Actress brings spunk to ‘The Devil Wears Prada, The Musical’
Tiffany Mann portrays Kayla Ward in “The Devil Wears Prada, The Musical.”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BROADWAY IN CHICAGO.
Tiffany Mann plays Kayla Ward, Andy’s best friend in “The Devil Wears Prada, The Musical,” which is currently running at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, located at 24 W. Randolph.
Mann attended a Fine Arts High School, but it wasn’t until she saw “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” with Nell Carter that she knew musical theater was something she wanted to do. Along the way, there were people who assisted her by showing her the ropes and helping her learn the business. It is also helpful that her dad and her bonus mom also are in the entertainment industry. As Mann has gotten older, they have been able to help her, especially on the business side, and give her a different perspective and share their expertise.
Mann received a call from her agent to audition for “The Devil Wears Prada, The Musical.” When she went into audition, the people behind the table were so warm and allowed her to play, which is Mann’s favorite type of performance. “You get to explore into these different worlds and these different characters,” she said.
Taylor Iman Jones portrays Andy Sachs who goes to work at the Runway magazine for legendary editor-in chief Miranda Priestly, played by Beth Leavel. The musical is an adaptation of the movie, “The Devil Wears Prada,” which starred Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep, and the book, which was written by Lauren Weisberger. The creative team of the musical includes Tony Award, Grammy Award and Academy Award winner Elton John, Director Anna D. Shapiro and Producer Kevin McCollum.
There had been a lot of call backs and auditions, because the creative team wanted to make sure they had the right onstage team assembled. Mann said her character Kayla brings spunk to the friend group. When she found out she got the role, she was relieved and excited to go on the ride. The performers spent time in New York City rehearsing before coming to Chicago, where they premiered the show in July.
“Chicago is awesome … first of all, the Chicago summers are amazing. Ppeople bring that sunshine, that energy and that beauty, right into the theatre and they’re right there with us from beginning to end. We hear their laughter, we hear the gasps when we do something cool, we hear the applause when wonderful things happen on stage. The audiences in Chicago have been really, really awesome,” Mann said.
Mann has been learning what it takes to put on an industry run during her time portraying Kayla. She even learned a new term, value, which refers to the colors, patterns, and texture of clothing and costumes. Mann’s favorite song from the show is “Dress Your Way Up.” It celebrates how to present yourself to the world if you want to be bold.
Mann hopes from her performance as Kayla, people take away a sense of friendship, understanding of the people around them and how those people fit into someone’s ambition. From the show, she hopes people understand the challenges that someone might face while being ambitious, what to sacrifice, what to keep and how to stay true to one’s self. The show runs until Sunday, Aug. 21st. Tickets to “The Devil Wears Prada, The Musical” are available at www.broadwayinchicago.com.
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