Broadway in Atlanta has blessed us with the first U.S. National tour of the hit musical The Bodyguard. The musical will play at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre from March 28 – April 2 as part of the 2016/2017 season.
I’m not kidding when I say Broadway in Atlanta “has blessed us” either because this was one of the best musicals I’ve ever seen. This is the closest we’ll get to a Whitney Houston concert in our lives and everyone in the audience knew this.
The musical is based off the hit movie “The Bodyguard” starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner as Rachel Marron and Frank Farmer respectively. In the musical, singer Deborah Cox plays Rachel Marron and TV star Judson Mills plays Frank Farmer. Rachel’s sister Nicki Marron is played by Jasmin Richardson. (Note: Jasmin Richardson will be playing the main role of Rachel at Saturday’s matinee and Sunday’s evening showings). I know a lot of people will go just to see Deborah Cox, but fret not, Jasmin is no mere substitute, her voice is strong enough for either role (Rachel or Nicki).
The singing was absolutely phenomenal. Casting a multiplatinum recording artist like Deborah Cox to fill the shoes of Whitney Houston was a good choice. An interesting thing about the movie for those who aren’t familiar, the soundtrack is more popular than the film, by far. A lot of people have never seen the movie but know of the soundtrack.
Experiencing this musical is to take an exotic sportscar at top-speed down memory lane. In 1993, who would’ve known the impact that this soundtrack would have on future generations. Every song the company performed was like a party. I saw people singing along, waving their hands, and trying their hardest not to get up and dance (literally four people around me continuously whispered, “I want to dance so bad!”). You’ll get to experience all the classic tracks like “All At Once” “All The Man That I Need” “Greatest Love of All” “I’m Every Woman” and of course, the most popular, “I Will Always Love You.”
The story begins with singer Rachel Marron, an award-winning singer who’s looking to further her career but hits a bump in the road after discovering a stalker. His obsession has risen to the level of disturbing threats and even finds a way to sneak into her dressing room. At the urging of her manager, Rachel hires former secret service agent Frank Farmer as her bodyguard. The rest is a beautiful story that you’ll have to experience live at The Fox Theatre.
Before I close, I want to give a quick nod to Tim Hatley for Set Design. Wow. The props and backdrops make you feel like you are really inside of Rachel’s mansion, a karaoke bar, and other venues that you’ll visit in the story. An absolute superb job.
I give “The Bodyguard the Musical” a 10 out of 10. You have to see it before it leaves. It’s really like a two-hour party with the music and dancing. It is worth every penny you’ll spend and every minute of your time. You won’t regret it!
-Jon J.