The 'Ugly Betty' star will play the role originated by Meryl Streep in the 2006 film when the show begins performances in October.
Gird your loins, fashion mavens; Vanessa Williams is about to make your wildest dreams and worst nightmares come true.
On Monday, Williams and the producers of the upcoming musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada revealed that the Ugly Betty alum is bringing Miranda Priestly to the West End stage! Williams will play the iconic fictional Runway magazine editor-in-chief when the show begins performances at London's Dominion Theatre beginning in October 2024.
Williams, 60, and the production's Instagram account shared videos of her as Miranda to their respective pages to make the announcement. One teaser featured the unforgettable introduction uttered by Stanley Tucci's Nigel in the 2006 film as Williams struts into her character's office without revealing her face.
"Yes...it's me 👹," the Tony Award nominee captioned the post before unveiling another video in which she is shown entering the fictional magazine's offices in character.
"Don't just sit there," Williams says in the video. "Buy tickets, or something." In a caption to that post, Williams added, "That's All...now buy some tickets to @pradawestend 🇬🇧 #thehouseofmiranda👠."
"Bringing Miranda Priestly to life in the West End is an absolute dream come true. Gird your loins, folks," Williams said in a statement about her new role, per Variety.
Williams played a similar role to Miranda Priestly in the beloved ABC comedy series Ugly Betty from 2006 to 2010, which has her fans particularly excited about her run in the West End production. In 2009, the actress told Entertainment Weekly that playing fashion editor Wilhelmina Slater was her "favorite role of a lifetime, and I truly enjoy coming to work every day."
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 upcoming rendition features 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 remain producers after working on the Chicago world premiere, with Alchemation and Jamie Wilson joining for the London bow. They present by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical.
Mitchell's West End production boasts a new creative team for the staging with scenic design by Tim Hatley, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Bruno Poet and sound design by Gareth Owen. Additional casting for the upcoming musical, which is handled by Jill Green, has yet to be announced.
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.
Meryl Streep, who played the role of Priestly in the 2006 film, received an Academy Award nomination for her role as the fictional magazine editor and the movie became the 12th-highest-grossing film of 2006.
In a podcast interview last December, Wendy Finerman, the producer of The Devil Wears Prada, shared that not everyone wanted the Oscar winner for the legendary role.
"Anne, we knew is a good every girl. She really is. She went to Vasser. She's a real All-American girl," Finerman said of star Anne Hathaway on the Hollywood Gold podcast. "And Meryl, people thought we were crazy. I had people call me up and say, 'Are you out of your mind? She's never been funny a day in her life.' She has been funny, and they were wrong. But this was clearly a different kind of world for her. I think that that was part of the fun of the unexpected of seeing her amidst in outfits."
Finerman added that Streep had previously comedic acting credits, specifically citing her role in the 1992 film Death Becomes Her, which also starred Goldie Hawn.
Co-stars Hathaway and Emily Blunt recently reunited for Variety's Actors on Actors segment where they discussed working with Streep on the film.
"I remember Meryl coming up with like 18 different lines on the spot, Stanley [Tucci] doing the same, you, and I was just, like, this kindergartener," Hathaway quipped, referencing Streep's ability to adlib now-famous lines from the movie.
Streep, who famously went method to play Miranda, later claimed to regret the choice.
"Do you know she's never done method acting since? She said it made her so miserable in this one," Blunt, who has co-starred with Streep in other big projects like Into the Woods and Mary Poppins Returns, shared.
See more from the cast of The Devil Wears Prada below.
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