Vanessa Williams on Playing the First Lady in Her Return to Broadway (Exclusive)
etonline.comVanessa Williams is making her return to Broadway as the first lady and one of “the women in charge of the man in charge of the free world” in, a new comedy from playwright Selina Fillinger. “It is really wonderful to be a part of something that is so innovative,” she tells ET’s Rachel Smith about the ensemble production directed by Susan Stroman and also starring Julianne Hough, Julie White, Lea DeLaria, Lilli Cooper, Rachel Dratch and Suzy Nakamura.
Together, they play the seven women forced to deal with an unexpected PR nightmare and keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble after the use of a four-letter word rocks the White House.“We see all the ladies behind the scenes, and that’s what this all is about,” Williams says, before teasing what’s said that kicks off the whole show. “I don’t wanna give away the first line of the play, but we go right there.
So, get ready and sit tight because we’re starting really strong.” As a result, “there are some guests that show up to the White House that are a surprise and kind of unwanted,” she says of what follows.
And as the wife of the president, “there is a deceit that I’m trying to keep the news away from,” she continues. “There’s a lot of jockeying for positions that happens everywhere – in corporations, in family life – but this is in the White House.” The actress, who turns 59 years old on March 18, is quick to point out that while this play takes place on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, there is no political agenda. “It’s not about anyone who is in office right now.
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