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Diana: The Musical, yes, a musical about the late Princess Diana, is coming to Netflix on Friday, October 1. The movie shows an advanced filming of the musical of the same name, which will make its Broadway debut on Tuesday, November 2.
Diana: The Musical follows Diana Spencer, the newlywed princess to Prince Charles, and her journey as she is thrust into the spotlight. The musical also touches on the struggles she faced as a member of the British royal family and the breakdown of Diana and Charles' marriage.
The musical was filmed in 2020 without an audience at the Longacre Theatre and features the original Broadway cast. Newsweek has a full look at the Diana: The Musical actors and how they compare to the real-life figures.
'Diana: The Musical' Cast vs Real-Life Figures
Princess Diana — Jeanna de Waal
Jeanna de Waal portrays the late Princess Diana in Diana: The Musical.
De Waal is no stranger to Broadway having performed in productions of American Idiot and Kinky Boots.
But Diana: The Musical marks de Waal's first Broadway premiere in a leading role.
To prepare for the role, de Waal told Vogue that to get into character, she focused on getting Diana's voice and eye focus just right.
She said: "Definitely exploring her voice and her level of eye focus. Everybody talks about how nice she was to everyone—everyone. I think that's an incredible legacy to still have that spoken about, that everybody who came into contact with you felt like they got your time for that moment. That's something I want to actively try and emulate."
Queen Elizabeth — Judy Kaye
Judy Kaye takes on the role of Queen Elizabeth II in Diana: The Musical.
The 72-year-old actor made her debut on Broadway as Rizzo in the original production of Grease in the 1970s.
She has also appeared in productions of Sweeney Todd. Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, and Nice Work If You Can Get It, winning Tony Awards for her performances in the latter two.
Speaking in a behind-the-scenes interview for Diana: The Musical, Kaye said she could not be more "thrilled" to take on the role of Queen Elizabeth, calling it a "gift."
She added: "I've been given a sort of sacred job here and I'm just going to try and embody her and tell her side of this incredible tale."
Prince Charles — Roe Hartrampf
Roe Hartrampf plays Prince Charles in Diana: The Musical.
Hartrampf is best known for starring as Doug in Netflix's Emily in Paris.
He is also known for appearing in Madam Secretary, Equity, and The Foster Portfolio.
Hartrampf has been sharing his excitement about the arrival of Diana: The Musical on Instagram. He recently posted a photograph of him reading the newspaper on the beach, which featured a huge ad for Diana: The Musical.
He joked: "out of office for the weekend. did I miss anything?"
Camilla Parker Bowles — Erin Davie
Erin Davie portrays Camilla Parker Bowles, the love interest and close friend of Prince Charles, who would go on to become his wife in 2005.
Davie is an American actress and singer, best known for her role on Broadway as young Edith Bouvier Beale in the musical Grey Gardens.
Her other Broadway credits include Curtains, A Little Night Music, Side Show, and Sunday in the Park With George.
Davie has also had small roles on television, appearing in King Jack, Orange is the New Black, and Easter Mysteries.
Davie said being part of Diana: The Musical was an "honor."
Speaking in a behind-the-scenes interview for Diana: The Musical, Davie said: "I think a lot of us just take for granted that people will know Diana and there's a whole generation coming up that is going to be introduced to her and that's an honor. I'm getting chills. Really, it's an honor."
Diana: The Musical premieres Friday, Oct 1 on Netflix and will make its Broadway debut on Tuesday, November 2.
About the writer
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on ... Read more