You're tasked with fixing/overhauling DEVIL WEARS PRADA. How do you do it?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 5:49pm

Spinning off from the other thread. Here's my "dream team" pitch to start from scratch:


CREATIVE TEAM
Music & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson
Book by Harvey Fierstein, Taylor Mac, Halley Feiffer, Aline Brosh McKenna (screenwriter of the film), or Emerald Fennell –– or have Michael R. Jackson collab on the book
Directed by Marianne Elliott
Choreography by Sonya Tayeh or Christopher Gattelli
Set Design by Bunny Christie
Costume Design by 3x Oscar winner Jenny Beavan or Catherine Zuber
Lighting Design by Natasha Katz
Sound Design by Gareth Owen
Hair Design by The Ghost of Paul Huntley
Music Direction/Arrangements by Stephen Oremus
Orchestrations by Michael Starobin for a 20-piece orchestra

CASTING POTENTIALS
- Andy (the true starring role of the show) –– Julie Benko, Alexandra Socha, Phillipa Soo, Caitlin Kinnunen, Rachel Zegler, Denée Benton, or some total unknown who can anchor the show
- Miranda (whose music will be mostly talk-singing) –– Lindsay Duncan, Eve Best, Fiona Shaw, Christine Baranski, Joanna Gleason, Donna Murphy, Laura Benanti, Janet McTeer, Bebe Neuwirth, Harriet Walter
- Emily –– Ashley Park, Taylor Louderman, Hailey Kilgore, Jeanna de Waal
- Nigel –– Alan Cumming, Ben Daniels, Stephen Spinella, Denis O'Hare, Rupert Everett, David Hyde Pierce, Matt McGrath, Brandon Uranowitz, Conleth Hill, Adam Godley

Updated On: 8/7/22 at 05:49 PM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 5:58pm

I’d scrap it and come up with an original idea instead of recycling an iconic property with iconic performances only to have it crash and burn and be forgotten once the next busted adaptation limps to Broadway and continues the cursed cycle of capitalism.

 

:)

[Ke3]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 6:20pm

It's simply not a story that sings. 

[Lola Getz2]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 7:12pm

I am assuming anyone responding to this thread has seen the show, right? I snagged a ticket for Tuesday night and am hoping to be pleasently surprised. I love Elton, Beth, and Javier and wish them all well. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 7:24pm

TotallyEffed said: "I’d scrap it and come up with an original idea instead of recycling an iconic property with iconic performances only to have it crash and burn and be forgotten once the next busted adaptation limps to Broadway and continues the cursed cycle of capitalism.



:)"

Spot-on with that take.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 7:33pm

And how long has this show been in development?

[BETTY22]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 8:00pm

First I would ask the creator if they are willing to do the work to fix it.

If Elton is too busy, it's not going to happen. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 8:04pm

Elton just did the music. Others did the lyrics and the book so I think, much like Wildhorn, people put too much blame on him alone. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 8:36pm

Jordan, I have to disagree with you. Wildhorne's music is absolutely banal. Most of it sounds like radio jingles. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 8:44pm

Dollypop said: "Jordan, I have to disagree with you. Wildhorne's music is absolutely banal. Most of it sounds like radio jingles."

Yes but what I think Jordan is saying is that the banal music is really just 1/4 of the problems on his shows –– there's still the book, lyrics, and physical production, which have been consistently weak. I think a lot of people would give those shows a pass if the banal music had sharp words and an interesting staging. Which is similarly the issue with DWP: the music is just one of the problems.

[InTheKnowEvenIfYouDontBelieve]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 8:45pm

I made a video on the team I’d pick and fixes I’d make creatively at almost the exact same time this was posted.  Hahaha.  (And I’ve seen one fu video of DWP and skimmed another from the second preview)  

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRUqssMF/?k=1

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 8:48pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Dollypop said: "Jordan, I have to disagree with you. Wildhorne's music is absolutely banal. Most of it sounds like radio jingles."

Yes but what I think Jordan is saying is that the banal music is really just 1/4 of the problems on his shows –– there's still the book, lyrics, and physical production, which have been consistently weak. I think a lot of people would give those shows a pass if the banal music had sharp words and an interesting staging. Which is similarly the issue with DWP: the music is just one of the problems."

 

My comment was directed to Jordan. Thank you for interpreting his ideas and replying in his stead.

 

[MysteriousLady]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 8:56pm

Dollypop said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Dollypop said: "Jordan, I have to disagree with you. Wildhorne's music is absolutely banal. Most of it sounds like radio jingles."

