Archive for November, 2021

“Pretty Woman” at the Fox Entertains, Showcases Strong Performances

Posted in St Louis Theatre, USA Theatre, tagged , , , , , , , , , on November 18, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Pretty Woman: The Musical
Book by Garry Marshall & J.F. Lawton, Music by Bryan Adams & Jim Vallance
Based on the Touchstone Motion Picture Written by J.F. Lawton
Directed and Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell
The Fox Theatre
November 16, 2021

Olivia Valli and Cast of Pretty Woman: The Musical
Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade
Pretty Woman: The Musical  US Tour

Pretty Woman is a well-known movie from 1990, and now it’s a musical, on tour across the country after a run on Broadway. Now it’s at the Fox, representing a return to touring shows for the venue after a fairly long hiatus. It’s a welcome return, and Pretty Woman: The Musical is more entertaining than I expected it to be, considering that this is one of those “film to stage” shows that makes me wonder why it was necessary in the first place. Still, it’s a crowd-pleaser, and despite a few issues with the show itself, it does provide an excellent showcase for its lead star, and several memorable supporting players.

If you’ve seen the movie, you know the plot. Little has been changed here, except for the addition of a “narrator” character, Happy Man (Kyle Taylor Parker), who appears in various roles throughout the production, most notably a seller of “Maps to the Stars” on Hollywood Boulevard, and Mr. Thompson, the manager of the ritzy Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where much of the story takes place. After an intro from Happy Man and the cast, we get to meet Vivian Ward (Olivia Valli) and her friend Kit De Luca (Jessica Crouch), a pair of “working girls” on the Boulevard. Relatively new at her trade, Vivian wonders how she got where she is, and wishes for something different. A change arrives in the form of Edward Lewis (Adam Pascal), a rich, jaded businessman who spends the evening and night with Vivian, and is intrigued enough by her quirky personality that he hires her to be his date for the week. He’s in town for a big business deal, in which he hopes to buy out a struggling company so he can sell off its assets for a profit, which is essentially all that his company does. Of course, the week’s worth of swanky parties requires a makeover for Vivian, for which Edward foots the bill, but she has a lot of surprises in store for him, as well.

As mentioned, it’s essentially the exact same plot as the film with a few tweaks, and of course, the songs, which are hit-or-miss, and some seem kind of forced into place. Still, there are memorable moments, such as when Edward takes Vivian to the opera and the song “You and I” sung by Edward and Vivian is blended with scenes from Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, which provides for the most memorable moment in the show, featuring the showstopping vocals of Amma Osei as Violetta. There are also some fun comedy moments provided by Crouch as the tough-talking Kit, Parker in his various guises as Happy Man, and especially Matthew Vincent Taylor as the hotel’s enthusiastic bellboy, Giulio. There are some fun dance moments, as well, featuring Parker and Taylor. As for the two romantic leads, Pascal is good in a fairly dull role as Edward, showing off his strong, rock-influenced vocals and displaying good-enough chemistry with Valli, who is the real standout here in an energetic, quirky performance as Vivian. It’s her energy that drives the show much of the time, even at times managing to make up for the deficiencies of the somewhat lackluster book. The choreography by director Jerry Mitchell is strong, too, and the production numbers are especially entertaining, featuring a strong, enthusiastic ensemble. 

One especially striking aspect of this production is the set, by David Rockwell and how dynamic it is, coordinating with the choreography of the scenes much of the time. The various set piece are “flown” in and out with impressive efficiency, creating the 1980’s look of the show with vibrant style. There are also fun, colorful costumes by Gregg Barnes that highlight the era and setting, which is helped by Josh Marquette’s hair design and Fiona Mifsud’s makeup. Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg’s lighting also adds sparkle and style to the proceedings, and the band led by Daniel Klintwork does well with the show’s score.

The 1980’s setting also provides for some fun little prop moments that add to the entertainment value of the show, and ultimately it is entertaining, even if it’s not a brilliant show, and I still wonder why Pretty Woman needed to be a musical. Still, there’s a lot to like here, especially in the performances and setting, and there’s a fun curtain call moment featuring the well-known song from which the movie and musical got their title, “Oh Pretty Woman” by Roy Orbison and Bill Dees. If you like the film, you’ll probably enjoy the musical as well. It’s also nice to be able to see musical at the Fox again, at long last.

