Elton John Writing ‘Devil Wears Prada’ Musical

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Elton John (Photo from his Facebook page)

Sir Elton John is collaborating with writer Paul Rudnick on a new Broadway musical version of the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada. The film, based on the novel by Lauren Weisberger, starred Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.

John is no newcomer to the world of Broadway, having already composed the music for The Lion King and Billy Elliot, both of which earned him Tony nominations, and 2000’s Aida, his sole Tony win to date.

The Broadway production will be produced by Kevin McCollum, Fox Stage Productions and Rocket Entertainment. There is no information yet on the production, casting, etc.

In a statement distributed to the media, John said “Re-imagining The Devil Wears Prada for the musical theatre is super exciting. I’m a huge fan of both the book and the feature film, and a huge aficionado of the fashion world. I can’t wait to sink my musical teeth into this hunk of popular culture.”

Bob Cohen of Fox Stage Productions and McCollum said, “To bring The Devil Wears Prada to the stage, we knew we needed to find artists as inimitable as the characters in the story. We needed artists whose work has run the gamut from music and publishing to drama and fashion. We could think of only two names: Elton John and Paul Rudnick. That’s all!”

According to a press release, The Devil Wears Prada is the “story of Andy Sachs, a smart, curious and innocent young woman making her way in the world. Andy’s a few years out of college and while she’s determined to become a serious writer, she’s waylaid into a job as a second assistant at Runway, the world’s foremost fashion magazine. Andy ends up working for Miranda Priestly, Runway’s legendary, notorious editor-in-chief. Miranda is brilliant, impossibly demanding and merciless, and she introduces Andy to 15-hour workdays, the glory and complexity of fashion, and the dazzle of Fashion Week in Paris. Along the way, Andy finds friendship, romance, and a killer wardrobe. She also begins to grow up and decide exactly who she truly wants to be, amid the many temptations of a high-octane Manhattan career. The Devil Wears Prada explores a world that’s passionate, comic, and touching: as Andy discovers, it’s a great ride.”

In the meantime, John isn’t forgetting about his other job. He’s recently added a handful of new dates to his ongoing residency in Las Vegas, which you can find here, along with our review of a recent show there.

Watch Elton’s video for “Circle of Life,” from The Lion King