Interview: Jaiden Leo Riley On Making His Professional Leading Man Debut as Edward Lewis in PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL at Clear Space Theatre Company

Clear Space Theatre Company is bringing PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL to Rehoboth Beach this summer, with performances running July 1 through August 25, 2026 in repertory with THE CHER SHOW and MEAN GIRLS. Featuring a book by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton and music and lyrics by rock legend Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, the production is directed by Ashley Williams with choreography by Mark Lenard, and brings the beloved Touchstone Pictures film to the stage.

Stepping into the iconic role of Edward Lewis is Jaiden Leo Riley, a Long Island native and recent Nazareth University graduate with a BFA in Musical Theatre. His favorite credits include Franklin Shepard in MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Angel in RENT, Victor in CABARET, and Angie in GYPSY opposite Jodi Benson. The production marks a full-circle homecoming for Riley, who first performed on the Clear Space stage at just 10 years old as a camper in the theatre's summer intensive.

BroadwayWorld spoke with Riley about returning to the stage where his dream began, building a version of Edward that felt authentic to a 21-year-old actor, and the trust he has built with co-star Abby McDonough, who plays Vivian Ward.

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What does it mean to you personally to return to Clear Space Theatre Company as a leading man, having first performed on this stage at just 10 years old?

Every once in a while, I'll catch myself looking around the theatre and remembering that little kid who couldn't wait to step on this stage. It reminds me why I fell in love with storytelling in the first place, and I feel incredibly grateful that I still get to do what I love every single day. To return to Clear Space and make my professional leading man debut on the very stage where I first performed at 10 years old is incredibly surreal. It's one of those rare full-circle moments that reminds you how all the twists, turns, and unexpected detours somehow lead you exactly where you're meant to be.

I'm a Long Island native, but I've been coming to Rehoboth for nearly 20 years because my grandparents moved here when I was three. When my Grammy heard about Clear Space's summer theatre camp, she immediately told my parents they had to sign me up. We stayed with her for the week, and I got to play Lumière in the summer intensive. I was ten years old, completely obsessed with theatre, and convinced I had "made it" because it was the first time I'd ever performed somewhere outside of Long Island. That week changed everything for me. It made this dream feel real, and from that moment on, I always hoped I'd come back someday, not as a camper, but as part of the professional company. To now return as the leading man feels incredibly special.

How has your training at Nazareth University's BFA Musical Theatre program specifically prepared you to take on a role as demanding as Edward Lewis?

I feel incredibly fortunate to have earned my BFA in Musical Theatre from Nazareth University. The training was rigorous, filled with countless hours in the studio, plenty of sweat, and definitely many tears, but it shaped me into the artist I am today. I owe so much to my professors, especially Nicolette Hart and Jeff Shade, who brought years of Broadway experience into the classroom. Learning from artists who had performed in iconic productions like CHICAGO, RENT, SWEET CHARITY, and LEGALLY BLONDE was inspiring, but what impacted me most wasn't just their knowledge of the craft, it was the confidence they instilled in me.

I grew up as a dancer, and as a gay man, I spent years believing I would only ever be seen as the "dancer" or the character actor. I dreamed of playing roles like Edward Lewis, but professionally, they felt completely out of reach. If you had told me two years ago that I'd be making my professional leading man debut as Edward, I honestly would've laughed. I remember sitting in Nicolette's office, questioning whether I'd ever be seen as a leading man. She looked at me and said something I'll carry with me for the rest of my career: "Love is love." Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I can't authentically tell the story of a man falling in love with a woman. That simple statement completely shifted the way I viewed acting. It reminded me that our job isn't to play ourselves, it's to tell honest human stories.

That lesson has stayed with me in every role I've played since. It's one of the greatest gifts Nazareth gave me, and I'm incredibly grateful for the training, mentorship, and belief my professors had in me long before I had it in myself. Go Golden Flyers!