Amma Osei, Olivia Valli, Adam Pascal, and cast of Pretty Woman: The Musical
Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade
Pretty Woman: The Musical US Tour

The US Tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical is playing at the Fox Theatre until November 28, 2021

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Well-Cast “Jake’s Women” is an Impressive Debut for Moonstone Theatre Company

Posted in St Louis Theatre, tagged , , , , , on November 10, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Jake’s Women
by Neil Simon
Directed by Edward M. Coffield
Moonstone Theatre Company
November 4, 2021

Jennifer Theby-Quinn, Jeff Cummings
Photo by Phillip Hamer
Moonstone Theatre Company

Moonstone Theatre company is currently staging their first production in the studio theatre space at the new Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. Moonstone is a new theatre company, although it seems like they have been around for a while, considering artistic director-producer Sharon Hunter and company have managed to maintain a visible online presence (via Facebook, their website, and a podcast) over the past two years while waiting for the chance to finally stage a live production. Well, that production is here now, and it’s excellent. Neil Simon’s Jake’s Women features a first-rate cast and strong production values, making a strong impression on the St. Louis theatre scene.

Jake’s Women is one of celebrated playwright Simon’s later plays, having been originally staged in 1992, and like most of his works, it’s a comedy, although there are elements of drama as are characteristic of many of Simon’s later works. It’s early 90s origin is apparent in some of the jokes that don’t quite seem to “land” as well as they would have almost 30 years ago, but otherwise, it holds up well, speaking to universal issues of relationships, mental health, and the challenges of being a writer. Jake (Jeff Cummings) is a celebrated novelist currently dealing with writer’s block, as well as a variety of issues in his relationships with various women in his life, who appear mostly in Jake’s mind. These women include his current wife Maggie (Jennifer Theby-Quinn), his sister Karen (Hunter), his psychoanalyst Edith (Jennie Brick), his daughter Molly at age 12 (Amelie Lock) and at 21 (Carly Uding), and his late, beloved first wife Julie (Marisa Puller). All of these characters except Maggie only appear as Jake’s imagined/remembered versions who appear at first only as Jake “summons” them, although later they begin showing up on their own. Maggie, who is dealing with a strained marriage to Jake, appears both in Jake’s mind-visions and in “real life”, showing the contrast between how she really is and how Jake can imagine her. There’s also another character, Sheila (Mindy Shaw), who mostly appears in “real life”, as a new woman in Jake’s life who isn’t so sure what to think of him. As Jake debates, argues, and discusses with these figures in his life (in the real and imaginary versions), he seeks to work out his own struggles with fear of intimacy, grief over his loss of his first wife, his dependence on women, his fear of losing touch with reality, and more. It’s a fascinating, fast-paced picture of a complex character and a struggling marriage, as the relationship between Jake and Maggie is at the center.

As a Neil Simon play, this show is full of fast-paced, quick witted and self-deprecating humor, as well as memorable characters. In this production, all the characters are cast with impeccable precision. As Jake, Cummings is full of angsty energy, managing to be both obtuse and vulnerable at the same time, maintaining sympathy even when he can be stubbornly difficult. Theby-Quinn is an excellent match for Cummings as the conflicted Maggie, managing to convey a genuine love for Jake as well as exasperation with him, and a desire to discover more about herself. These two work especially well together, forming the emotional heart of this production. There are also strong performances from the rest of the cast, with Hunter as the ever-helpful but increasingly frustrated Karen, Brick as the acerbic Edith, Puller as the idealized but determined Julie, and Lock and Uding as two different versions of Molly all providing excellent support. Shaw, as Sheila, makes a strong impression in a small-ish role, as well, mostly reacting to Jake’s increasingly unusual behavior as he deals with the apparitions that she is unable to see. It’s a cohesive ensemble, bringing Simon’s quickly paced, talky script to life with emotion and verve.

The space at the Kirkwood Performing Arts center is ideal for this production, emphasizing the intimacy of the setting and working well with the style and theme of the play. Dunsi Dai’s relatively minimal set is also ideal, with both realistic and more abstract elements blending together with Michael Sullivan’s evocative lighting to highlight the more imaginative aspects of the play, as well as its very real humor and emotion. The costumes by Michele Siler and sound by Amanda Werre also contribute well to the overall tone and theme of the production, and director Edward M. Coffield’s staging is dynamic and energetically paced.

Overall, this is an impressive debut for a promising new theatre company. Jake’s Women provides a strong cast an excellent opportunity to bring this thoughtful, witty play to life. Moonstone Theatre Company is a welcome addition to the St. Louis theatre scene, and I’m looking forward to seeing more productions from them in the future. 

Cast of Jake’s Women
Photo by Phillip Hamer
Moonstone Theatre company

Moonstone Theatre Company is presenting Jake’s Women at the Kirkwood Performing Arts Center until November 21, 2021

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