Falling in love: Samantha Jade & Ben Hall on the magic of ''Pretty Woman''
This weekend, ''Pretty Woman: The Musical'' makes its highly anticipated australian premiere in Brisbane before touring to Sydney. Starring Samantha Jade as Vivian and Ben Hall as Edward, the rom-com that launched Julia Roberts’ career is now a smash hit stage musical.
''The Scoop'' had the pleasure of sitting down with Samantha and Ben for a chat ahead of the season. The pair talk all things ''Pretty Woman'', including what’s similar about the musical, what’s different from the film, and why they work so easily together. Read the full interview below.
Samantha, can you share the story of your connection to the original film and where you were when you got the call that you’d booked this role?
Samantha: ''Yes, it’s quite a great story. I love the movie. I always have. I always used to watch it with my mum. We would watch these couple of films, and ''Pretty Woman'' was always number one on the list. And last year, it was the ten-year anniversary of her passing. And so i watched that movie a lot, just because it made me feel close to her. And then i got this call to maybe audition for the musical, and i thought: ''You know what? It feels like a stars aligning thing''. So i thought i’d just go in and see. I didn’t expect to get it. But i did. I was in LA performing at ''G’day LA'', that event for australians in LA. And as i was checking out of the ''Beverly Wiltshire'' hotel, i got the call. Which is so crazy. I only stayed there for one night. But it was just such an amazing thing. It just felt like all of the things lined up, and it was such an orchestrated moment.''
I’ve heard it said a few times, actually, that what’s meant for you is easy.
Samantha: ''Yes, wow! That’s a great saying.''
Ben, what was your connection to the film? And do you have a story that you can share when you found out?
Ben: ''I’d been moving around a lot the last 12-18 months. I was living down in Wye River when i found out. But it was one of those really easy moments, as you just mentioned. Like the initial audition process was with someone i knew and loved as a director, and an MD who i also knew and loved. And so that first process was like a two-hour sit-down with the script, just to have a play and see what comes out. And it was such a nice process, such an easy process, that i think they got my best work out of me. And it was kind of all like that. The rehearsal process has been like that, too.''
Samantha: ''Yeah, so nice.''
Ben: ''It has been really, really lovely. Connection to the film? The film came out before I was born.''
Samantha: ''I was four. He loves to talk about our age gap (Laughs).''
Ben: ''But it was so iconic that it was on all the time. I felt like i knew the references from the film. I feel like i’ve known them forever. But sitting down and actually watching the full film, i think it was when i was in high school. I was taking a sick day or something and it was on. And then obviously, i re-watched it again when i got the call about doing this. It took a long time to sink in when i got the news, actually. I was living in this tiny little town, and i didn’t have my friends or family, apart from my partner, to share it with and go crazy about. So i was just on the beach, kind of sitting there, thinking about how everything’s about to change massively, touring around with this incredible show.''
It’s hard to believe, but there are some people who have never seen the original film. So, for those people, can you tell me, in a nutshell, what ''Pretty Woman'' is about?
Samantha: ''It’s a classic rom-com. It’s a love story about two people who are from completely different worlds, unlikely to meet, unlikely to fall in love, and they do. And it’s really about them saving each other in different ways.''
Ben: ''I like that with the musical, we flip it on its head a little bit. I feel like it’s more weighted on the fact that she saves him from this world of believing that money, wealth and power are everything. But he finds that it’s sort of soulless. And she is so in touch with herself, so charismatic and alive. She’s the one who makes him realise what’s important in life.''
For people who know and love the film inside and out, what can audiences expect to see in the musical that has been retained from the film?
Ben: ''Well, the film’s original writer wrote the script for the musical as well. Therefore, he was allowed to steal as much as he wanted from the original. So there are scenes that are pretty much word-for-word. All the iconic moments that you’d expect to see, they’re all there. Apart from one, which I will maybe ruin for people. The one that I wish was in there is the ‘slippery little suckers’ scene with the snails.''
Samantha: ''I think they had to change that because that was when they were going to dinner. And now they go dancing. But all the big moments are in there, like the bath, the jewellery box. The opera scene.''
Ben: ''We have some proper opera singers for that, too. It’s their first time doing a musical, and their voices are just unreal.''
