Shanna Slaap rocks Pretty Woman

“I slept a bit restlessly last night.” Shanna Slaap, the newly presented lead actress of the musical Pretty Woman still has to get used to her star status. Last night she performed in Moulin Rouge in Cologne and immediately after that it was a fast drive back to her hometown Amsterdam because on this Monday, the only free day of the week, the interviews for Pretty Woman were scheduled. “Fortunately, my brother came to watch the show so I could ride back with him and my sister-in-law.” After years of dancing, singing, and acting lessons and a lot of musical experience, Shanna performed in Utrecht and London in On Your Feet in the ensemble and in Utrecht as the understudy of the lead actress, in Aladdin as the understudy of Jasmine, and now for some time in Cologne where she plays in Moulin Rouge. There, she also lets the lead actress catch her breath once a week and takes over.

Even on the poster
But that it is really happening now, she has to get used to it. “I was made up this morning by Leco van Zadelhoff, there are photographers, I get to wear this beautiful clothing, I’m really doing my best to let it sink in.” She still remembers exactly where she was when she heard she got the role. In the car with her boyfriend. By the way, she met him during the musical Aladdin, he was the understudy of Aladdin, she of Jasmine, and there on the flying carpet, the spark flew. Anyway, back to the car ride. The phone rang, Shanna answered, and there was the casting director who after some chit-chat (“I thought; just say it”) said; You got the role. “I said a lot of OMG and then immediately called my parents.”

Who will be Richard Gere
Who will play the role of Edward is not yet known. At the moment, Lisa Loeb (singer, cabaret artist, winner of De Slimste Mens) is working on editing and translating the script. “I can’t wait to read it and dive into it completely. I love being completely script-bound as a sign of respect to the editor and translator, so you should be able to wake me up at night and I should be able to perform it.’

Lisa Loeb & Shanna Slaap

What is she most looking forward to? “There are of course many scenes that are iconic and that I’m really excited about. What I especially want to convey with the musical is the transformation they both undergo in the story. She was already strong and independent, but dares to be loved and show vulnerability. He is the hard businessman without visible feelings and he becomes vulnerable and in love. That’s what I find the most beautiful about the story. That they need each other to find themselves.

Movie: ‘Pretty Woman’, 1990

Who is Shanna Slaap
Age: 27
Occupation: Musical star
Grew up in: Heemstede
Education: Atheneum College Hageveld, then Lucia Marthas
Musical experience: Aladdin, On Your Feet, Moulin Rouge

The musical Pretty Woman will be on display at the Beatrix Theater starting September.