Vanessa Williams stole the show at the charity gala after-party for The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical as she donned a statement hooded corset dress.
The Ugly Betty actor, 61, stars in the new musical – based on the hit book and film – as the iconic Miranda Priestly, and made a suitably fashionable arrival at Sunday’s event.
After playing the role on stage at The Dominion Theatre, Vanessa was one of the stars who took part in an official after-party in support of the Elton John Aids Foundation at The British Museum.
Vanessa turned heads in a glamorous black metallic off-the-shoulder dress, complete with a high leg slit, a dramatic cape and a sheer corseted bodice that exposed her trim torso.
Meanwhile, she dressed up with a silver clutch bag and large hoop earrings, as well as a dainty diamond bracelet and her brunette locks in a high bun.
Earlier in the evening, ahead of her performance, Vanessa appeared at The Dominion Theater wearing a chic black leather midi skirt with a red satin blouse and snake print belt.
Vanessa Williams stole the show at the charity gala after-party for Devil Wears Prada – held at the British Museum on Sunday – as she donned a statement hooded corset dress
The Ugly Betty actor, 61, stars in the new musical – based on the hit book and film – as the iconic Miranda Priestly, and made a suitably fashionable arrival at Sunday’s event
The production screened preview performances at the Theater Royal Plymouth in July and August, ahead of its West End opening in October.
In a promo for the show shared in early July that boasts, “Miranda has arrived,” the actress and singer was seen dramatically shooting under the stage.
The star of the new production, with music by Elton John, was all decked out in a red sequin dress and a matching duster jacket.
At first she stood still with her jacket closed as she stared forward with a serious Miranda look on her face, but once she reached the top of the stage she quickly let her jacket swing open to reveal the striking number of her entire body .
The musical is based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 best-selling novel and the 2006 blockbuster film, which received two Academy Award nominations.
Vanessa plays Miranda Priestly, the powerful New York City editor-in-chief of the fictional fashion magazine Runway, who was played by Meryl Streep in the film adaptation.
In the featurette, Vanessa exuded high-fashion in her dress that hugged her fabulous figure in all the right ways.
Although the coat, which fell close to the ground, was a brighter red on the outside, when Vanessa showed the two sides open, it revealed a darker red sequin design that matched her dress almost perfectly.
After playing the role on stage at The Dominion Theatre, Vanessa was one of the stars who took part in an official after-party in support of the Elton John Aids Foundation at The British Museum.
Vanessa turned heads in a glamorous black metallic off-the-shoulder dress
Her dress was complete with a high slit at the legs, a dramatic cape and a sheer corseted bodice that exposed her beautiful torso.
Meanwhile, she dressed up with a silver handbag and large earrings
The production screened preview performances at the Theater Royal Plymouth in July and August, ahead of its West End opening in October
Vanessa also wore a dainty diamond bracelet and swept her brunette locks into a bun
The musical is based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 best-selling novel and the 2006 blockbuster film, which received two Academy Award nominations.
Maintaining her serious look, the former Miss America 1984 had her long brown locks pulled back from her face and parted on the left side.
Vanessa, who made her Broadway debut in 1994 with Kiss Of The Spider Woman, leads the cast that includes British actor Matt Henry Nigel, as well as Georgie Buckland (Andy), Amy Di Bartolomeo (Emily), Rhys Whitfield (Nate), and James Darch (Christian).
“Fresh out of college, aspiring journalist Andy lands a job at the prestigious Runway magazine, where he works for fashion’s most powerful and fearsome icon – Editor-in-Chief Miranda Priestly,” reads the synopsis on the website. musical website. Sacrificing her personal life to meet Miranda’s impossible demands, Andy is seduced by the glamorous world she once despised. How far will she go to succeed… and will it be worth selling her soul to get what she always wanted?’
‘Hilariously fun and fantastically stylish, The Devil Wears Prada tells an inspiring story about discovering what kind of person you really want to be.’
The new production is directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell with set design by Tim Hatley, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Bruno Poet, sound design by Gareth Owen and casting by Jill Green CDG.
The musical features an original score by Elton John, lyrics by Shaina Taub and a book by Kate Wetherhead.
Giving fans an update earlier this year on what to expect, Vanessa revealed that theatergoers will be excited to witness several famous lines from the film.
“A lot of the dialogue is actually taken from the movie, so what you’ll hear me say on stage is the dialogue that people know, love and have memorized,” she told Good Morning America.
Earlier in the evening, ahead of her performance, Vanessa appeared in the red caret of The Dominion Theater in a chic black leather midi skirt
Vanessa is pictured with Donatella Versace, Elton John and Anna Wintour at Sunday’s gala evening
Vanessa also wore a red satin blouse and matching stilettos ahead of her performance
The new production is directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell with set design by Tim Hatley, costume design by Gregg Barnes, lighting design by Bruno Poet, sound design by Gareth Owen and casting by Jill Green CDG.
‘The first song I do is called The House of Miranda. In the last words I sing “That’s it!” And I walk away. You will understand that this is the film from the beginning. My first lines are “Emily! Emily!” so the audience will know, ‘Oh God, she’s coming.’
While some were skeptical about the decision to turn the film into a musical, Vanessa argued that it made perfect sense.
“The Devil Wears Prada is a perfect movie… That’s why it has legs and stands the test of time,” the former Miss America said. “This is another step towards taking something that is perfect and bringing it into another genre and making it spectacular.”
She continued, “You have the lines that people know and add music to them. It adds layers, it’s going to make it bigger and better.”
Vanessa revealed that she and Elton enjoyed a collaborative experience as they brought the songs to life.
“I grew up with Elton John like we all did,” she said. ‘Like the pop star, the icon that he is.
“To have him write new music and have him listen to my voice and what I do with it and be inspired and say, ‘I have something we can do, let’s do this.’ To make him laugh and make him good and happy… this is an icon.”