Britain’s own Samantha Barks has won the coveted title role in the musical based on the much-loved 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman.
The stage and screen actress who is best known for her acclaimed performance as Eponine in the theatre and film versions of Les Misérables, will make her Broadway debut alongside Tony Award winner Steve Kazee (Once, Shameless, Nashville) in the roles created on screen by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
Featuring music by multi award-winning rock star Bryan Adams and his songwriting partner Jim Vallance, the musical – directed and choreographed by double Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell – is due to premiere in Chicago in March next year ahead of an autumn opening on Broadway.
The new musical, which will bring the modern Pygmalion story to the stage, will feature a book co-written by the original film’s director, the late Garry Marshall, and screenwriter J.F. Lawton.
In a statement released to the US media this week, the show’s producer Paula Wagner said: “With a book by the legendary Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton, Pretty Woman The Musical will have the heart, humour, warmth and joy of the film, with a stunning original score by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.
“Our director Jerry Mitchell has expanded the narrative and storytelling of this acclaimed romantic comedy… and finally we have found our ‘Vivian’ and ‘Edward’ in the gorgeous triple threat Samantha Barks and one of Broadway’s most dashing and talented leading men, Tony and Grammy Award winner Steve Kazee.”
The production will feature scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg, sound design by John Shivers, hair design by Josh Marquette, with music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Will Van Dyke.
The film about the unlikely love story of the vibrant street-walker and the bored businessman who hires her as an escort and falls in love featured a career-launching performance from Roberts. A relative unknown when she won the role, Roberts had co-starred in the low budget cult favourite Mystic Pizza and completed a supporting role in the, at the time, unreleased Steel Magnolias.
She was nominated for both an Oscar and Golden Globe for her performance in the film. As well as turning Roberts into Hollywood’s newest leading lady, the film helped revitalise Gere’s career which had stalled somewhat following the success of American Gigolo and An Officer and a Gentleman.
Angela Thomas
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