Vanessa Williams stole the show at the Devil Wears Prada: The Musical after-party night benefit gala as she donned a striking caped corset dress.
The Ugly Betty actor, 61, stars in the new musical, based on the hit book and movie, as the iconic Miranda Priestly, and made a very stylish arrival at Sunday’s event.
After performing the role on stage at the Dominion Theatre, Vanessa was among the stars who joined an official after-party in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation at the British Museum.
Vanessa turned heads in a glamorous metallic black off-the-shoulder dress, complete with a high leg slit, dramatic cape, and a sheer corseted bodice that revealed her slender torso.
Meanwhile, she accessorized with a silver clutch and large hoop earrings, as well as a delicate diamond bracelet and pulled her brunette locks into a bun.
Earlier in the evening, before her performance, Vanessa made an appearance at The Dominion Theater wearing a sleek black leather midi skirt with a red satin blouse and a snake-print belt.
Vanessa Williams stole the show at the Devil Wears Prada After-Party charity gala at the British Museum on Sunday as she donned a striking caped corset dress.
The Ugly Betty actor, 61, stars in the new musical, based on the hit book and movie, as the iconic Miranda Priestly, and made a very stylish arrival at Sunday’s event.
The production had preview performances at the Theater Royal Plymouth in July and August before its West End premiere in October.
In a promo for the show shared in early July, which boasts: ‘Miranda has arrived,’ the actress and singer was seen shooting from under the stage in dramatic fashion.
The star of the new production, set to music by Elton John, was dressed in a red sequin dress and matching jacket.
Initially, she stood still with her jacket closed as she looked forward with a serious Miranda look on her face, but once she reached the top of the stage she quickly opened her coat to give a full-body look at the eye-catching number.
The musical is based on Lauren Weisberger’s best-selling 2003 novel and the hit 2006 film, which received two Academy Award nominations.
Vanessa plays Miranda Priestly, the powerful New York City-based editor-in-chief of the fictional fashion magazine Runway, played by Meryl Streep in the film adaptation.
In the promotional clip, Vanessa oozes couture in her dress that hugs her fabulous figure in just the right way.
While the coat, which fell low to the floor, was a brighter red on the outside, once Vanessa opened the two sides, it revealed a darker red sequin design that matched her dress almost perfectly.
After performing the role on stage at the Dominion Theatre, Vanessa was among the stars who joined an official after-party in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation at the British Museum.
Vanessa turned heads in a glamorous metallic black off-the-shoulder dress.
Her dress came complete with a high leg slit, a dramatic cape and a sheer corseted bodice that revealed her slender torso.
Meanwhile, she accessorized with a silver clutch and large hoop earrings.
The production had preview performances at the Theater Royal Plymouth in July and August before its West End premiere in October.
Vanessa also wore a delicate diamond bracelet and tied her brunette locks into a bun.
The musical is based on Lauren Weisberger’s best-selling 2003 novel and the hit 2006 film, which received two Academy Award nominations.
Keeping her look serious, the former Miss America 1984 had her long brunette tresses pulled back from her face with a part slightly to the left.
Vanessa, who made her Broadway debut in 1994 in Kiss Of The Spider Woman, heads the cast that features British actor Matt Henry playing 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 working for the most powerful and terrifying icon in fashion: editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly,” the synopsis says in the musical website. ‘Sacrificing her personal life to satisfy Miranda’s impossible demands, Andy finds herself seduced by the glamorous world she once despised. How far will you go to succeed… and will it be worth selling your soul to get what you’ve always wanted?
“Blissfully funny and fabulously 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 book by Kate Wetherhead.
Giving fans an update on what to expect earlier this year, Vanessa revealed that cinema-goers will be delighted 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 dialogue that people know, love and have memorized,” he told Good Morning America.
Earlier in the evening, before her performance, Vanessa made an appearance on the red square of the Dominion Theater wearing a chic black leather midi skirt.
Vanessa is pictured with Donatella Versace, Elton John and Anna Wintour at Sunday’s gala night.
Vanessa also rocked a red satin blouse and matching stilettos before 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 number I do is called La Casa de Miranda. In the last words I sing “That’s it!” And I’m leaving. You will understand that this is the movie from the beginning. My first lines are “Emily! Emily!” Then the audience will know, “Oh God, she’s coming.”
Although some have been skeptical about the decision to turn the film into a musical, Vanessa argued that it makes a lot of sense.
“The Devil Wears Prada is a perfect movie… That’s why it has legs and stands the test of time,” gushed the former Miss America. “This is one more step to take something that is perfect and take it to another genre and make it spectacular.”
She continued: ‘You have the lines that people know and you’re adding music to them. “It’s adding layers, it’s going to make it bigger and better.”
Vanessa revealed that she and Elton enjoyed a collaborative experience while bringing the songs to life.
“I grew up with Elton John like all of us,” he said. ‘Like the pop star, the icon that he is.
“For him to write new music and for him to hear my voice and what I’m doing with it, for him to be inspired and say: ‘I have something we can do, let’s do this.’ To make him smile and do it well and happy… this is iconic” .