Having landed the lead role in Elton John’s upcoming “The Devil Wears Prada” musical, Vanessa Williams is returning to her musical roots.
The multifaceted singer-actress has been selected to portray Miranda Priestly in the forthcoming West End stage musical by Elton John and Shaina Taub, Deadline reports. An official teaser trailer for the new musical revealed Williams’ addition as the authoritarian magazine chief.
“Don’t just sit there. Buy tickets. Or something,” Williams says to the camera.
It’s a dream come true for Williams, who has an extensive theater career, including her Tony-nominated role as the witch in the “Into the Woods” musical in 2002 and Jessie Mae Watts in “The Trip to Bountiful” in 2013. She also won a Billboard Music Award in 1993 for Adult Contemporary Single for her song “Love Is” and a Theater World Award in 1995 for her Broadway debut in “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”
“Bringing Miranda Priestly to life in the West End is an absolute dream come true. Gird your loins, folks,” Williams says of her latest role.
No stranger to London’s West End, Williams made her debut in the 2019 revival of “City of
Angels.” Her other musical credits include “Sondheim on Sondheim,” “After Midnight,” and most recently, 2022’s “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.”“The Devil Wears Prada” will launch on October 24 at the Dominion Theatre in London. No additional casting has been announced.
The highly anticipated staging was created from Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel and the 2006 film starring Meryl Streep as Priestly. The “Prada” musical incorporates compositions by John, lyrics by Taub, and a script penned by Kate Wetherhead. Jerry Mitchell is director and choreographer of the production.