Edward Lewis is one of the most recognizable characters in popular culture. How do you balance honoring what audiences already love about him while bringing something fresh and personal to the role?

PRETTY WOMAN is arguably one of the most iconic films ever made, so I felt a real responsibility to honor the Edward Lewis that audiences have loved for over thirty years. But let's get one thing out of the way, I'm 21 years old! (laughs). Richard Gere's Edward is in his mid-to-late 40s, so I knew from the beginning that trying to recreate his performance at my age wouldn't feel the most truthful coming from my life experience.

Ashley, our incredible director, and I had a lot of conversations about who our Edward was. We landed on the idea that our Edward is in his mid-20s, fresh out of business school, building the empire that audiences know he'll eventually create. That gave me a foundation that felt authentic while still honoring everything people love about the character.

I think audiences connect with Edward because underneath the tailored suits and business success is someone who's lonely, guarded, and searching for genuine human connection. Those qualities are timeless, regardless of age. My job wasn't to imitate Richard Gere, it was to tell the truth of this version of Edward through my own experiences while preserving the heart that has made him so beloved.

Did you draw more inspiration from the original film when building your portrayal of Edward, or did the Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance score help you find a version of the character that felt uniquely yours?

I definitely started with the film because that's where Edward was born. Richard Gere's performance is so iconic, and I wanted to understand what made audiences fall in love with him in the first place. But once we got into rehearsals, I found myself returning to the score just as much as I returned to the film.

What I love about Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance's writing is that it doesn't redefine Edward, it deepens him. The music gives voice to thoughts and emotions that are already there beneath the surface. As an actor, I would still be internally experiencing those layers, but getting to sing them allows the audience to experience them alongside me. The score gave me the freedom to lean into Edward's vulnerability without sacrificing the confidence and composure that people associate with him. The film gave me the blueprint, but the music gave me the opportunity to color it in. That's where I found the version of Edward that feels most personal to me.

What was your first reaction when you learned you had been cast as Edward Lewis in PRETTY WOMAN?

My parents put me in dance class when I was just two years old, so I grew up as the classic ensemble kid, the chorus boy who covered the bigger roles. Honestly, that's still one of my favorite jobs in the theatre. I love the versatility, the teamwork, and the challenge that comes with it. That being said, every performer dreams about the opportunity to lead a show.

When I got the callback after the auditions in New York City, I remember sitting in my college apartment completely stunned. Out of thousands of performers of every age and background, I couldn't believe they were interested in 21-year-old me. The funniest part is that I had actually walked into the audition hoping they might see me for Aaron Samuels or Damien in MEAN GIRLS! Edward Lewis wasn't even on my radar. A few months later, my agent texted me that I had booked Edward, and I absolutely screamed. It was one of those moments you dream about your entire life.

You and your co-star Abby McDonough, who plays Vivian Ward, have developed a close friendship. How much does that real-life connection inform the chemistry you bring to Edward and Vivian's relationship onstage?

Where do I even begin? Abby McDonough is truly one of the most beautiful humans, inside and out, that I've ever had the privilege of knowing and performing alongside. We had never met before this contract, but from day one we just clicked, and over the course of rehearsals we've built a friendship that means so much to me.

PRETTY WOMAN asks a lot of two actors. Edward and Vivian go on such an emotional journey together, and there's a tremendous amount of vulnerability, emotionally, physically, and vocally. Because Abby and I genuinely trust one another, we're able to take risks onstage knowing the other person is always there to catch us. She is the definition of a triple threat. Her voice is extraordinary, she's an incredible dancer, and her acting is so honest and grounded.

We spent countless hours talking about Edward and Vivian's relationship, where they begin, where they end, and how every scene builds toward that transformation. I think our real-life friendship absolutely translates onstage. We check in with each other throughout every performance, celebrate each other's wins, and support one another through the tougher moments. That sense of trust allows the audience to believe in Edward and Vivian's relationship because it's built on something real.

