Elton John songs? For a musical? Groundbreaking. Vanessa Williams is really giving fans a glimpse into the pop icon’s new tunes for her new musical based on The Devil Wears Prada.
During her appearance on the Wednesday (July 10) episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the “Save the Best for Last” singer shared some details about working with the pop legend for the show, which began its off-West End run in Plymouth, England, on July 6.
“I am honored because I grew up listening to Elton John on my little transistor radio on my windowsill with my two antennae, listening to ‘Benny and the Jets’ and [‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’],” she said. “That’s my childhood! So, to be able to work with him and have him write new songs that I get the chance to sing for him is pretty epic.”
In the show, Williams plays the titular role of Miranda Priestly, the icy, high-powered editor-in-chief at the fashion magazine Runway. In discussing her performance in the show, the actress gave Clarkson and her audience a tease of one of the show’s pivotal numbers.
“The script is very much based on the movie, so you see all the aspects of that, but it’s amplified by the music. So, for instance, in the second act they’re doing their fashion show and everyone thinks [Miranda] is on the outs,” she explained, before launching into an a capella rendition of the song. “‘You think that I can’t see you/ Smugly sitting there with glee/ Eager for the ending you’ve been waiting years to see/ Today, she’s getting ousted/ Yet her final hour’s nigh/ ‘Miranda’s reign has run its course’/ That’s what you think? Oh my.’”
Williams also shared that thanks to John’s musical sensibilities, the songs immediately lend themselves to broader cultural appeal. “This music takes the transition from the words and brings it to musical theater — but it’s also pop, too, because that’s Elton’s background,” she said. “So, there’s going to be remixes on the radio from The Devil Wears Prada, because he know what works in both genres.”
Check out the clip of Williams’ interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show below:
