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

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

It's simply not a story that sings.

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.

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

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 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 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.

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!!!!!!!!!

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?

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.

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.

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.