The Bodyguard to open in Toronto

[RW3]

Posted: 9/26/16 at 4:58pm

Starring Beverley Knight. This is separate from the US Tour with Deborah Cox. Running from February 11-May 14 2017

https://www.instagram.com/p/BK1UbP8g3US/

http://www.mirvish.com/shows?p=2#content

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/26/16 at 5:08pm

Interesting 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 9/26/16 at 5:09pm

Interesting indeed. Especially because Deborah Cox is a native of Toronto, that they didn't let her play her hometown. 

[littlemouse921]

Posted: 9/26/16 at 6:09pm

Could they possibly be prepping Beverly and that cast for a Broadway transfer?

[RW3]

Posted: 9/26/16 at 6:38pm

littlemouse921 said: "Could they possibly be prepping Beverly and that cast for a Broadway transfer?


I have a hard time believing that Equity would allow the ENTIRE West End cast to come from Toronto and take the show to Broadway.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 12:16am

^where are you getting the west end from. The west end is in London not Toronto. Also wouldn't it be easy to transfer a Canadian cast since AEA and Canadian equity are sister unions?

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 12:18am

Cost wise, I doubt they'd do that. 

[broadwayguy91]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 12:57am

Call_me_jorge said: "^where are you getting the west end from. The west end is in London not Toronto. Also wouldn't it be easy to transfer a Canadian cast since AEA and Canadian equity are sister unions?

 

"

from the instagram link in the OP:

Beverley will be travelling across the pond with the entire West End company that's currently performing at London's Dominion Theatre #MirvishSeason

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 10:45am

That makes sense for a 2 month run, but for an open-ended Broadway run? Doesn't quite make sense. I'd think they'd go to The Color Purple route, and just bring the leads over.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 11:15am

Call_me_jorge said: "Also wouldn't it be easy to transfer a Canadian cast since AEA and Canadian equity are sister unions?"

Kind of maybe "easy" in theory but it would never happen.

[Tag]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 11:41am

^Well that happened with Jesus Christ Superstar a few years ago.

Regardless this cast will be British Equity, not Canadian.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 11:56am

Right, I'd forgotten about that one (well, forced it out of my memory). The Stratford cast transferred, which was mostly Canadians and a few Americans. 

As you pointed out, The Bodyguard is a different situation. 

[sparepart973]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 2:31pm

It's the entire London cast. They've known since May, one of the cast members told me. 

[Jeremiah]

Posted: 9/27/16 at 10:45pm

Very strange indeed that Deb isn't playing her hometown. And I'm confused as to what is taking it so long for it to hit Broadway. The itinerary for the US tour seems like it'll be playing forever before they finally transfer it to Broadway. I wish the producers of "Josephine" would've been able to get that show to Broadway first. I'd rather that vehicle for Deborah than "The Bodyguard." 

[doritxuuu]

Posted: 9/28/16 at 6:05pm

littlemouse921 said: "Could they possibly be prepping Beverly and that cast for a Broadway transfer?

 

"

That's the rumor in London, at least when it comes to the production and Bev. I've heard it from several sources including from people working in the industry in the past weeks. The cast was allowed to talk about Toronto before Bev flew there on Sunday but when I mentioned the "rumor", the cast member I was talking to just smiled and changed the topic.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 9/28/16 at 6:20pm

I have no interest in seeing this unless Heather Headley is attached.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 9/28/16 at 6:28pm

I saw the show in London and thought Bev was quite fantastic despite her weird American accent. Dominion seems to be too big a house even for a show of this scale. Can't wait to see how it'll fare in a smaller theater.

[RW3]

Posted: 9/28/16 at 6:57pm

Jeremiah said: "Very strange indeed that Deb isn't playing her hometown. And I'm confused as to what is taking it so long for it to hit Broadway. The itinerary for the US tour seems like it'll be playing forever before they finally transfer it to Broadway. I wish the producers of "Josephine" would've been able to get that show to Broadway first. I'd rather that vehicle for Deborah than "The Bodyguard." 

Btw, the US tour seems to be running from Nov 2016-Aug 2017 so a Fall 2017 Broadway opening doesn't seem too unrealistic. 

 

[Tag]

Posted: 9/28/16 at 8:23pm

Curious to know whether the current West End/Toronto version will be the same as the US tour version (in scale, physical production, cast size, etc.).

[sparepart973]

Posted: 9/29/16 at 2:39am

Tag said: "Curious to know whether the current West End/Toronto version will be the same as the US tour version (in scale, physical production, cast size, etc.).

 

"

Most probably, yes. The West End/Toronto version uses the UK tour set (sans Beverley Knight who only stepped in for London). Essentially the current London run is just an extension of the UK tour. The production is Germany is more or less the same as the UK/current London production with exception to using the original cabin set, and just a few visual elements like the chorus boys jumping out of a trip door in Queen of the Night. Otherwise it's identical, so there's no reason for the US tour not to be the same. It's not a complex production by any standard, especially if it were to  tour US theatres which are by far better than the UK town ones.