In addition to putting Williams at the helm, the movie-turned-musical will be scored by none other than Elton John.
Runway magazine has a new editor!
Vanessa Williams is set to star as Miranda Priestley — a character made famous by Meryl Streep — in a new musical adaptation of the 2006 film, The Devil Wears Prada.
The Ugly Betty alum will be bringing Priestly to the West End stage as the iconic fictional Runway magazine editor-in-chief when the show begins performances at London’s Dominion Theatre beginning in October 2024.
Williams and the production’s Instagram account shared photos and videos of her as Miranda to their respective pages to make the announcement
In one teaser, the iconic introduction, “Gird your loins,” which was uttered by Stanley Tucci‘s Nigel in the film, is flashed across the screen, as Williams struts into her character’s office without revealing her face.
“Yes…it’s me đź‘ą,” the Tony Award nominee captioned the post before making the big reveal in another video, which sees her entering the fictional magazine’s offices in character.
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“Don’t just sit there,” Williams says in a separate clip. “Buy tickets, or something.”
“That’s All…now buy some tickets to @pradawestend 🇬🇧 #thehouseofmirandađź‘ ,” she added in the caption.
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A still shot of Williams sees the singer-actress behind her desk in a red power suit, ready to rule Runway.
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“Bringing Miranda Priestly to life in the West End is an absolute dream come true. Gird your loins, folks,” Williams said in a statement, per Variety.
The role isn’t too much of a departure for Williams, either, who played a similar role in the beloved ABC comedy series Ugly Betty from 2006 to 2010.
While speaking about the show with Entertainment Weekly in 2009, the 60-year-old actress said that playing fashion editor Wilhelmina Slater was her “favorite,” calling it a “role of a lifetime.”
“I truly enjoy coming to work every day,” she added.
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Earning Streep an Academy Award nomination, the movie became the 12th-highest-grossing film of 2006 and remains beloved to this day, so it’s no surprise Williams’ fans are excited to see her step into Priestly’s pumps.
Based on the 2003 novel by Lauren Weisberger and the 2006 film adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada musical had its world premiere at Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre in 2022. That production was directed by Tony Award winner Anna D. Shapiro, and starred Beth Leavel and Taylor Iman Jones as Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs, respectively.
The musical will feature a score by Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub, a book by Kate Wetherhead, and direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell.
Kevin McCollum and Rocket Entertainment’s David Furnish will remain producers on the project after working on the Chicago world premiere, with Alchemation and Jamie Wilson joining for the West End production.
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Tim Hatley will be heading up the scenic design, with costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Bruno Poet and sound design by Gareth Owen.
As for the role of college grad and magazine hopeful, Andy, which was played by Anne Hathaway, in the film, that has yet to be announced, as has any other casting announcements for the project.
According to Playbill, the new musical will have an exclusive preview engagement at Theatre Royal Plymouth in July 2024, prior to opening at the Dominion.
