The Bodyguard

Lawrence Kasdan’s screenplay serves as the play’s basis of The Bodyguard, but the stage version concentrates on the superstar singer, not the man protecting her. No Kevin Costner or Whitney Houston, of course, but the musical augments one of the biggest-selling film soundtracks of all time with other hits from Houston’s catalog. The production had its premiere on London’s West End, where reviews were largely positive, citing the vocal talent, design and staging. The American tour precedes a planned Broadway engagement (Canadian singer Deborah Cox inhabits the lead for the Pantages leg). Whether audiences will always love it remains to be seen.