Pretty Woman: The Musical (NYC)

See it if You are a fan of the movie. The performances are excellent (esp Barks, Karl & Orfeh). Music is pleasing & the story is a classic. Very fun

Don't see it if You don't like the movie or are looking for a highfalutin show. They could have spent more money on the sets which were not great.

See it if You liked the movie. This is a nice recreation with great singing and acting, a few special moments though no songs rise to stay in memory.

Don't see it if You expect any sort of originality or interesting interpretation at all. This is strictly film to stage, almost scene for scene.

Also Bryan Adams music was good, like listening to an 80’s soft rock FM radio station. It was fine for the show but completely forgotten the minute you walked out the door of the theatre.... Read more Read less

See it if you want to see a faithful (in story) musical adaptation of the 1990 film, and you really enjoy the cheesy AC music of Bryan Adams.

Don't see it if you wish to avoid a charmless Vivian, chemistry-free leads, out-of-touch book, vapid, generic score, cheap-looking sets & lazy choreography.

Also This is mercenary theatre at its worst: Throw a well-known, well-loved title on a marquee, get a few attractive performers above the title, get a middle-of-the-road composer who elicits some nostalgia among 50-somethings to write generic power ballads, rehash the screenplay without any regard for cultural changes, ask a veteran director/choreographer to give a 50% effort (at best), close the show with a meaningless, upbeat number that you force the audience to clap along to, and charge tourists Broadway prices... and voila, you have a cash grab.... Read more Read less

See it if you're a fan of the film or the stars, curious about Brian Adams as composer, like fluffy rom-coms, fine singing, modern fairy tales

Don't see it if don't like too much cuteness, rom-coms, predictable plot, low stakes, glorying of prostitution, forgettable music, or the film

Also Samantha Barks is too lovely to be an on-the-street hooker(high class sophisticated prostitute, yes), but she sings beautifully and has a riveting face, for a Jerry Mitchell musical, this has very little clever original dancing, David Rockwell's set is disappointing (though functional), Orfeh is too over the top, where are the pimps & dirty side of LA street life?, unmemorable music, yet a glossy, speedily-moving production... Read more Read less

See it if If Cinderella were real and a tart this is exactly the kind of musical she would pay to see. Andy Karl's charisma is welcome on any stage.

Don't see it if The timing couldn't be worse for this unnecessary tuneless tripe. The world has shifted! C'mon.

See it if you want a good facsimile of the movie including replicating most scenes & using dialog directly from the movie; strong singing by leads

Don't see it if dull; w/o memorable music or lyrics and w/ good but not incandescent performances, this musical rarely has the magic of the fairy-tale movie

See it if you want to see an excellent vehicle for Orfeh to sing her face off and/or you like 80s power ballads with bad lyrics.

Don't see it if you want to see compelling storytelling that values hitting all the emotional beats to earn every moment along the way.

See it if You love the movie and/or Bryan Adams music and are in the mood for a light, semi-mindless, entertaining show.

Don't see it if You’re sick of middle-of-the-road movie-to-stage adaptations that don’t improve on their source material.

See it if you enjoyed they movie. There are some changes for the better. Wonderful singing and staging.

Don't see it if you did not like the movie.

Also The changes for the better include some wonderful lyrics of empowerment for women. The song I Can't Go Back sung by the lead actress was very moving. There was also improvement of life for the character Kit who was very well sung and portrayed. The only disappointing part was the scene at the opera. In the movie you see how the lead character is moved by what she sees and in the show there is no reaction to what she sees. On the whole I liked this musical better than the movie because of the powerful lyrics and dialogue given the women.... Read more Read less

See it if Great costumes & good musicians in the pit; Barks' and her dimples are adorable; Blackwell's opera singing wows the audience.

Don't see it if Poor score & direction; Andy Karl's voice can't handle the vocals/if he doesn't belt he cannot reach the notes; Show lacks energy.

Also The play would be more interesting if it did not try to duplicate the words, mannerisms and inflections of Julia Roberts - her ghost is constantly on stage. With a couple of exceptions, the score is uninteresting and forgettable.... Read more Read less

See it if You just want to compare this staging with the renowned film. You love all typical romantic musicals.

Don't see it if You are looking for something that forces you to think about an issue. This is well-done but basically just fluff.

See it if You like movies being turned into musicals on Broadway. This is a good one. Good story and good music.

