The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical 

Gird your loins! The Devil Wears Prada musical struts into the West End with splendour, glamour, and humour starring Vanessa Williams and music by Elton John. 

It’s our wedding anniversary!  My sweet friends kindly hosted Lady Yeya for a sleepover so we can enjoy an evening out to mark the occasion. Looking through the long list of possible West End shows, Kenz thought it would be fun to see The Devil Wears Prada Musical. Afterall, he is a big fan of classic 90s R&B/Soul, including Vanessa Williams. And he vividly remembers taking me on a date to see the movie many, many moons ago. So The Devil Wears Prada it is!

We went for the pre-theatre menu of steak frites at Henri Covent Garden to ensure we arrived at the Dominion Theatre on time. You know, Miranda would be very disappointed if we are late. Go! By all means, move at a glacial pace!”

Vanessa Williams Shines as Miranda Priestly

The plot remains true to the original movie with fresh-out-of-college aspiring journalist Andy trying to find a job in the publishing world. Originally detesting all things fashion, Andy miraculously lands a job at Runway Magazine as a junior personal assistant to the influential fashion icon Miranda Priestly, played by Vanessa Williams. On her first day, Andy shows up wearing a frumpy cerulean jumper with a plaid skirt leading steely Miranda to bluntly state: “You Have No Sense of Fashion.” 

Andy soldiers on and grinds it out in the high-pressure environment of fashion. Doing a sterling job for Miranda could open opportunities to other publishing houses. So Andy works around the clock at the expense of her personal life to meet Miranda’s impossible demands and “That’s All” dismissive treatment.  To show her commitment, Andy transforms her appearance from “Plain Jane” bore to fashionable “Miranda Girl”. 

Vanessa Williams was magnetic in her role as high-powered editor-in-chief, commanding the spotlight with her sassy bold attitude and beautiful singing and acting. She is all around elegant and classy, aging beautifully with grace. And her carousel of haute couture from her iconic power red pant suit to her fashionable dresses was on point! 

Amazing Cast Members and Ensemble

Credit also goes to the amazing cast members: Georgie Buckland (Andy), Amy di Bartolomeo (Emily), and Matt Henry (Nigel) who played their respective roles so brilliantly. Each of them had a solo piece on stage, and you can definitely hear Elton John’s influence imbued in score. In fact, I can hear Sir Elton singing Nigel’s solo at the chic Parisian Hotel when he shared the news of his appointment as Creative Director at James Holt. In a cut-throat, back-stabbing world of fashion and business, Nigel and Andy are shocked that Jacquline Follet, editor-in-chief at French Runway was announced as the new creative director of James Holt instead of the ever loyal Nigel. 

The whole ensemble was energetic and highly-entertaining, pivoting to different roles so effortlessly. The choreography and dancing with the ensemble strutting down the “runaway” using the full length of the theatre almost felt like we were at the Paris Fashion Show. A sleek and clever stage design, swapping from Andy’s oven-sized New Jersey studio to the Runway Office and back, was seamless. There was a scene from the prestigious “gala” and of course, the fabulous Paris Fashion Show. 

A Fashion-Fueled Spectacle

The Devil Wears Prada is a nod to the fashion world. Indeed the whole production was a fashion-fueled spectacle with dazzling costumes, haute couture dresses, and lots of mini-shirts. It was a sensory feast of colours, strobe lights, and music with high-octane energy. 

A fun night out with my one and only, celebrating another year of love and marriage. Cheers to many more anniversaries and celebrations! x