Elton John revealed that he has struggled to watch his new stage musical, The Devil Wears Prada, due to losing his eyesight after contracting an infection. Attending the opening night in London on Sunday, the legendary singer-songwriter shared with the audience, “I haven’t been able to come to many of the previews because, as you know, I have lost my eyesight.”
He continued, “So it’s hard for me to see it, but I love to hear it, and, boy, it sounded good tonight.”
At 77, John first disclosed his vision loss in September, explaining that an infection had left him with “only limited vision in one eye.” On Instagram, he expressed that while his healing process was slow, he was optimistic, noting, “It will take some time before sight returns to the impacted eye.”
John composed the score for The Devil Wears Prada, a stage adaptation of the 2006 film about a young journalist navigating the world of a high-powered fashion magazine. The production, currently playing at London’s Dominion Theatre, features Vanessa Williams as the formidable editor Miranda Priestly, a role made famous by Meryl Streep in the movie.
The gala, which doubled as a fundraiser for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, drew an impressive crowd of celebrities and fashion icons, including designer Donatella Versace and former Vogue editor Anna Wintour—widely believed to have inspired the Priestly character. Wintour herself called the musical “entertaining.