Broadway's Hit 'Pretty Woman' Stage Musical Has Locked in a Date with Sydney From November 2025
After making its Australian debut in Brisbane, the production will head to Theatre Royal Sydney with Samantha Jade starring.
First, the 80s-set tale of Vivian meeting Edward fuelled a big-screen box-office smash. Next, Pretty Woman took the screen-to-stage leap, premiering on Broadway in 2018. Australia has been waiting to see the theatre production ever since — a delay that'll finally be over in 2025. Even better: after initially announcing its Aussie-debut season in Brisbane from October, Pretty Woman: The Musical is now extending its run, heading to Theatre Royal Sydney from November.
Yes, that means getting a specific song stuck in your head. Whenever 90s rom-com Pretty Woman comes to mind, Roy Orbison's song likely does as well. That said, when the musical based on the hit flick arrives in the Harbour City for the first time, you'll be getting Bryan Adams tunes lodged in your brain, too. The Canadian singer-songwriter helped bring the Julia Roberts (Leave the World Behind)- and Richard Gere (The Agency)-starring film to the stage, penning the music and lyrics for the show.
If you've seen the film, you'll know the story, as an escort and a corporate raider fall in love — and you'll also know that it made Roberts a star, complete with a Golden Globe win, plus her first Best Actress Oscar nomination. Alongside America's most-famous theatre district, where it broke records at the Nederlander Theatre, Pretty Woman: The Musical has graced the stage in London's West End, plus Spain, Italy, Poland and Germany.
Also just announced: that Samantha Jade, who stepped into Kylie Minogue's shoes in 2024 TV miniseries Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS — opposite Scrublands' Luke Arnold as Michael Hutchence — will be playing Vivian in Brisbane and Sydney.
"We knew from the first time Samantha auditioned that not offering her the role of Vivian would be a big mistake. Big. Huge! Her voice perfectly suits Bryan Adams' iconic score and I know Australian audiences will fall in love with her when she makes her debut at QPAC in October," said Suzanne Jones of JONES Theatrical Group.
"This is a dream role for me. Such a beloved film that is a favourite of so many worldwide and I'm delighted to be able to originate the role for Australian audiences," added Samantha Jade.
There's no word yet who else will be among the local cast, so who'll be following in Gere's footsteps, too — and Laura San Giacomo (NCIS) and Hector Elizondo's (Mr Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie) as well. Whether Pretty Woman: The Musical will head to other Australian stops beyond the Queensland and New South Wales capitals also hasn't yet been revealed.
Behind the curtain, Adams worked with his songwriting partner Jim Vallance, who he wrote 'Summer of '69', 'Run to You', 'Cuts Like a Knife' and 'Heaven' with, on the music and lyrics. Late filmmaker Garry Marshall (Mother's Day), who directed the Pretty Woman movie — plus Roberts and Gere's on-screen reunion in 1999 in Runaway Bride — penned the book with the OG flick's screenwriter JF Lawnton (Yellow River Christmas).
Pretty Woman: The Musical Australian Dates
From Sunday, October 5, 2025 — Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane
From November 2025 (exact dates still to be announced) — Theatre Royal Sydney, Sydney
Pretty Woman: The Musical will play the Theatre Royal Sydney, 108 King Street, Sydney, from November 2025 — head to the production's website for more details and to sign up for the ticket waitlist.
Images: UK tour, Marc Brenner.
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