Don't see it if You want original musicals that don't come from films.

See it if You liked the movie and believe if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Don't see it if You believe a musical is capable of adding something more or prefer impactful acting to songs belting out emotion.

Also To make time for songs, character building conversations and nuanced interactions were dropped resulting in less chemistry between Vivian and Edward, less understanding for their transformation, and a less satisfying experience overall.... Read more Read less

See it if you like traditional musicals.Set is clever.Show is predictable.Lead is great but belts every song.Nothing original, but it's fun.

Don't see it if you were expecting something significant or moving.From opening scene you can predict the ending, even if you haven't seen the movie.

See it if you loved the movie; this is pretty much a redux, albeit a fun, pretty to look at one, but the performances are strong and compelling.

Don't see it if you're looking for anything particularly original. The book and the costumes are directly lifted & the songs don't stick in one's memory.

See it if you buy the premise of the cinderella story and loved the movie

Don't see it if the movie is what you will ultimately compare the stage production to, it pales by comparison

Also Voices are great, music and lyrics weak, close you eyes and Andy Karl sounds much like Bryan Adams. The music was all over the place, loud hard numbers when there should have been ballads.
Eric Anderson STEALS the show, with Orfeh hot on his heels.... Read more Read less

See it if If you are a fan of the story and you enjoy musical variety. Good stage adaptation and nice musical and choriografical additions.

Don't see it if You did not like the movie (it is faithful to the story), do not enjoy musicals or would prefer a play which just replayed the movie plot

See it if you loved the film and want to relive classic moments.

Don't see it if you're expecting this to be anything more than just the movie on stage.

Also I wish they had actually updated it with a more feminist perspective like they had initially claimed they were going to do, but that's hard to do when your entire creative team is entirely comprised of men.... Read more Read less

See it if you want a familiar yet semi-dated tale reframed as a musical, with outstanding performances by Samantha Barks, Orfeh, and Andy Karl.

Don't see it if expecting a duplicate of the cinematic version; uncomfortable with sexuality and prostitution; and / or seeking something deeply provoking.

Also The 1990 film Pretty Women, troublingly, reduces women to “manic pixie dream girl” types and prioritizes male experience. This musical version works to salvage and update the story, prioritizing women’s self-exploration and relegating men to the background. Barks’ gorgeous singing voice, channeling Vivan’s dry wit, sarcasm, and humor, is superb. Karl’s Edward has charm and singing chops, but PW is a woman’s world: Banks and Orfeh as Vivian’s mentor Kit are the most fascinating talents to watch. (But Eric Anderson makes being engagingly fun and funny look easy.) While it may seem strange to watch Orfeh push another girl into the arms of real-life husband Karl, there’s also a kind of cheeky allure to this charade. I do wish music and lyrics were more consistent: some catchy, thoughtful songs get lost in the murky waters of clichéd ones, unfortunately mostly those Karl sings. In the end, this semi-salacious business-and-pleasure work will entertain, even if not bound to be too memorable.... Read more Read less

See it if See if you are a fan of the film, this is very similar. Andy Karl and Sam Barks were excellent. Lots of glitz..an old fashioned musical.

Don't see it if Do not see if you are not a fan of the film or of Karl & Barks. If you prefer a drama this is not for you.

See it if The show closely follows the movie plot.The show is very entertaining,although predictable.The lyrics and music are good.The cast excels.

Don't see it if You didn't like the story or movie. You won't be disappointed by the talented actors performances. Samantha Barks is a gem!

See it if you enjoy movie to stage transfers that have great leads and songs, is faithful to the movie, but lacks power & punch & leaves you so so.

Don't see it if you really loved the movie and don't want to see a cheap Broadway version with lackluster dancing and a general lack of excitement.

See it if There is no reason for this show to exist in 2019. The plot is sexist and trite. The songs are boring. The hooker with a heart of gold trope

Don't see it if is tired. The staging is uninspired. The cast does its best with woefully uninteresting material. But it's time to let shows like this die.

See it if You love the movie and musicals

Don't see it if you want to see a play.

See it if you want a show with lavish sets that follows the same plotlines of the movie.

Don't see it if you are looking for originality.

Also I honestly liked this show more than I expected to. I do love Andy Karl, which is why I went. The story hasn't aged well, in my opinion, and seems like an odd choice in 2018.... Read more Read less