LONDON – Elton John says he had difficulty watching his new musical because he lost his eyesight after an infection.

The singer-songwriter attended the premiere of The Devil Wears Prada in London on Sunday and told the audience: “I haven’t been able to come to many previews because, as you know, I’ve lost my eyesight.”

“So I have a hard time watching it, but I love hearing it and, boy, it sounded good tonight,” he said.

John, 77, revealed in September that he had “limited vision in only one eye” due to an infection. He wrote on Instagram: “I’m recovering but it’s an extremely slow process and it will take some time before the affected eye can see again.”

John wrote the music for The Devil Wears Prada, a stage musical based on the 2006 film about a young journalist dealing with the glamor and egos of a glossy fashion magazine.

In the production at London’s Dominion Theater, Vanessa Williams plays the fearsome director Miranda Priestly, played in the film by Meryl Streep.

Sunday’s gala, a fundraiser for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, was attended by celebrities and fashion figures, including designer Donatella Versace and former Vogue editor Anna Wintour, reportedly the inspiration for the priest’s character.

Wintour described the musical as “entertaining.”