vivian + edward 4ever

Rom-com classic Pretty Woman walkin' down the street to Austin in new musical adaptation

Pretty Woman: The Musicalwill run January 17–22, 2023 at Bass Concert Hall.

Pretty Woman The Musical/Facebook

Cheery and breezy, Pretty Woman has endured as one of Hollywood’s most beloved rom-coms thanks to a perfectly charming performance by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere’s detached, and finally open, demeanor.

Now, fans of the 1990 film can catch the popular stage show based on the classic when it hits Austin next year. Pretty Woman: The Musicalwill run January 17–22, 2023 at Bass Concert Hall on campus at the University of Texas at Austin.

Tickets for the acclaimed show, which is in the midst of a nationwide tour, start at $30 and go on sale Friday, October 14, at 10 am.

Pretty Woman: The Musical boasts serious heavyweights, with a book by the film’s legendary director Garry Marshall and its noted screenwriter J. F. Lawton. Grammy-winning pop star Bryan Adams (“Cuts Like a Knife,” “Summer of ’69”, “Everything I Do”) and Jim Vallance provide the score, while the industry veteran Paula Wagner produces. Two-time Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell serves as director. Adam Pascal and Jessie Davidson star as Edward Lewis and Vivian Ward, respectively.

Super fans will note that the stage show’s costumes are acutely on-point, from Vivian’s revealing getup to her famous ballroom gown and expensive diamond necklace.

And speaking of fans: Expect a rousing rendition of Roy Orbison’s smash hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which inspired the iconic movie, and might just inspire an audience singalong moment.

New

Historic Austin museum will close for more than a year for restoration

Photo courtesy of the City of Austin

The Elisabet Ney Museum will close at the end of 2024 and reopen in mid-2026.

Every building needs some maintenance here or there, and the historic Elisabet Ney Museum needs some extra-special care. Formerly the art studio and residence of its namesake, it's been standing since 1892. It'll spend 2025 in relative solitude, as it undergoes renovation for a year and a half with no visitors allowed.

The museum will close to the public December 30, 2024, and open again in the summer of 2026 if all goes according to plan, a news release from the City of Austin shares. It'll be a quiet period compared to the 21,000 people visiting from around the world each year.

According to a museum overview on the city's website, Elisabet Ney, a European portrait sculptor, bought the property and called her new studio Formosa. She worked on sculptures depicting important Texans like Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston, and collected works of European contemporaries.

The building at 304 East 44th St. includes 3,700 square feet of museum space, which was converted by Ney's friends after her death in 1907. It retains its unique look that juxtaposes a Neo-Classical main studio from 1892 with a later addition from 1902 including a tower for her husband, Edmund, to write in. It is also on 2.5 acres of land, which has largely been restored to its natural state with native species.

A press release lists these tasks (verbatim) within the scope of the new work, referred to as the Capital Improvement Project (CIP):

Restoration of original exterior wood doors and windows
Upgrades and replacement of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
Replacement of the exhibit and general lighting systems
Repairs to the roof, masonry, plumbing, and interior finishes.

There will also be work to do outside of the building. Workers will replace the pedestrian bridge across Waller Creek, stabilize a 20,000-square-foot portion of the bank, and make the grounds more accessible by adding new pathways.

Funding comes from several sources, according to a release: "the 2012 Bond, Proposition 14, the Parkland Dedication Fund, the Historic Preservation Fund, Partners in Preservation through the National Trust, and contributions from the Friends of the Elisabet Ney Museum."

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