Samantha: ''And the music is so good. I mean, Bryan Adams knows how to write a hit. So he’s really captured that ‘80s pop-rock sound. They’re really memorable and really great. There’s also a lovely thread throughout it, about never giving up on your dreams, and yourself, really. And you get to know some of the characters much more in the musical.''
What are some of the new elements audiences can expect?
Ben: The character of Happy Man, played by Tim Omaji, is a much bigger role. He actually plays multiple characters throughout.
Is he the one who says: ''Welcome to Hollywood! What’s your dream?'' in the film?
Samantha: ''Yeah!''
Ben: ''So he’s our narrator, our fairy godfather figure; he is there throughout the whole story, making things work. And his dancing is unreal, his acting is unreal. So that’s a big shift.''
Samantha: ''And i think even Kit’s character. In the film, you don’t really get to know her. In the musical, you really do. Michelle Brasier, who plays Kit, is so funny. She’s so brilliant. She’s such a powerhouse singer, too. And there’s also some really great moments with different people, like the opera singer.''
Ben: ''And there are some big ensemble numbers, too.''
What have you learned about yourselves as performers during this rehearsal process? Has anything surprised you or challenged you in ways you didn’t expect?
Samantha: ''I guess i’ve learned that maybe i can do this.''
Ben: ''You definitely can.''
Samantha: ''I was so nervous going in. But i think that for me, i’ve kind of surprised myself with how i’ve taken it in my stride. I mean, i haven’t actually done it yet. (Laughs) But so far so good.''
Ben: ''I think we always place a lot of pressure on ourselves, and we have such huge doubts about what we can achieve. Part of the message of this show is: never give up on your dreams, keep working, find your self-worth and believe in yourself. Those sorts of themes have resonated with me while I’ve been in the rehearsal room. I haven’t really done a big song and dance musical like this for seven or eight years. So once we’re back in the arena, it’s like: ''Does this thing still work?''
Samantha: ''Yeah, it does.''
That’s so great, i love that. I just found out that you’re both from Perth! Do you guys have anything else in common, or are there things where you are complete opposites?
Ben: ''We both have dogs.''
Samantha: ''We are both obsessed with our dogs from Perth.''
Ben: ''Me and Pat both wear 'WHOOPs'.''
Samantha: ''Yes, my husband also wears a 'WHOOP'. I don’t think there are any opposite things. I think we’re pretty similar in the way that we’re quite chill.''
Ben: ''Yeah. That chill Perth energy.''
Samantha: ''Thank God, because we didn’t do a chemistry test. We just met and started working.''
Ben: ''It would have been a lot harder if we really didn’t get on.''
Samantha: ''Really hard.''
It might be too soon to ask, Samantha, but now that you are in the musical world, are there any roles or shows on your bucket list?
Samantha: ''My dream role has always been to play Roxy in ''Chicago''. That’s always been a dream role of mine. I love that era. I love that musical.''
How about you Ben? Are there any projects or people you’d still like to work with?
Ben: ''One thing that i’ve always thought would be really great to do, like i’m too old now, but an american high school drama. I don’t know why that’s stuck in my mind for years. But it always looked like so much fun. That, or some sort of fantasy, ''Game Of Thrones'' thing. I just think one of those epic, big-budget crazy tv series would be really cool to be a part of.''
Samantha: ''My dream is to play Khaleesi. That is my favourite show of all time.''
I love those answers! And my final question is, what advice would you give to anyone who wants to get into this industry?
Ben: ''I think you really need to trust your management and agency, so make sure you do your research and that you get on really well with those people who represent you. Because that can come back to bite you. And then the other thing i always say to people is, know your contracts, read your contracts.''
Samantha: ''I think as well, you’ve got to be able to work hard. A lot of people see the highlights reel. They see the show, and it looks so fun. But it’s a lot of hard work, and you’ve got to love what you do. Some days are long and tiring. You’ve really got to have the passion for it. And don’t give up on yourself. There are so many talented people out there that it didn’t work out for, and they gave up. Don’t give up. There’s a role out there. There’s room for everyone.''
Ben: ''You never know what tomorrow will bring.''
''Pretty Woman: The Musical'' runs from 5 october – 23 november 2025 at the ''Lyric Theatre'', ''QPAC'' in Brisbane.
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