Yes but what I think Jordan is saying is that the banal music is really just 1/4 of the problems on his shows –– there's still the book, lyrics, and physical production, which have been consistently weak. I think a lot of people would give those shows a pass if the banal music had sharp words and an interesting staging. Which is similarly the issue with DWP: the music is just one of the problems."



My comment was directed to Jordan. Thank you for interpreting his ideas and replying in his stead.

"

If you only want response from Jordan you should send him a private message. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 9:08pm

I didn't mind someone commenting on what I've posted. I DO mind someone "interpreting" for me.. I'm not a child who has to have everything explained to him.. 

[pmensky]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 9:12pm

Dollypop said: "Jordan, I have to disagree with you. Wildhorne's music is absolutely banal. Most of it sounds like radio jingles."

It’s funny you would say Wildhorn’s music sounds like jingles when THIS exists. 

[Marlothom]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 9:22pm

I would cut the friends who are also roommates - that clutter the Andy/BF storyline.  I would use that real estate to add more and make us care about Emily.  If they insist on ending Act 1 with Andy telling Emily she isn't going to Paris, we need to care for her, root for her, want more for her even though we know how the story goes.   

I would move Who's She to Act 1, post makeover, where she is getting better at her job, and embracing fashion - leading to the Gala.  By the time in comes in Act 2, we've already seen her have this A-ha moment.  

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 9:23pm

pmensky said: "Dollypop said: "Jordan, I have to disagree with you. Wildhorne's music is absolutely banal. Most of it sounds like radio jingles."

It’s funny you would say Wildhorn’s music sounds like jingles whenTHISexists."

 

Sacrilege!!!!!!!!!

 

[chewy5000]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 10:10pm

Definitely just throwing good money after bad, but they should bring in Cyndi Lauper to help with the score.

[ElephantLoveMedley]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 10:22pm

I was baffled to find out that they were doing The Devil Wears Prada without Catherine Zuber as costume designer. The property literally centers around fashion and you hire somebody who isn't the eight-time Tony-winning and arguably most acclaimed costume designer of this generation?

[Tag]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 11:07pm

ElephantLoveMedley said: "I was baffled to find out that they were doingThe Devil Wears Pradawithout Catherine Zuber as costume designer. The property literally centers around fashion and you hire somebody whoisn'tthe eight-time Tony-winning and arguably most acclaimed costume designer of this generation?"

Fashion design and costume design are not interchangeable.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 8/7/22 at 11:48pm

I'm sure you could make this work as a serious drama about toxic workplaces and intern culture and dying print media and the evils of the fashion industrial complex... but I'd honestly just model it on Legally Blonde. 

There's a girl with aspirations. She gets a little disillusioned by her first taste of reality. She picks herself back up, determined to acclimate to her new environment. Throw in a little bit of stuff about body image and external critique to give the story some depth but also have it tie into fashion as personal expression/invention of self.

I would cast Miranda as someone lording over a dying enterprise but still powerful at the moment. I don't think you need the stuff with rival magazine editors. Why not put her into direct conflict with Andy for more drama? Andy in the movie has the naive ingenue sense that if she does things the right way, works hard, and just gets everyone to like her, she'll achieve her goals. 

Why not have an event with other more news-oriented magazines present where Andy overhears how little they think of Runway and she realizes that working for Miranda will not get her taken seriously elsewhere? Or have Miranda read some "serious" articles Andy pitches and reject them? To make it even more cutting, Miranda could offer incisive critique about how her writing wouldn't meet the standards of those other places. Andy realizes she's not empowering herself or learning anything, she's just making herself smaller and leaves... writing a book that finally does have something to say. The movie pulls its punches. Andy should somehow triumph over the villain, even if it's only in a small way.

[Tom5]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 12:31am

I can only agree with the poster who said "It's not a story that sings". It would probably take a book by Neil Simon to overcome that. Or a score by Cy Coleman. Or a director like Mike Nichols. One of the three might be enough, But I doubt a brilliant marketing campaign will be enough. 

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 1:07pm

This show just reeks of “First Wives Club-The Musical.” That debacle should have been a cautionary tale to anyone trying to musicalize a beloved iconic comedy with an iconic cast. It’s never gonna work. Especially when Miranda looks like she was clothed by JC Penney. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 1:15pm

Abandon the entire project. Not everything needs to be adapted into a musical, and this iconic movie is one of them. Walk away before everyone loses even more money. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 8/8/22 at 1:25pm

At least we didn't get a ballad called "Devil Wears Prada" a la "Sister Act" or "Legally Blonde." 

And at least we didn't get a big ballad called "That's all." 

LB still drives me nuts because she says "I'm legally ... blonde" as if we're suppose to know what that even means? Otherwise, pretty song. 

I think there's def. a great musical in there. I think just over haul the script and keep it closer to the movie/book.