Williams will play the role originated by Meryl Streep in the classic 2006 movie
Vanessa Williams is bringing Miranda Priestly to the stage!
On Monday, Williams and the producers of the upcoming London musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada announced that the Ugly Betty alum will play the iconic fictional Runway magazine editor-in-chief when the show begins performances in October.
Both Williams, 60, and the production’s Instagram account shared videos of her in character as Miranda to their respective pages on the social media app to make the announcement. “Yes…it’s me 👹,” Williams wrote in a caption to one post; another video she shared shows her entering the fictional magazine’s offices in character.
“Don’t just sit there,” she 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👠.”
The Devil Wears Prada musical adaptation first opened in Chicago in 2022. Tony Award-winner Beth Leavel played Miranda Priestly at the city’s James M. Nederlander Theatre prior to the production’s move to the West End, which it announced back in September. The musical is based on the 2006 movie of the same name, which, in turn, is based on author Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel.
“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.
The new musical features an original score by music legend Elton John, with lyrics penned by Shaina Taub and a book written by Kate Wetherhead. Jerry Mitchell, a three-time Tony Award-winning choreographer, provides direction and choreography on the new production.
The 2006 movie starred Anne Hathaway as lead character Andy Sachs, an aspiring journalist who is thrown for a loop when she lands a job as a personal assistant to Priestly, who Meryl Streep played in the film. Streep, 74, received an Academy Award nomination for her role as the fictional magazine editor; and the movie became the 12th-highest grossing film of 2006.
Williams previously played a similar role as another fashion magazine editor, Wilhelmina Slater, in the ABC series Ugly Betty from 2006 to 2010. The actress told Entertainment Weekly all the way back in 2009 that playing the character was her “favorite role of a lifetime, and I truly enjoy coming to work every day.”
Additional casting for the upcoming musical has yet to be announced. The Devil Wears Prada musical will hold an exclusively preview engagement at Theatre Royal Plymouth in Plymouth, U.K., this July prior to its opening on the West End, as the production previously announced. The show opens at London’s Dominion Theatre in October.
