Pretty Woman On Broadway – A Feel Good Fantasy

PRETTY WOMAN ON BROADWAY

Yes, it’s the same storyline as the movie!

Do we have any Pretty Woman fans here?  ‘Cuz I don’t know about you but I loved that movie so when I was invited to review Pretty Woman the Musical, I was more than happy to do so.  It’s the perfect Broadway show to watch for a girl’s night out, a date night or mom’s night out!

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You’ll be happy to find that it’s filled with all your favorite movie scenes.  The Hollywood Blvd. pick-up, the snobby shopping and delightful makeover scenes, the opera giggles, the classic polo outing.  It’s all there!

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And you’ll be happy to find familiar outfits that made this movie so iconic make a comeback to the stage!  (Who can forget that stunning to-the-floor, red dress?!)  It was both nostalgic and thrilling to see all over again!

After having opened August 16th in 2018, and having Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance produce the musical set, this musical has taken off and filled audience’s hearts with a renewed love for this fairytale plot.  And if you’re like me, you’ll go home blissfully wanting to re-watch the 80s movie all over! pretty woman the musical, pretty woman musical, pretty woman on broadway, pretty woman review, bryan adams musical

Just as in the movie, the crucial chemistry between the two unlikely lovers, was just as palpable on stage.   Broadway actress, Samantha Barks charms us as Vivian alongside Andy Karl (who plays Richard Gere’s role, as Edward).  His voice was so soulful that I didn’t want him to stop singing!

The two were like fire together!  And I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a sexier musical!

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Discount tickets!

Guess what!  You can get discounts on your tickets!  Just type in promo code MOM1 on Ticketmaster before September 1st and leave a comment below!

Additional Info.

Runtime 2 hrs. and 30 min.

Credits Music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance; Book by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton.; Directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell
CastSamantha Barks, Andy Karl, Orfeh, Eric Anderson, Jason Danieley, Allison Blackwell, Tommy Bracco, Brian Calì, Robby Clater, Jessica Crouch, Nico DeJesus, Anna Eilinsfeld, Matt Farcher, Lauren Lim Jackson, Renée Marino, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Jillian Mueller, Jake Odmark, Jennifer Sanchez, Matthew Stocke, Alex Michael Stoll, Alan Wiggins, Jesse Wildman and Darius Wright

DisclosureThis post is made possible by support from Pretty Woman: The Musical. All opinions are my own.

 

 

King Kong For A Wild Night Out On Broadway

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A Wild Night Out

These days as a mom, a wild night out might mean nothing more than dinner and a drink with a friend where we stay out past 10pm. Even that type of a crazy night out is an extremely rare occasion which is why when King Kong the Musical offered complimentary tickets to see their show, I hopped at the opportunity to make it a mom’s night out.  Cuz what could be wilder than seeing the re-make of this film featuring a beauty and a beast on Broadway (without kids)?  OK so I can think of a couple of things but this would have to do for now.

The Star Of The Show

What a treat it was to be at the Broadway Theater and witness Kong come alive on stage.  Despite being cast alongside Broadway talents such as lead actress, Christiani Pitts, King Kong truly was the star of the show.  At 20 feet tall, he towered over everyone too! I found myself with my mouth gaping down to the floor on more than one occasion.  That roar!  It was visceral and shockingly loud.  Kudos to the sound design team for so powerfully projecting his prowess!

Some of the most creatively produced scenes involved Kong climbing the Empire State building, jumping in slow-mo and falling to his death.

And I couldn’t get over his animatronic, yet life-like expressions!  He looked almost human-like.  You truly feel his pain when captured and depressed.

That massive marionette puppet was such a breathtaking spectacle that he more than made up for the lack of memorable score.  This may not be the kind of musical you’ll leave whistling or singing the songs to but it is one you will never forget!

What I Learned

After the show, the invited bloggers were invited to stay to meet and greet some of the cast and puppeteers for an intimate Q&A session.  That’s where we learned that this show started in Australia before moving to NY (to launch last November).  They went through 3 renditions of this primate puppet (what a massive expense that was!)  And there was a mighty 12+ person team of aerialists/gymnast/dancer/actors controlling every coordinated Kong move including “voodoo operators” controlling his body and face movements via hydraulics.   Gavin Robins, credited as Kong’s movement director, is the show’s behind-the-scenes MVP.  Just moving Kong’s heavy steel arm up in the air, required such force, strength and agility!  The choreography involved with each step seemed mind-boggling and it was truly fascinating to hear their stories of how they trained for their unique job.

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A HUGE thank you to the King Kong troupe for spending time with us to answer so many behind the scenes type questions, and to King Kong Broadway for inviting us and for making this all possible.

The show runs until September 2019.   And you can use this discount code KKPVM129 here for your own tickets!

 

Know Before You Go

Running time: 2hrs 15mins. One intermission.

I would not suggest this show for kids 5 and under.  Monstrous King Kong with its overbearing size, sound and beastly qualities may scare small children and even give the bigger kids nightmares.  Know your child and decide for yourself.

The theater does have seat risers for younger kids to see the stage better.

 

This post is made possible by support from King Kong Broadway. All opinions are my own.

 

 

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