I'm endlessly grateful to call Abby my scene partner, but even more grateful to call her my friend. I have absolutely no doubt that this is only the beginning of an absolutely incredible career for her. Mark my words, one day we'll all be looking up at the Gershwin Theatre and seeing Abby McDonough's name in lights. Future Elphaba? Oh, absolutely.

Edward undergoes a significant emotional transformation throughout the show. How do you track that arc from performance to performance while keeping it feeling authentic each night?

Edward's arc is something I'm constantly aware of because it's so gradual. If you play the vulnerability too early, there's nowhere left to go. If you hold onto the walls for too long, the ending doesn't feel earned. Every scene has to move him forward, even if it's only by an inch.

For me, it all comes back to authenticity. I never want to replicate what I did the night before, I want to honor the story. My goal is never to chase the laughs or force the tears. If I'm living truthfully within each moment, the emotional arc takes care of itself because Edward is genuinely changing in response to the people and experiences around him. Of course, the structure of that journey always stays faithful to what we built in rehearsals with our creative team, but I also believe every day we experience new things that subtly shape who we are. We have different conversations, different emotions, different perspectives, and I allow those things to inform my work without ever changing the story.

I always come back to one simple thought: we're all living today for the first time. Edward is learning how to be vulnerable, how to love, and how to let someone truly see him. If I can approach every performance with that same curiosity, then his transformation never feels like something I'm playing, it feels like something I'm living.

For young aspiring performers who may be sitting in the Clear Space audience this summer, what does your journey from performing here at age 10 to leading a professional production say about following a career in musical theatre?

I write this with tears in my eyes because I'm constantly reminding myself to stay present and remember where I came from. To think that I was sitting in the audience here at Clear Space as a 10-year-old kid, dreaming about one day being a professional artist, and now I'm leading a production here, it's honestly hard to put into words.

The most cliché thing I can say is, never give up, trust the process, and trust yourself. But clichés become clichés because they're true. This industry is full of highs and lows, and if you only believe in yourself on the good days, you'll never make it through the hard ones. Keep learning. Take every dance class, every voice lesson, every acting class you can. Learn an instrument. Watch great theatre. Find hobbies outside of this business that remind you who you are when auditions don't go your way. Learn from every success, but learn even more from every setback. Know your worth. It's absolutely okay to ask questions. It's absolutely okay to ask for help. It's absolutely okay to make mistakes. And please, never change who you are just to make someone else more comfortable. The people who are meant to love your artistry will love it because it's authentically yours.

I also want to say something to the parents. My parents changed my life. They never told me my dreams were unrealistic or impossible. They filled our home with love, encouragement, and positive affirmations. They drove me to every dance class, every voice lesson, every audition. They sacrificed so much so I could chase this dream. I know this is an expensive industry, and not every family has the same resources. I recognize how fortunate I was. But the most valuable thing my parents ever gave me wasn't money, it was belief. Believing in your child is free. Kindness is free. Encouragement is free. Those words become the voice your child carries with them for the rest of their life. Thank you Mommy and Daddy, I love you more than life. I am forever blessed for the life you have created for me. You are everything to me, my whole heart.

So to every young performer and everyone sitting in the audience this summer: don't ever let someone convince you that your dreams are too big. Work hard. Stay curious. Be kind. Take care of yourself. Keep showing up. Twenty years ago, my parents put a two-year-old little boy in a dance class. Ten years ago, I was sitting in these seats watching shows at Clear Space. Today, I'm lucky enough to stand on this stage professionally creating. If my story proves anything, it's that impossible dreams have a funny way of becoming possible. And if no one has told you today, I love you. I believe in you. You've got this.

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Clear Space Theatre Company is Delaware's second-largest professional non-profit theater and the state's most prolific producer of professional theater. Founded in 2004 and located at 20 Baltimore Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, the company produces a 10 to 13 production season each year under the leadership of Managing Director Joe Gfaller and Artistic Director WES DRUMMOND.

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