Dallas Summer Musicals and Performing Arts Fort Worth present the first U.S. national tour hit musical THE BODYGUARD, to play at the Music Hall at Fair Park July 18-30, 2017. The production  will then head over to Fort Worth, where it will play at Bass Performance Hall August 1-6, 2017.

If you never saw the movie (you really should see it at least once) here’s the plot:  THE BODYGUARD is the story of a former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, who is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. They are both used to being in control and butt heads from the get go.   Frank is there to do his job and that is to protect the beautiful mega star from a really creepy stalker – period.  But plans don’t always turn out the way you think they will do they and romance begins to blossom.

What do you say about a musical based on one of your favorite movies with one of your favorite singers and favorite actors?  Let me just start with the lead, Rachel Marron played by the very talented Deborah Cox.    No one has a voice quite like the iconic Whitney Houston right?  Well, the producers have found a jewel in this Grammy® Award-nominee and R&B superstar.  She has the most incredible voice and does an amazing job singing Whitney’s biggest hits such as “I Wanna Dance with Someone”, “How Will I Know”, “Greatest Love of all”, “Run to You”, “Saving all My Love”, and my personal  favorite “I Will Always Love You”, (and many more).    I shut my eyes a few times during the show and it was if Whitney herself was on stage.    Ms. Cox is also an accomplished performer and pulls off the dance numbers with grace and style.  She lights up the stage and I really can’t say enough about her and her performance.   It’s worth going to the musical just to see and hear her perform.

The Bodyguard himself, Frank Farmer is played by Judson Mills.   Although he’s no Kevin Costner (but then who is?) he’s an experienced actor with a long list of TV and movie credits.   But let’s face it, this version of The Bodyguard isn’t really his story, this is all about Rachel and showcasing the songs that made Whitney Houston the megastar that she was.  

Also noteworthy is Deborah’s costar that plays her sister, best friend, and co songwriter, Nicki Marron played by Jasmin Richardson.  She also is a very gifted singer and delivers a great performance.

The sets and the ambiance that were created with each set change were simple but effective.   The production numbers and concert scenes had a lot of energy and brought the essence of the movie to life.   I’ll warn you though, the stalker scenes were kind of disturbing and will totally creep you out.  To balance the creep factor out there’s some cuteness provided in the production by Rachel’s young son, Fletcher.  The actor is a pint size bundle of energy and talent.

I think the producers did a nice job of transferring this beloved and popular movie to the stage.   It’s hard to live up to the mega hit movie and it’s not perfect but it it is a great tribute to Whitney Houston and the immense legacy of music that she left behind.  It’s definitely worth going to see.   Don’t leave early though because there’s a fun Dance Party at the very end after the curtain calls!

Single tickets for the Dallas engagement of THE BODYGUARD, starting at $25 (pricing subject to change) are now on sale at DallasSummerMusicals.org or by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

Groups of 10 or more receive a 15% discount, priority seating and many more benefits. Please call 214-426-4768 or email Groups@DallasSummerMusicals.org.

Single tickets for the Fort Worth engagement of THE BODYGUARD, starting at $44 (pricing subject to change), are now on sale. To charge tickets by phone, call 817-212-4280 in Fort Worth; 1-877-212-4280 (toll free) outside Fort Worth; or order online at www.basshall.com. Tickets are also available at the Bass Performance Hall ticket office at 525 Commerce Street. For group sales, call 817-212-4248.