For those who might come to the Broadway touring production of “Pretty Woman” expecting to see the 1990 film recreated on stage, Olivia Valli has three words of advice.
“Watch the particular movie, ” Valli said. “Actually, I think just replicating the movie would be something of a disservice — to the show itself, and to typically the audience. You want to give people something that’s special. ”
Valli has the role associated with Vivian, this Hollywood call girl who is offered the chance to accompany Edward, a wealthy tycoon visiting Los Angeles, to several public functions he must attend in often the course regarding his business dealings. What begins as purely a transactional relationship becomes something deeper because the week wears on.
“This is a much more stylized piece, ” Valli said during the recent telephone conversation. “There’s more emphasis on your comedy, and it’s also been given a new stronger narrative that’s more in keeping with today.
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“For one thing, there are more opportunities for Vivian to walk away, whenever she thinks she’s being disrespected, ” Valli said. “Her journey is really one of her seeing her own worth plus discovering that there is this group of people who are rooting for her, who are wanting to teach her things in order to make the girl realize the woman own power.
“She’s the one in control, and she has the main one who discovers the exact fairy tale inside herself, ” she stated. “The cherry on the top of it is (that she wins the heart of) Edward cullen. ”
Valli originally auditioned for the role of Kit, Vivian’s wisecracking roommate in addition to fellow sex worker.
“I thought that character would be a better fit for me, ” Valli said. “But when they suggested I read with regard to (the role of) Vivian, and once I really started diving into this character, I realized that this really felt right regarding me. And musically it fits me well. Pop singing is really in my wheelhouse, and Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance have really captured that ‘80s-’90s feeling in the music. ”
That Valli originally had dreams of becoming a pop music star might seem obvious, given her heritage. Her grandfather is Frankie Valli, the lead singer of the Four Seasons, whose hits such as “Walk Like a Man, ” “Sherry, ” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” inspired the musical “Jersey Boys. ”
“My family never pressured me one way or the other about pursuing music, ” Valli said. “Their attitude was more, ‘Be what you want to be. ’ But I really didn’t get into musical theater until junior high. I realized I needed to have some sort associated with major if I was going to go to college, plus musical theater seemed as good because any. ”
It was in a junior high school production regarding “Gypsy, ” in which Valli played the particular role involving Mama Rose, that she discovered first-hand the unique power that happens when words, songs, character in addition to story all come together.
“Of course, I was regarding 40 years too young intended for the part, ” Valli said, laughing. “But at one point in the show, I got a standing ovation, and even I remember thinking, ‘This is amazing. ’ I don’t mean typically the ovation — it has been seeing how people could get swept up in the story, in a moment, that this brought them to their feet. And I knew then that We wanted to do this forever. ”
Valli’s career has included being part connected with the most recent tour with “Wicked” as well as an off-Broadway production for “Jersey Boys, ” by which she portrayed her grandmother, Mary Delgado.
“Having the last name about Valli has had no effect on my career one way or maybe the other, and I’m glad about that, ” she said. “I auditioned six times for ‘Jersey Boys, ’ and when it closed on Broadway I thought that would be it. Then when I actually finished this tour in ‘Wicked, ’ I obtained a call about auditions for an off -Broadway production.
“I had lived with my grandmother whenever I had been much younger, and My partner and i knew that will no one can tell this particular story often the way I could, ” Valli said. “And I think I am your first person ever to get played a direct relative. ”
While being Frankie Valli’s granddaughter did not open any doors within the musical theatre world, as soon as Valli experienced worked the girl way through those doors, she discovered the impact her grandfather has already established.
“I am constantly hearing these amazing stories about the grandpa — the way he had touched people’s lives, how nice he seemed to be to work with, the exact things he would do in order to help people, ” she stated. “And that was maybe the greatest lesson this individual taught me personally — the importance from good personality.
“My grandpa told me when that kindness is what’s important, because if you’re a bad person, that’s the thing people are going to remember, ” Valli mentioned. “It doesn’t matter exactly how talented you may be. People are likely to keep in mind the impact a person had on them more than they’re going to bear in mind your talents. ”
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