Surely you know the film adaptation of the book The devil wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, published in 2003? Directed by David Frankel, with Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs? Well, it’s the musical version’s turn to take the stage! Announced with great fanfare in September 2023, the project is finally taking shape, as we now know who Miranda Priestly will star in. And it is Vanessa Williams who takes on the role of the intractable editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Runway. The least we can say is that she was already cut for the role.
Why will Vanessa Williams play an excellent Miranda Priestly in the musical The Devil Wears Prada?
Indeed, Vanessa Williams is full of qualifications: American actress, singer, producer and model, as comfortable in front of the cameras as she is on stage. Born in 1963, she became the first African American to become Miss America in 1984, which launched her musical career (although she had already studied the piano, the cruivres, including the French horn, so complicated to master) by the end of the 80s, but also audiovisuals of the 90s. More recently, the general public has kept her in the role of Renee Perry in the series Desperate Housewives from 2010 to 2013. But above all her character Wilhelmina Slater in the series Ugly Betty in 2006 which prepared her to play Miranda Priestly in the musical The devil wears Prada.
Wilhelmina Slater is the character of a woman in her fifties who has diligently climbed the ranks within a magazine, called Fashion, after having been assistant to the editor-in-chief, then creative director, before arriving at the role of artistic director. The position of editor in chief that was promised to her passes under her nose because her boss (a man, obviously), decides at the last moment to give it to her son, Daniel Meade. This Nepo, darling he then hires a new assistant: Betty Suarez (the character who gives her name to the series and whose adventures we follow from her perspective). As the The devil wears Prada, Ugly Betty then present a universe where women evolve in a women’s magazine full of power plays, influences and pretenses. And where their female rivalries are exacerbated by men who always take advantage of them.
In addition to this role of Wilhelmina Slater in the series Ugly Betty which closely resembles that of Miranda Priestly, Vanessa Williams is also used to the Broadway stage. This has been the case since 1994, where he plays various characters, including the leading role The Kiss of the Spider Woman which earned him many rave reviews. Parallel to his career in cinema and series, he stands out again on Broadway in 2010 in the musical show Soundheim on Soundheim, or in 2014 with After Midnight. In short, she is full of skills to masterfully embody the cult role of Miranda Priestly in the musical version of The devil wears Prada !
Where and when will the musical The Devil Wears Prada be released and who will make the music?
Finally, we would like to remind you that this new show will premiere at the Theater Royal Plymouth in July 2024, ahead of its run at London’s Dominion Theater from October. Elton John wrote the music, Shaina Taub the lyrics, Kate Wetherhead the libretto and Jerry Mitchell (Kinky boots, legally blonde, beautiful woman, hairspray) the staging and choreography. So it feels like a lot more innovative of a floral print for spring.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
