Vanessa Williams Gives First Look at Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Musical
Miranda Priestly Has Arrived in the West End!
Fans of The Devil Wears Prada were given their first glimpse of Vanessa Williams as the iconic Miranda Priestly in the upcoming musical adaptation. Over the weekend, the show’s Instagram account shared a brief but striking clip of Williams in character.
On Saturday, the musical’s social media account posted a short video featuring Williams as the formidable Miranda. The video shows her making a dramatic entrance onto the stage from below, dressed in a sparkling red gown with a matching trench coat draped over her shoulders. As she ascends on a platform, the words “Miranda has arrived” appear on the screen. Once she reaches the stage, Williams flares out the lapels of her coat with a flourish befitting her character’s commanding presence. The post is captioned cheekily, “That’s all.”
Vanessa Williams will take on the role of Miranda Priestly on the West End stage when the show begins performances at London’s Dominion Theatre in October 2024. Williams and the producers announced her casting in February, with videos of her as Miranda shared on social media. One teaser featured the iconic introduction from the 2006 film as Williams strutted into her character’s office, her face hidden from view.
Williams teased her followers with the caption, “Yes…it’s me ?,” before unveiling another video of her entering the fictional magazine’s offices. In character, she commands, “Don’t just sit there. Buy tickets, or something.” She added in the caption, “That’s All…now buy some tickets to @pradawestend ?? #thehouseofmiranda?.”
The full cast for the West End production was announced in early June. Georgie Buckland will star as Andy in her West End debut, with Amy Di Bartolomeo as Emily, James Darch as Christian, Rhys Whitfield as Nate, and Matt Henry as Nigel.
Based on Lauren Weisberger’s novel and the film adaptation, The Devil Wears Prada musical had its world premiere in Chicago in 2022. That production was directed by a Tony Award winner and starred Beth Leavel and Taylor Iman Jones as Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs, respectively.
The upcoming West End rendition features a score by a renowned composer, lyrics by a celebrated lyricist, a book by a notable playwright, and direction and choreography by a Tony Award winner. The producers return for the London production, presented in special arrangement with a major theatrical company.
The production boasts a new creative team with scenic design by a distinguished designer, costume design by an acclaimed designer, lighting design by an innovative designer, and sound design by a top-notch designer. The musical will have an exclusive preview engagement in July 2024, prior to opening at the Dominion.
Recently, the team behind the musical spoke about the challenges and excitement of bringing the show to life. “It takes a long time to build a musical, they’re challenging to get right and to sculpt. You have to get the right team working with you, and we’re just so excited that both of them are sort of ready to launch.”
Despite his legendary career, the composer remains excited about future projects. “Things seem to just arrive unexpectedly,” he said. “For example, I got a phone call about doing a thing called The Lion King, Disney’s first-ever original animation film… I said, ‘Are you kidding me, I’ll do it!’ That changed my life… It’s the great, unexpected things that happen and the gift that keeps giving.”
With Vanessa Williams’ portrayal of Miranda Priestly and a star-studded creative team, The Devil Wears Prada musical promises to be a must-see event on the West End stage.
Photo Credit: DepositPhotos.com
