THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA musical headed to the UK and West End in 2024 — Page 2

Call_me_jorge said: "I hope Anna D. Shapiro gets another chance to direct a big budget musical. I’m not sure what went wrong here for her."

I think she'd be more than fine with something with the scale/tone of BAND'S VISIT or KIMBERLY AKIMBO. But, as Arthur Laurents said, sometimes directors just don't have the musical in their bones. Case in point: her Steppenwolf collaborator Pam Mackinnon (AMELIE).

I too saw this in Chicago and agree with everyone that this is a big old mess, but I think there could be some salvation here. I really hope they keep Javiar Munoz, who was hands down the best part of the show. Not just him the actor, but the role of Nigel was the most thought out and fully realized character. He got the two best songs of the show, and it's almost like this was the character Elton John and Shaina Taub were the most interested in. Ironically, kind of like that documentary "The September Issue" where the film was supposed to me more focused on Anna Wintour, but the filmmaker were way more interested in Grace Coddington.

I think Jerry Mitchell could knock this out of the park and make it even more campy, which it needs. 

Someone I think on the original board about this musical, said that Miranda should be like the Phantom. Where even when they are off-stage their presence is always hovering over. Honestly, when Miranda wasn't on stage you forgot about her. Meryl Streep is actually not in the film very much, but man do you feel her through out that whole film. I totally think this is possible, and also give Miranda's big number in the scene where she is most vulnerable, when she let's her guard down with Andy. For some reason in Chicago, her big number was concoting the plan to save her job, sung at the luncheon in Paris.

Also, they really need to up those costumes. Bring on Pat Field as a consultant, because to me that was the biggest travesty.

Summer next year. Whole new creative team. New sets and costumes and Hannah Waddingham is playing Miranda.

Updated On: 9/12/23 at 05:46 PM

Any new authors joining the team?

Hannah plus Elton? I could see this being a giant hit.

The book and a score were both abysmal in Chicago. Glad they have a new director at the helm as Shapiro was in way over her head, but I really hope they address the glaring issues with the book and score. A new set and costumes must be in order too, because what I saw I Chicago was absolutely embarrassingly cheap and tacky.

That is some crazy author billing on the website!

Call_me_jorge said: "I understand it’s “show business” but I truly feel terrible for the performers, costumers, and other artists who were involved with the previous production. Now they’re just collateral damage. Hopefully they were all notified before hand that their production was not moving forward, I’m assuming so as mostly everyone got new jobs."


The silver lining is that the Chicago production was a commercial production. Had it been at Paper Mill or ART or another nonprofit, everyone would have made significantly less money.

It's also not uncommon for the designers and some of the actors to have buyouts if the subsequent First Class production doesn't move forward with them...that might only be like 4 weeks pay for the actors, but hey, it's somethin. Anna Shapiro could also get a hefty payday/profit participation (assuming she was fired and did not quit).

Overhauling a show is a costly move, especially when artists of this calibre are involved. But it shows that Kevin McCollum & co. believe that it has commercial potential.

Updated On: 9/12/23 at 08:52 PM

They're finally using the same logo and design from the movie to promote the musical, smart move! Remember this mess ?

 

I love Elton but I would have removed him from the music as well, and start fresh with a more modern style. One of the problems this musical had in the Chicago tryouts was the music 

I hopefully will be back in London around that time next year. Prada is one of my favorite films! Just hope they really fix up the disaster that was the Chicago production. 

willep said: "lapinitsa said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "That is some crazy author billing on the website!"

Whoa! It sure is. I've never seen that done before."

Curious what you all are seeing that I’m not."

It doesn’t look as crazy on mobile. On desktop Elton’s name is on a line above the others in a significantly bigger font. Then below him the other 3 creative team members share a line, smaller font. (This would be a contractual thing not a ticket sales thing.)

Could be that they have a ghostwriter or heavy-handed dramaturg and they either don’t want credit or their credit hasn’t been determined yet since the show isn’t done. 

Fully aware that she might not want to work on it, but why Aline Brosh McKenna isn't doing the book (after handling the film - and then working for four years on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) continues to confound me. The film script was great. She's got experience with musical-aligned writing. Plus the Chicago book was just...oof.