Monday, 12th June 2023 at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another crowd-pleasing screen-to-stage musical? Yes indeed, and The Bodyguard, The Musical is an impressive stage rendition of the hit 1992 Warner Brothers film. Promising romance and danger and fantastic Whitney Houston hits throughout, this show goes all out in the name of entertainment.
With book by Alexander Dinelaris, based on Lawrence Kasdan’s original screenplay, and under direction of Thea Sharrock (with musical direction from Sam Hill), the story of Frank, Rachel and a crazed stalker plays out. Frank is facing demons and self-doubt. Rachel is juggling motherhood, superstardom and stalking – and all while a management team bickers about what should come first: staying alive or award-chasing? On paper, Frank and Rachel might be an unlikely pairing, but we all know of the irresistible allure of a mysterious hunk guarding and/or saving your life…
Front and centre as Rachel Marron in this production is Melody Thornton, who channels “diva” beautifully and tirelessly makes her way through an impressive array of hits from Houston’s back catalogue. We get toe-tapping numbers like “I’m Every Woman”, “Million Dollar Bill” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” alongside a whole host of power ballads sung either as snapshots or in their full glory – from “Run to You” to “One Moment in Time” and, of course, “I Will Always Love You”. Thornton also gives Marron a warmth and a playfulness, which ensures that we don’t fall too fully into either the icy, untouchable diva trope or the helpless-damsel-who-needs-saving bracket.
Emily-Mae plays Marron’s overlooked sister, Nicki, and gifts us a beautiful “All the Man that I Need” alongside some lovely harmonies. Nicki’s story is somewhat under-developed (fitting in a way, considering her place in the margins of her sister’s life), so all credit to Emily-Mae who captures hearts swiftly with emotional performances. And as the bodyguard himself, Frank, Ayden Callaghan channels his best Bond allure and pairs it nicely with the classic air of a tortured soul determined to come good, also managing credible chemistry with both sisters as they each swoon in turn.
There’s no denying that this show goes big on production values, too. Mark Henderson’s lighting follows the emotional landscape “step by step, inch by inch” and Karen Bruce’s choreography provides lively “Queen of the Night” moves from both Marron and her talented ensemble of dancers. Tim Hatley’s set and costume designs steal the show time and again with vibrant, eerie or understated visuals along othe way. And continuing with the sense of scale and grandeur are towering monochrome projections from video designer Duncan McLean (anyone who is a particular fan of cheesily indulgent romantic moments is in for a treat!).
I love a big show-stopper musical and The Bodyguard certainly delivers on going big and then sending us home – confetti, fire cannons, dramatic projections, high impact dance routines and an impressive range of impactful backdrops all serve to create an enveloping world of showbiz, love triangles and imminent threat. In fact, this show, even as a musical, achieves a sense of (mild) threat and thrill far more effectively than some shows actively billing themselves as edge-of-seat thrillers… Throw in a very generous selection of Houston classics, and you’ve got yourself a show well worth seeing!
The Bodyguard is at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House until 17th June 2023 – more information and tickets can be found here.
Always Time For Theatre 