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Death threats and divas
The Bodyguard – The Musical
Wolverhampton Grand
**** I DOUBT there has ever been a more
explosive start to a show than this. It starts with a bang, literally, then flares
into high-octane life with plumes of flame shooting from stage to
ceiling with heat that can be felt in the dress circle – just be
grateful you don’t have their gas bill. And that sets the tone for a play with music or musical play, whatever you decdie, the result is a fast action thriller packed with by-now familiar music from the 1992 hit film. It was Christmas 2008 when Alexandra Burke beat
JLS to win the fifth series of X-Factor and she has gone on to become
one of the most successful of the show’s contestants. She took over the
role of Rachel Marron in the West End last summer from Wolverhampton’s
own Beverley Knight and reprises the role in the touring version. She can really belt out a song and is a real pop
diva on stage, nice as pie off it so I hear, and carries the role with
panache as we go through songs such as One Moment in Time, Run to
You, I have Nothing, Where do Broken Hearts Go and worldwide hit
I will Always Love You Mind you, she is pushed hard in the singing
stakes by Melissa James who plays Rachel’s sister Nicki, and who has a
terrific voice herself on numbers such as Saving All My Love
and duets with Rachel .
Stuart Reid plays the role with a quiet
confidence giving an air of authenticity ready for the big climax and
his relationship with Rachel’s son Fletcher, played with bags of talent
and enthusiasm by Jhayheim Davis on Press night, was a nicely developed
part of the story. Around the leads we had a strong support cast and
ensemble, well choreographed by Karen Bruce, and a terrific eight piece
band whose only presence was a glorious big sound and the face of
musical director Tom Gearing on the grainy monitor facing the cast.
Chief sound engineer Lewis Rose deserves a pat on
the back as well for doing such a fine job with Richard Brooker’s sound
design. Balance, volume and clarity were spot on. This is a production packed with technical tricks
but these are not see what we can do novelties but really do add
to the show from Duncan McLean’s huge full stage video designs to Tim
Hatley’s superb set using sliders to close the stage down or open it up
and seamless scene changes amid changing colours and shapes all lit
beautifully and imaginatively by Mark Henderson. This is a show with first class technicals and is
well directed by Thea Sharrock who provides not only a good pace but
some genuine excitement along the way. The show got a standing ovation and, if you have
everyone on their feet, why not finish with an upbeat singalong to I
Wanna Dance With Somebody. So they did. This is rock solid,
guaranteed entertainment with some great musical numbers in a
spectacular show. To 02-05-15 Roger Clarke
22-04-15 The Bodyguard, Lawrence Kasdan’s first
screenplay, has had a long history and the original proposal from 1976
would have seen Steve McQueen as the secret service agent turned
bodyguard and Diana Ross as the pop diva Rachel Marron. McQueen refused
to have second billing to Ross so end of project. Then come 1979 it was Ryan O’Neal and Ross, but
the pair did not see eye to eye so it was back to square one with a
whole host of pop royalty considered from Olivia Newton-John, through
Madonna and Debby Harry to Dolly Parton Finally, in 1992, the film was made with Kevin Costner and the late Whitney Houston in her first film. Critical reception was lukewarm - it had sex Golden Raspberry Award nominations, including worst picture – but that did not stop the fans making it the second highest grossing film worldwide in 1992 and Houston’s version of Dolly Parton’s I will always Love You became a massive worldwide hit, UK No 1 for 10 weeks and selling 1.5m copies in the UK alone.
Guarding the rear **** THERE is an explosive start and an
emotional finish to this eagerly awaited musical version of the 1992
film which starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Front of stage pyrotechnics ensure you can feel
the heat in the dress circle and are fully tuned into the action to
follow, and when Alexandra Burke sings the huge hit, I Will Always Love
You, at the opening night finale, it ensured a remarkable standing
ovation accompanied by cheers. The near sell-out show is a triumph for Alexandra
who shot to fame on TV’s The X Factor seven years ago and is rated as
one of the most successful winners, and some of her costumes reveal a
body worth guarding She plays pop mega-star Rachel Marron whose life
is threatened by an unknown stalker, though strangely the tension of
that situation doesn’t really grab you until late in the story, though
her superb voice certainly does. Stuart Reid is impressive as Frank Farmer, the
former Secret Service agent hired as her bodyguard who fears a conflict
of interest when he falls in love with the boss, and certainly there is
a weird scene where he takes her to a night club, incognito, and appears
to put her at risk by encouraging her to get up and sing! At times, however, the danger element seems
secondary to the many wonderful songs, superbly delivered by Alexandra
and Melissa James, playing the star’s sister Nicki and stunning the
audience with the quality of her voice. And what an opening night performance from young
Jhayheim Davis. In the role of the star’s son, he sings and dances with
infectious Michael Jackson-style enthusiasm. A star of the future,
perhaps. The sets are excellent, at times opening and
closing like a camera shutter, and at the end of the show, directed by
Thea Sharrock, the audience - on their feet - join the cast in a joyous
I Wanna Dance With Somebody. The Bodyguard runs to Saturday May 2 and will be
at Birmingham Hippodrome from August 5-29. Don’t miss it. Paul Marston
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for
a client and, incidentally, who sings like a tone deaf walrus with
laryngitis.