jarring to, in a musical, then see Vivian on her knees unbuckling his belt and opening his pants, similar to him starting to go down on her on top of the piano. Seeing that live feels very different than seeing it in a movie and the musical context just made me cringe imagining a 10 year old would be watching this with their parents."

An interesting take on the shows target audience.

"

jbp1232 said: "I saw the show last night and I was pleasantly surprised after what I'd read on here. I'd say the show is nice and enjoyable and best described as a blanderLegally Blonde without any memorable numbers."

To be fair, this description sounds like a nightmare.

Show just let out 15 minutes ago. All I have to say is WOW. I was truly blown away after reading all of the negative comments on this board. The American Theatre Wing better start engraving Samantha Barks and Eric Anderson's Tony Award. They were both incredible, Samantha was truly remarkable. I was one of the few people who said she was going to be fantastic and she was. Orfeh is great in an underwritten role which should score her a nomination. Steve Kazee seemed to grow into the role as the show progressed, his You and I was phenomenal. The lyrics do need work, they're a little simple but the whole evening was incredibly memorable. People on here are saying they can't leave the theatre humming any of the tunes, I most certainly can.

For those saying its basically a carbon copy of the movie on stage, you're right. But everyone fell in love with Pretty Woman, the story, so why change It?

For those saying Samantha Barks is trying to be Julia Roberts, I can definitely say she is not. She does little quirks as an homage to Julia, but puts her own spin on it in such a unique way, she captivates the audience with every word.

I have incredibly high hopes for this Show, with some tweaking of the lyrics, this Show will be GOLD.

And the theatre was completely sold out.

I’ve been hearing they’ve been running out early in the morning.

---

Tony Adler: There’s really no arguing with this musical version of the hit 1990 movie...Do the generically competent songs by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance have a country flavor inappropriate to the Hollywood setting? You noticed that too? Are the politics—? Yes, they are. For all that, the show is going to give a lot of people a nostalgic thrill. And supporting performers Orfeh and Eric Anderson are nothing short of amazing.

https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/pretty-woman/Event?oid=44620875

---

Updated On: 4/3/18 at 09:29 AM