The Bodyguard Musical Review
My sister and me at The Bodyguard The Musical
SUNDERLAND EMPIRE
4 stars
The opening scene of The Bodyguard couldn’t have had more impact on its audience, I’m sure. I won’t spoil the surprise of what happens but let’s just say global events of the last two days seemed to be brought very near home.
After the dramatic opening, everyone buckled in and seemed to enjoy this energetic ride of a show. Based on a very successful Warner Bros film from 1992 starring Whitney Houston, the plot tells the story of Rachel Marron, played by Sidonie Smith, a female megastar at the height of her singing career. There are twists and turns as the implications of success take their toll on Rachel and her family’s lives.
Sidonie Smith had just the right amount of charisma for this leading role. She also had strong chemistry with the well-established actor from stage and screen, Adam Garcia, as her Bodyguard, Frank Farmer. He delivered a strong performance with a great mix of stage presence and quiet authority which worked in the role. The couple’s relationship was believable and helped carry the show.
One of the strongest supporting performances was Sasha Monique as Rachel’s sister, Nicki. Her voice was outstanding and shone in every number where she was the lead.
The relationship between the sisters had an interesting depth that really added to the show’s impact. Their feelings for each other ranged from caring to jealousy and pain at unfulfilled ambition.
Rachel Marron’s entourage namely Bill Devaney, Tony Scibelli, Sy Spector and Ray Court, played respectively by John Macaulay, Jonathan Alden, Matt Milburn and Ryan Bennet, worked well. Their behind-the-scenes dramas of how to deal with a superstar and all of the trappings of success v personal safety were strong performances.
The show’s premise is lightweight but still worked well. Rachel needs to be protected from a stalker, very well played by James-Lee Harris. There are dilemmas and tension about this as she has to perform profile-raising shows, to help her achieve a childhood dream of winning an Oscar. The scenes in this story line were chilling and full of impact.
Rachel’s strive for the ultimate success gave a great excuse to introduce an unrivalled list of hits including I Will Always Love You, Greatest Love of All and I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
These musical numbers were one of the highlights of the show. All of the tracks were also great reminders of the star of the original film, Whitney Houston’s virtuoso performance and back catalogue. She left huge shoes to fill and there were occasions where this show didn’t quite hit the mark. This was mainly due to the occasional dip in the sound quality which hit a rock concert, loud level at times.
The ensemble and swing performers were excellent and gave the show a lively atmosphere. They were as good in the smaller-scale scenes as they were in the big show depictions of Rachel, the super star, on stage.
There was a particularly funny scene in an intimate karaoke bar which was a lovely and welcome shift in tone, compared to the depiction of large-scale concert performances. I liked the touch of Rachel Marrin’s character stepping up to sing one of her own hits in this tiny venue.
All of the set designs worked well. I particularly enjoyed the way the large scale theatrical show depictions used fantastic pyrotechnics. We, the audience, also become part of the actual scene.
The finale was a totally unexpected, great and entertaining surprise which sent everyone out into the night on a high.
I would recommend this show as it’s a strong love story with a timely message about the power and danger of fame, played out against some fantastic songs.
My piece for Northern Arts Review.