Samantha Jade to play Julia Roberts’ role in Pretty Woman the Musical showing in Brisbane and Sydney

Samantha Jade is set to play her “dream role” after she landed the lead in Pretty Woman: The Musical, based on the iconic movie and made famous by Julia Roberts.

The 38-year-old singer and actress will star as Vivian (Roberts’ character) in the upcoming Broadway and West End musical, which makes its debut in Brisbane and Sydney later this year.

The show will play at Queensland Performing Arts Centre from October 5 and at the Theatre Royal, Sydney from November.

“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,” the Perth-born star said.

“I never thought I would do a musical because I dance and sing, and act, but all separately, not at the same time and this is a big challenge.

“I love this movie so much, and the music in this is next level.”

Jade told Sunrise she was in LA checking out of a one-night stay at the Beverly Wilshire, the famous hotel from the film, when she found out she got the role.

The 1990 film sees rich businessman Edward (played by Richard Gere) hire Vivan, a prostitute, to join him at several social events; however, things soon get tricky when he begins to fall in love with someone from a very different world.

Now, fans of the characters will get to know them in a whole new way with a dazzling theatrical take on a love story for the ages.

Jade said the film was her “comfort movie” that she used to watch with her mum, who sadly died in 2014 after a battle with cancer.

“It was one of our four favourites and last year was the 10th anniversary of her passing, so I was watching it a lot, weirdly, and then I got a call to audition and I was like ‘Oh my god’ this just seems perfect,” she said.

As for who is playing her lover, all Jade could share was that the actor was “someone Australian and someone great.”

“We couldn’t get Richard, but we’ve got the next best thing.”

Suzanne Jones of Jones Theatrical Group said the group knew if they didn’t offer Jade the role, they would immediately regret it.

“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,” she said.

No stranger to a live audience, Jade won Channel 7’s X Factor in 2012 and has since amassed a collective 91 million streams and 2.3 million sales worldwide, released the song Shake That with Pitbull and released her album NINE in 2015, which hit number two on the ARIA charts.

Our homegrown talent has been a regular fixture on Australian TV, starring as Kylie Minogue in the miniseries INXS: Never Tear Us Apart, as well as an ongoing guest-starring role in Home and Away.

Her screen credits don’t end there; in 2023, she joined the cast of the second season of Celebrity Apprentice, and last year was the runner-up of Channel 7’s Dancing With The Stars.

Jade has continued with her music career of late, releasing her EP Love. Sick. Vol 2 in August.

Pretty Woman: The Musical features a rock score from GRAMMY winners Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (Summer of ’69, Heaven), direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Hairspray) and a book by the original movie’s director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton.

The musical made its Broadway debut at the Nederlander Theatre in 2018 and has played in Spain, Italy, Poland and Germany as well as an extended West End season.

Further casting announcements are set to be made in the coming weeks.