(Left to right) Chase Wolfe (as Edward Lewis) and Ellie Baker (as Vivian Ward). Photo by Morris Mac Matzen

What’s more American than an inspirational rags-to-riches story? For most, the iconic, seemingly offbeat tale platformed in the 1990 film Pretty Woman wouldn’t check off any of the wholesome criteria necessary to be considered as such. However, I’d beg to differ. The theater adaptation of Pretty Woman: The Musical is the modernized anecdote centered around the world’s oldest profession.

As part of State Theatre’s Broadway Series, the production planted roots in New Jersey for a cozy weekend at the historic facility. For the opening show, I made my way to New Brunswick in the hopes of stepping into a warm ray of light on the otherwise dreary day. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. While Pretty Woman: The Musical’s cult-classic sensual adventure is nearly impossible not to be drawn into, questionable casting choices created unnecessary conflicts with the piece’s fantasy-filled storytelling, nearly constant technical flubs chipped away at the overall allure, and flat add-on production elements failed to build depth for the already widely popularized narrative.

Photo by Morris Mac Matzen

Typically, thespians are in a sometimes unspoken bias battle with patrons when they step into a role immortalized by another figure. In the case of biopics (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, On Your Feet!, MJ: The Musical, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical), lead actors walk the fine line of mirroring versus paying homage to the beloved figure. When you think about other theater staples such as Wicked, The Color Purple, Dreamgirls, or Funny Girl, there is undoubtedly a particular vocal mold that needs to be filled. Fortunately for Pretty Woman: The Musical, this isn’t a battle it has to fight. The audience isn’t looking for a complete physical replica of actors Richard Gere or Julia Roberts. Therefore, Pearson Casting could have their pick of the litter. However, the final call made for the production’s casting choices created unnecessary conflicts with the piece’s fantasy-filled storytelling.

Leading actors Ellie Baker (as Vivian Ward) and Chase Wolfe (as Edward Lewis) left a lot to be desired. For a production all about easy access, that’s richly ironic. In terms of physical appeal, both are deeply attractive. Also, each knows their way around a stage, so that isn’t the dilemma either. However, when examining elements such as vocal uniqueness and professional charisma, neither have… IT. Not to be confused with technical skill, Baker and Wolfe are great singers. This was shown by their crystal clear clarity and crisp annunciation. Still, there was no wow moment for either party throughout the entirety of the production. In fact, there were multiple scenes in which supporting cast members such as Rae Davenport (Kit De Luca), Adam Du Plessis (Bernie Thompson), Liam Searcy (Philip Stucky), and Sarah Wang (Violetta) outshined them on all fronts. Another sore point is Baker and Wolfe’s lack of chemistry. For a story sprouted from a sexual transition, Baker and Wolfe delivered more cordial next-door neighbors than steamy in-suite lovers. No one is expecting full-on R-rated at 2 p.m. in the afternoon, but Pretty Woman: The Musical just barely earned a PG ranking.

Photo by Morris Mac Matzen

Although Wolfe was pitchy at times, due to the nearly constant technical flubs, they were hard to catch. From the frequently missed technical ques, dropped stage props, and multiple curtain blips to the audio leveling issues, the behind-the-scenes team brutally chipped away at the overall allure Pretty Woman: The Musical’s onstage story. To be fair, because I arrived after the first musical number (“Welcome To Hollywood”), I can’t definitively say whether the issues began at the start of the show. However, I can say that these weren’t one-off instances.  John Shivers is listed as the sound designer for Pretty Woman: The Musical. But the hiccups would have to extend to technical director Dave Burch, music coordinator Talitha Fehr, and orchestra conductor Shane FFrench. During the intermission, theatergoers within earshot in the orchestra section of the venue could be heard complaining about their inability to hear the actors singing over the live band as well as their frustrations with following the dialogue. With lead actors who don’t have a bold leading voice to cut through those audio bloopers, simple staging elements, and standard lighting effects, it is yet another ding in audience engagement in the overall in-person experience. Those flat add-on production elements failed to build depth for the already widely popularized narrative. A cardinal sin of theater is to make the audience feel as if they experiencing the troubleshot show of a multiple-run stint. Pretty Woman: The Musical’s matinee performance on Saturday, October 7 at State Theatre did just that. I can only imagine the stark difference between the opening performance I witnessed in comparison to the closing show the next evening.

All in all, the saving grace of Pretty Woman: The Musical is the cult-classic sensual adventure that remains nearly impossible to not be drawn into. In the explosion of society’s sex positivity movement and nearly normalized sex work boom (seen with the rise of platforms such as OnlyFans and other subscription-based adult content), the story is relevant now more than ever. Pretty Woman: The Musical is an important reminder of just how far we've come in terms of our views on sex workers. The production forces audiences to reflect on antiquated respectability politics, pleasure activism, classism, and lingering socio-economic disparities. What better way to tackle all these societal blemishes than with beautiful music?

Photo by Morris Mac Matzen

Overall, the sensual story of Pretty Woman: The Musical is necessary in today’s alternative work society. However, the State Theatre showing failed to deliver on its key element – steamy storytelling.

Pretty Woman: The Musical was presented as part of State Theatre’s 2023-2024 Broadway Series. To view the full schedule of programming at the venue, please visit www.stnj.org/broadway.