Patron/Member presale begins on Mon, Aug 18 at 2pm. Tickets go on sale to the General Public on Fri, Aug 22 at 12pm. Learn more about accessing presales here. Tickets can be purchased at https://54below.org/events/vanessa-williams/

Vanessa Williams returns to 54 Below with a new show all about love. Get ready while she takes you to The Comfort Zone on a musical stroll down memory lane.

Tony®, Emmy, and Grammy nominee Vanessa Williams has sold millions of records worldwide, including several Billboard Top 10 singles in genres across pop, dance, R&B, adult contemporary and jazz. Her hits have included “Dreamin’,” “Save the Best for Last,” and “The Sweetest Day.” Her platinum single “Colors of the Wind,” from Disney’s Pocahontas, won the Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe for Best Original Song.

Vanessa can currently be seen headlining the West End musical adaptation of beloved film The Devil Wears Prada, in which she stars as the iconic Miranda Priestly. On Broadway, she has appeared in The Trip to Bountiful, Sondheim on Sondheim, After Midnight, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Into the Woods, and POTUS. Her numerous screen appearances include starring roles in the hit films Eraser and Soul Food and the television shows “Ugly Betty,” “Desperate Housewives,” and “Queen of the Universe,” among many others.

Her critically acclaimed work in film, television, recordings, and the Broadway stage has been recognized by every major industry award affiliate including 4 Emmy nominations, 11 Grammy nominations, a Tony® nomination, 3 SAG award nominations, 7 NAACP Image Awards, and 3 Satellite Awards.

She is one of the world’s most accomplished concert artists, appearing regularly with the most prestigious symphony orchestras in the world.

Vanessa Williams plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on February 16 – 21 at 7pm. Cover charges are $145 (includes $15 in fees) – $156 (includes $16 in fees). Premiums are $217 (includes $17 in fees) – $222 (includes $17 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at 54below.org/VanessaWilliams. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00pm are only available by calling (646) 476-3551. All online and phone ticket purchases are subject to fees of 10% of ticket price, plus a $2 facility fee.

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Below, a recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS® Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve the music of Broadway and expand the art of the cabaret while growing opportunities for diverse communities of emerging and established artists and providing unparalleled audience experiences.

It was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. One of the most in demand venues in the city presenting over 700 shows per year, the club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists.  It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent.

54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.
Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at  54below.org.

The post Vanessa Williams at 54 Below in February 2026 appeared first on StageZine.

‘POTUS’: Vanessa Williams & Julie White. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

POTUS: OR, BEHIND EVERY GREAT DUMBASS ARE SEVEN WOMEN TRYING TO KEEP HIM ALIVE
Written by Selina Fillinger
Directed by Susan Stroman
Through August 14, 2022
Shubert Theatre
225 West 44th Street
(212-239-6200), https://potusbway.com

By David NouNou

Did you ever wish you could go to the theatre to see a ludicrous farce that will leave you at times laughing hysterically? No hidden messages here, no agendas, a minimal plot that is so absurd that you don’t care; you just want to laugh because the times we live in are so stressful. Such a play exists. It’s called POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.

It is difficult to discuss the plot because it is so convoluted. You have to go see it for yourself to make sense of it. No need to tell you any more than what the title of the show states. Now, there’s no particular president or first lady in this show. Loosely based on our recent American history, the characters are really amalgams and composites of presidents and first ladies and West Wing staff. Playwright Selina Fillinger cleverly lets you decide for yourself who you want them to be, and that makes the show all the more enjoyable.

As you know, no president can run the country by himself; it’s the women behind the scenes that keep him alive. In this instance there are seven women working very hard to accomplish their mission. There is the president’s wife, Margaret (Vanessa Williams); Chief of Staff, Harriet (Julie White); Press Secretary, Jean (Suzy Nakamura); White House Correspondent, Chris (Lilli Cooper); the president’s out-there, outrageous sister, Bernadette (Lea Delaria); office assistant, Stephanie (Rachel Dratch). Of course, there is always a beautiful mistress, Dusty (Julianne Hough). These women really work very hard at their jobs and the fun of the play is how they interact with each other. By the end of Act I, you are exhausted from the machinations and laughter.

I will admit Act II kind of meanders and loses a bit of footing because how can you sustain an absurdist farce after your hand has been revealed? Act II plays more of a clean-up for the mess that was created in Act I. I’m not trying to be evasive, elusive or mysterious. In a farce the less you know, the surprise element becomes extremely funnier.

There’s not one but seven funny ladies up on the stage working their butts off to make us laugh. Also let me caution you that you will be hearing a lot of coarse language, so prepare your ears. This isn’t a show to get offended by—just go with it and enjoy it.

Vanessa Williams is still gorgeous; she has elevated her status from the quintessential real-life Miss America to the fictitious Mrs. America, and can still deliver dialogue with aplomb like she did for years on TV’s “Ugly Betty.” Julie White is the consummate pro,  and so good at what she does, she could be the next president. Julianne Hough is a real talent. Forget her stint on TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” because Ms. Hough is both a beauty and can truly act. Rachel Dratch of “Saturday Night Live” fame and Lea DeLaria— their characters are so over-the-top, they are hysterical, and in lesser hands they would be ridiculous. Lilli Cooper and Suzy Nakamura have the hardest parts, for they are the serious women, but they do manage to get their share of laughs. They are deftly directed by the ever-ingenious Susan Stroman. Kudos to all the ladies who make us laugh, and to Beowulf Boritt for the clever revolving set that represents the different rooms in the White House.

On another note to leave you with, in these days of alternate truths and facts and alternate universes, such an event might not be so improbable. As an alternative, it can’t be any worse than what we went through in the past few years with the previous administration. Sit back and enjoy an alternative reality, written and directed by women and acted by a very funny all-star ensemble of smart and sassy women.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published May 2, 2022
Reviewed at April 30, 2022 press performance.

‘POTUS’: Vanessa Williams & Rachel Dratch. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POUTS’: Julie White & Suzy Nakamura. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Julianne Hough, Lea Delaria & Suzy Nakamura. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: The cast. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Lilli Cooper. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Rachel Dratch & Julie White. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Lilli Cooper, Rachel Dratch & Vanessa Williams. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Julie White. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Suzy Nakamura. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

‘POTUS’: Vanessa Williams. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

The post ‘POTUS’: Funny girls unleashed appeared first on StageZine.