'The Devil Wears Prada' comes to London's West End

LONDON — A musical stage adaptation of the hit film "The Devil Wears Prada" has opened in London, with an original score by Elton John recounting the tale of a tyrannical magazine editor and her young assistant.

A performance of the musical followed by a special charity gala on Sunday was hosted by John and his husband David Furnish in the British capital, with A-lister actors Lily Collins, Elizabeth Hurley and Italian designer Donatella Versace among the stars adorning the red carpet.

First staged in Chicago in 2022, a different creative team has mounted the new production of the musical, which will run for a year at London's Dominion Theatre, after opening on October 24.

David Finkel's comedy classic 2006 film featuring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway was itself an adaptation of the book by Lauren Weisberger (2003).

American singer and actress Vanessa Williams ("Desperate Housewives") takes on the iconic role of Miranda Priestly, the terrifying and powerful head of the fictional fashion magazine "Runway" believed to have been inspired by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who also attended Sunday's performance.

At a press call last week, Williams told AFP that being part of the musical adaptation was a "wonderful" opportunity that enabled her to "create the role" anew.

"People love to be nostalgic and that's why so many of these iconic films from the early 2000s are being made," added Georgie Buckland, who plays the lead Andy Sachs -- the out-of-place newcomer at Runway -- in the musical.

"Mean Girls" was another iconic 2000s comedy adapted for the British stage this year, also making its West End debut several years after it launched in the US.

Sunday's gala coincided with World AIDS Day, with money being raised for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

However, the 77-year-old British singer revealed he was unable to watch the musical as an eye infection contracted over the summer had severely affected his eyesight.

"It's hard for me to see it, but I love to hear it and, boy, it sounded good tonight," the 77-year-old singer said.