I know most adults expect teens to find musicals and things of Broadway uninteresting and I agree! I’m usually not one for Broadway shows. I’m more into movies and TV shows but “Pretty Woman” completely changed my outlook on the Broadway scene. I loved it! Not only was I able to follow along and stay interested, I found the show so entertaining. It definitely grabbed and kept my attention.

After running on Broadway, “Pretty Woman: The Musical” is now on a national tour. It played at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre Sept. 13-18. It is a love story between a prostitute (Vivian Ward played by Olivia Vali) who meets a wealthy businessman (Edward Lewis played by Adam Pascal). After a random meeting between the two they made a one-week business agreement. Vivian will stay at Edward’s hotel while he is in town for a week in exchange for $3,000 and being available when he needs her. As the week progresses, the two fall in love, but their very different lives leave them with drama and trials.

There have been many mixed reviews of the show. Some felt it wasn’t a good representation of the film. Others felt it was perfect, such as this review in the Chicago Tribune: ”it’s still a glam night out with a talented cast of professionals, easy on the ear and the brain, sexy but not tasteless.” Another reviewer from Broadway World Raleigh disagreed: “In many ways, the musical is a poor imitation of the film with its generic musical theater pop songs and generic musical theater dance”. These views demonstrate the mixed reaction to the show from critics.

I personally loved the set transitions. Throughout the show, they found ways to take the audience from scene to scene effortlessly! It helped me as a watcher to understand the plot of the story. The transitions added much character to the show.

Another thing I enjoyed about the show was the singing and dancing. I really saw the creativity and artistry put into the show. All of the singing and dancing in the show was incredible but also did not take away from the actual story. Many people find the dancing and singing in musicals to be the worst part, but in this show it kept you intrigued and kept the show alive. The amount of singing and dancing was just right, allowing it to not take much away from the actual story.

I also liked the messages hidden in the musical. In contrast to the original 1990 “Pretty Woman” movie, there were a lot of uplifting messages put into the musical. The show’s book writer Keith Loria places an emphasis on being confident, not losing who you really are, and wanting more for your life. In the show, Vivian goes through trials and learns to be confident, how to stay true to yourself and wanting more for your life.

Lastly, I loved how they used other characters for scenes in the show. A lot of times, the main characters are the only ones who have the spotlight during the show, making it repetitive and boring. “The “Pretty Woman” script also gives the spotlight to other characters many times throughout the play. I specifically remember Vivian’s best friend Kit (Jessica Crouch) and the hotel manager (Kyle Taylor Parker) having the spotlight a couple of times throughout the show. These characters definitely added good moments and offered more stories in addition to the main one being told.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show! “Pretty Woman’s” creative team definitely found different ways to keep the audience entertained and intrigued. Specifically as a teen, the show kept my attention and it didn’t fail to be entertaining!

VOX teens had the opportunity to see “Pretty Woman: The Musical” at the Fox Theatre, thanks to the generosity of VOX ATL’s community partner Most Valuable Kids Atlanta.