Review: ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ musical dressed to the eights

“Gird your loins!”

That famous line of dialogue from the 2006 Meryl Streep-Anne Hathaway film “The Devil Wears Prada,” in which Nigel (Stanley Tucci) forewarns the staff at Runway magazine that feared, demanding editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly (Streep) will be arriving at her office sooner than anticipated, could just as easily be the advice given to theater critics in Chicago on Sunday night.

A stage musical based on the movie – which itself was based on Lauren Weisberger’s hit 2003 novel – had its official world premiere night at the Nederlander Theatre. With music composed by Sir Elton John, direction by the Tony Award-winning former artistic director of Steppenwolf (Anna D. Shapiro), a Tony Award-winning actress playing Priestly (Beth Leavel), and the previous success of the novel and film (two Oscar nominations – for Streep’s acting and for costume design), expectations were extremely high.

Cutting to the chase from this reviewer’s standpoint, this “Devil” is pretty heavenly. Maybe not on cloud nine, but at least cloud eight.

Could it be improved between press night and the eventual opening on Broadway? Yes. As a prime example, the costumes worn by the models who hurry back and forth at what is supposed to be the world’s top fashion magazine could be a lot more cutting-edge or fashion-forward than what we saw from Oscar- and Tony-nominated costume designer Arianne Phillips, especially in the musical’s first act. But there is far more that I found to be worthy of praise, as I’ll highlight below.

For those who haven’t read the book or seen the film, a brief synopsis of the musical’s plot – which differs slightly anyhow – may prove helpful. Andrea “Andy” Sachs (Taylor Iman Jones here, Hathaway in the movie) is a recent college graduate who envisions herself making a big splash as a writer/journalist in New York City. In the opening number, “I Mean Business,” Andy anticipates that by the time she’s 30, she’ll be having her second essay collection published.

However, finding her first post-college position isn’t easy, and six months have passed before she gets a call from a major publishing firm that’s trying to fill an assistant role. The HR rep wants her to come interview immediately. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s not an editorial assistant position, but the second assistant to Miranda Priestly, whose unreasonable expectations are legendary, and whose words cut like a knife. (“Clearly, you have no style or sense of fashion,” Priestly says, then interrupts Andy’s objection to say, “That wasn’t a question.”) Miranda’s former second assistant Emily (Megan Masako Haley) recently was promoted to the first assistant job, and she has little use for the surprisingly hired Andy: “Never take your butt out of that chair!”

Other key characters who may help or hinder Andy’s success at work or away from the office include: Nigel (Javier Muñoz), Miranda’s brutally honest art director; Nate (Michael Tacconi), a chef and Andy’s longtime boyfriend; Lauren and Kayla (Christiana Cole and Tiffany Mann), Andy’s best friends and roommates; and Christian Thompson, a charming, talented writer at City Dweller – the publication Andy would love to write for – who is played here by an actor actually named Christian Thompson.

The best aspects of the show are:

• The lead performances by Leavel, Jones and Muñoz. Each of them gets the chance to show a three-dimensional character. In the second act, for instance, Nigel tells Andy that he’s happily married to a great guy: “That’s right, baby – I’ve got a backstory!” Muñoz’s subsequent solo, “Seen,” about the years between being a closeted gay teen in the Midwest and Nigel’s current success at Runway, is a wonderfully touching song by Elton John and lyricist Shaina Taub.
• “Dress Your Way Up,” the uptempo production number in Act I in which Andy finally gets some help to change her image at the office. Not only is the song catchy and well choreographed by James Alsop, but the lighting effects for suspended-in-air fashions make it even more magical (kudos to Tony- and Olivier Award-winning lighting designer Paule Constable).
• The creative set design by scenic and media designers Christine Jones and Brett Banakis. When Miranda and others in the industry travel to Paris for its Fashion Week, applause greeted the set change itself.

A reminder: this is a world premiere production that’s likely to undergo many tweaks, so what Broadway ultimately sees may be quite different. But you have a chance to catch an enjoyable show now in the Loop, so take advantage of the opportunity. Why not “dress your way up” to the Nederlander for a “Devil” of a good time, and be open to a “clothes-minded” show?

• Paul Lockwood is a singer, local theater actor, Grace Lutheran Church (Woodstock) and Toastmasters member, occasional theater reviewer, podcaster, columnist and past president of TownSquare Players. He’s lived in Woodstock for more than 21 years.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “The Devil Wears Prada, The Musical”

WHERE: James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago

WHEN: Through Aug. 21; masks recommended, but not required

INFORMATION: www.BroadwayInChicago.com