HOUSTON — The last time actor Matthew Stocke visited Houston was summer 22 years ago on the national tour of Titanic: The Musical.
"Jones Hall was chilled to about 60 degrees, so you would walk into the theater and it was like, 'Oh, my sweet mercy. Then you open the door to go back out and, even at 11 p.m., it was 100 degrees with 81 percent humidity," he laughed. "It was like, 'Oh, my god. What is happening right now?'"
Stocke was greeted by much more temperate weather when he made his return to Houston this month as part of another national tour for Pretty Woman: The Musical, based on the 1990 film starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
"I think people want to see a fairy tale and that's what it is. The movie is an unbridled romance. The show we're doing is unbridled romance," said Stocke, who plays bad guy Philip Stuckey. "And you know, the princess gets the prince."
Just as in the movie, Stuckey tries to prevent that from happening in the musical.
"The end has a little bit of a different twist, which will be much more satisfying to the theater-going audience," Stocke shared. "Stuckey gets his."
Another difference between the film and the musical might be obvious: people break into song.
"Like any good musical, if you have a feeling and you're thinking about it, sing it," said Stocke. "It is full-value musical theater, I can tell you that."
You can see Pretty Woman: The Musical at Hobby Center from Jan. 3 to Jan. 8. Get tickets here.
Watch digital anchor Brandi Smith's full interview with Matthew Stocke in the video above.