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| Deborah Cox and Judson Mills photo by Joan Marcus |
Click here for more information on this production that runs through December 3rd.
"In 1992 mega pop star Whitney Houston starred in a film in which she played a mega pop-star just like herself. That movie, The Bodyguard, would become a box office hit with a soundtrack album that sold over 45 million copies, and the film's smash single "I Will Always Love You" played on radio stations virtually around the clock for most of the early 1990s. The stage adaptation of the film is in town for a week-long run at ASU Gammage in Tempe and, while the simplistic story, minimal plot development, and characters who are basically caricatures leave much to be desired, Deborah Cox is a complete knockout in the Houston role....Alexander Dinelaris adapted Lawrence Kasdan's film script for the stage, though the cheesy dialogue and situations make for a very uninspired plot. There are also a lot of plot details that are simply glossed over and nonexistent character development. ..Fortunately, while the story is fairly basic, the stage version includes not only the big film soundtrack hits ...but several of Houston's other hits, which are added to flesh out the show. ...The addition of all of those well-known tunes turns the basic storyline into a jukebox musical that is a combination of beloved hit film and Whitney Houston concert. As Rachel, Cox has an incredible stage presence as well as a singing voice that delivers on the vast vocal requirements of the role...At the opening night performance in Tempe, Judson Mills played the part of Frank in act one and, due to illness, Jorge Paniagua performed the role in the second act. Mills is appropriately stiff and stern at first as a professional who is just trying to do his job, but his demeanor and body language also elicit warmth as Frank's feelings go beyond his businesslike exterior. ...Jasmin Richardson is superb as Rachel's sister Nicki, in a role expanded from the film. ...Director Thea Sharrock does an adequate job of adding some liveliness to the plodding plot, but some of the serious moments that are supposed to be scary or shocking risk the chance of receiving unintentional laughter due to the use of slow-motion action and overused sound effects that border on the comical. ...The stage version of The Bodyguard makes for cheesy fun and a nostalgic trip back to the 1980s and the vast song hit catalog of Whitney Houston. However, when Cox isn't singing another well-known Houston hit to huge acclaim and the melodramatic plot and cardboard characters take over, it amounts to a very uneven theatrical experience. But, if you love the songs Houston made famous and the movie, you will most likely love the stage musical as well.. " -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)
"...Though it never opened on Broadway, after a longer than expected run in London where it was developed, The Bodyguard The Musical has toured the U.S. since last year. That heart-stopping opening boom heralded its Tempe opening, and what has surprisingly thrilled packed houses across the country will presumably do the same for valley audiences each night this week until its close on Sunday.... Technically first-class and slick with continually moving frames on an elaborate set that slide on and off and up and down, the show, while loud, boisterous, and dazzling in its showbiz glitz, can’t overcome the issue that plagued the film. The wafer-thin plot doesn’t really work. Rachel, the world famous superstar, and Frank, a cautious and considerably restrained ordinary-guy bodyguard, never really seem as though they would ever be together. The book, adapted from the screenplay, bolsters the role of Rachel’s sister Nikki (Jasmin Richardson). It creates an added layer of conflict by having the sibling fall romantically for Frank at the same time as her more famous sister, but it feels like nothing more than a story-telling device developed to fill a void...As with the film, there’s nothing particularly intriguing about Frank, and there’s certainly nothing to convince that a Beyoncé-like superstar, or a Whitney Houston for that matter, would fall for whatever charms she evidently sees in him. ...Deborah Cox is quite superb as Rachel – as a singer/performer she knocks every song right out of the house – and Judson Mills does exactly what the part of Frank requires – he’s solid, no nonsense, and an authoritative presence – but he’s not a superstar. ...But while the dramatic events never feel fully realized, or even interesting, the songs and how they’re performed are what makes The Bodyguard tick....there’s no denying the power of their punch, particularly when they’re sung so well by both Cox and Richardson. ..." -David Appleford, Valley Screen and Stage (click here to read the complete review)
COMING SOON - Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic (click here to read the complete review)
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