When you hear the name Kevin Costner, which film comes to mind. For many, it is the romantic drama “The Bodyguard,” co starring the late Whitney Houston. The story was adapted for the stage in 2012, followed by a United States national tour in 2016. After the tour’s success, reports circulated about a possible Broadway engagement, but no official Broadway production has been announced. Deborah Cox, who played Rachel in the national tour, remains strongly associated with the role. Here is an overview of the musical adaptation of “The Bodyguard.”
About the Kevin Costner film “The Bodyguard”
The film tells the story of superstar Rachel, played by Whitney Houston, and Frank, a bodyguard played by Kevin Costner. After troubling incidents and threatening letters arrive at Rachel’s home, she hires Frank, a former Secret Service agent, to protect her. Their relationship gradually deepens beyond their professional roles. The signature song “I Will Always Love You” became a global phenomenon, and the soundtrack remains one of the best selling albums worldwide. In Japan the soundtrack album sold about 2.8 million copies, and the single was also a major hit.
How the stage adaptation began in London’s West End
After several years of development, the stage musical premiered in London’s West End at the Adelphi Theatre with its first performance on November 6 2012 and official opening on December 5 2012. The book is by Alexander Dinelaris, also known for “On Your Feet.” Heather Headley originated Rachel on stage, delivering powerful vocals and shifting the focus more strongly toward Rachel’s perspective. In addition to songs from the original soundtrack, the musical features more Whitney Houston hits such as “I’m Your Baby Tonight” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” making the show instantly familiar and uplifting for many audiences.
Production history of the stage musical “The Bodyguard”
Beginning in London and later touring widely across Europe, the production launched a United States national tour in 2016.| London United Kingdom | November 6 2012 to August 29 2014 |
| Southampton United Kingdom Dublin Ireland Larvotto Monaco tour |
February 2015 to June 26 2016 |
| Utrecht Netherlands | September 12 2015 to July 16 2017 |
| Cologne Germany | November 2015 to October 14 2018 |
| London United Kingdom second run | July 15 2016 to January 7 2017 |
| United States national tour 44 cities | November 25 2016 to April 15 2018 |
| Seoul South Korea | December 2016 to March 5 2017 |
| Toronto Canada | February 11 2017 to April 9 2017 |
| Sydney Australia | April 21 2017 to July 2 2017 |
| Madrid Spain | September 28 2017 to July 15 2018 |
Deborah Cox expected to reprise her role after the United States tour
Deborah Cox starred as Rachel in the United States national tour that began in 2016 and visited forty four cities before closing in April 2018. Born July 13 1971 in Toronto, she is an R and B singer songwriter and actor who began performing professionally in her teens and made her major label debut in 1995. Her hit “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here” spent fourteen weeks at number one on the R and B chart, and she made her Broadway debut in “Aida” in 2004. She continued to build her stage career with productions such as “Jekyll and Hyde” in 2013 and “Josephine” in 2016. In 2017 she released an EP of musical theater songs. Audiences look forward to her future performances as Rachel though no official Broadway engagement has been confirmed.
Video: The voice of Deborah Cox
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