The Bodyguard to tour with Deborah Cox?- Page 2

[silent]

Posted: 1/29/17 at 9:31pm

I would rather Deb portray Josephine on Broadway.

As far as her "absences" in The Bodyguard, she has two shows that she is (probably contractually) not scheduled to perform in during the tour. It's the Saturday matinee and Sunday evening show. 

[nightnic001]

Posted: 2/5/17 at 6:15pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Sorry for bumping this old thread, but I wasn't sure which thread would be best to ask this in. 

Has the show been offering rush at any of the stops? or does anyone know if they will be offering rush in Chicago?   

 

"

There is a rush. $25

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/5/17 at 6:47pm

Thanks, took advantage of it for the 2 pm show today. Stay on the look out for a testimonial I took part of for the show! 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 2/5/17 at 9:29pm

Quick thoughts about the show

PSA: If you have a drink with you, make sure you have it set on the ground around the time the performance starts.

Like all jukebox musicals, the show has a poor Book, this one is exceptionally so.

This show probably has the cheapest set I've seen for an equity tour, especially one billed as "pre-broadway." All the sets which slide in are man powered, not automated. Except for the part the platform rises. That was shocking.

I was not a fan of Judson mills.

Deborah Cox, the major dance numbers(especially the finale), and the signing interpreters made the show for me. 

The audience started to get extremely annoying during the finale with phones being taken out left and right 

I kind of judge a show with how many wtf moments I had and this had a lot of them.

I'm glad I paid 25 dollars for this. 

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/6/17 at 2:16am

I saw the evening show on Feb 5.  It was very "meh".  Highlight for me was Jasmin Richardson as Nicki Marron. The other highlight was near the end of the show when Rachel Marron's manager is looking through scripts and said something to the effect of "This one's a remake of The Longest Yard.  Who cares about football?" which got one of the biggest applauses of the night (because the Super Bowl was going on just then). I presume that line was added for the evening performance, but who knows.

This was part of our Hamilton season tickets - and we probably would not have gone to see it otherwise.  So, we spent more than Jorge, but still discounted.  

First, the show started 15 minutes late - after the instruction to turn off cell phones.  No explanation. So people are taking out their phones to check the time and what's going on. I had just turned my phone on to see the time when suddenly, the lights go out and there is a "boom".  I had to quickly turn my phone off.  The first scene makes no sense and adds little to the story.  Actually, many scenes made little sense and did not add to the story.  For example, Frank Farmer says "no" to guarding Rachel Marron till he finds out Rachel has a son. Why is this important to Frank?  I have no idea.  He starts to bond with the son, quickly. Why?  I have no idea.  Frank seems to be interested in Rachel's sister, Nicki.  Indeed, Frank and Nicki seem to have chemistry.  Then Frank is kissing Rachel and bedding her for no apparent reason - because there was no chemistry or dialog to show why this would happen.  Rachel hates him - then is asking him on a date?  The staging was often awkward - there are references to the stalker being the Karoake bar scene - I didn't see him, although my daughter said he kind of walked in at the end. This is an important plot point - and it was not clear.  The Oscar shooting sequence also was awkward, as the lack of lights on certain stage areas obfuscated what was going on - and we were fifth row center!  Many of the songs were just "park and bark" - very dull staging.

The first musical number, Queen of the Night, looked like a bad Debbie Allen Oscar tribute dance.  Was it supposed to be a parody?  Or serious?  I don't know. The dancers were at about 2/3 speed, regardless, which led to my confusion.  Really lacking energy.  And Deborah Cox, as she did for most of the first act, seemed to be sleepwalking through her songs.  There was very little star quality - even if some in the audience cheered the attempted American Idol vocal gymnastics.  Jasmin's Nicki finally brought it.

Act Two was better - the energy was higher.  And Cox was finally bringing it.  And then, the bottom fell out in the middle. The characters are talking about the Oscars then we go to a dance number which is not the Oscars? Oh, wait, this must be that Miami show they talked about.  How did that happen?  The lighting effects are cool - but the staging was confusing still with a lot of the action blocked by other characters on stage.  Then, a main character gets killed - and there seems to be little emotional fallout from it.  We just go on to the next scene. The Oscar shooting scene was quick and hurried and had as little emotion as much of the show.  The most energetic and enjoyable number was the "encore" of "I Want To Dance With Somebody" whose choreography was a little more inventive and there were smiles and enjoyment and what I thought so many of the actual show numbers lacked.

There were other oddities - most of the early songs are "songs" being sung by Rachel or Nicki or in the Karoake bar, but always as a song.  Then, all of a sudden, we get a character song?  It felt out of place.  

Judson Mills' Frank Farmer started out as Jack Webb, and, um, didn't really get much farther than that.  Most of Rachel's staff were stereotypes -and not funny.  We had Kevelin Jones III as Fletcher - and the young man can sing.  He also delivers some of the flattest line readings I've seen on a non-community theatre stage in some time.  

Jorge Paniagua was the Stalker and he was very very creepy.  Even in the curtain call, he still looked creepy. Well done.

The set was in much more motion than the actors - it kind of sort of was used to wipe scenes like in a movie and even had an iris effect or two.  I didn't think it looked particularly cheap - but the other set pieces didn't look like much.  I also wasn't fond of the costumes - Rachel's Oscar gown was kind of frumpy.  Her final costume number belonged more for the Oscar sequence.  And, so long as I am kvetching, Cox' "Queen of the Night" outfit was not a tight fit, either.  

Also, the playbill lists the Musical Numbers in alphabetical order - not by act or scene.  Usually, I see that when a show is in "previews" or "try-out", but this is a show that has had tours and a West End run.  Very strange.

My daughter saw this in London (I went to see Stephen Ward that evening instead). She thought the London production was better - better sung, acted and staged.  Along that note - the lobby is selling the "Original London Cast" recording of The Bodyguard.  And, it's not.  It has Alexandra Burke rather than Heather Headley.  

Two stars (out of four).  (Upon further reflection, maybe one and a half stars)

Updated On: 2/6/17 at 02:16 AM

[HunterK]

Posted: 2/6/17 at 2:22am

nightnic001 said: "Call_me_jorge said: "Sorry for bumping this old thread, but I wasn't sure which thread would be best to ask this in. 

Has the show been offering rush at any of the stops? or does anyone know if they will be offering rush in Chicago?   

 

"

There is a rush. $25

 

Can anyone tell me then when? Where? And How? For the $25 Rush? Is it for anyone? I want to see this Tuesday or Wednesday evening (when Ms. Cox is supposed to be in.) Any tips would be great. Thank you in advance!

 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/6/17 at 10:03am

Oof!  Even Chris Jones was hard-pressed to be kind to the show, which is rather unusual for him.  Probably because it's a tour and not a tryout.

Review: 'Bodyguard' needs at least to try to make sense of the movie

[Marlothom]

Posted: 2/6/17 at 9:49pm

Saw this last Saturday and it was awful - at least try to be strategic about where you place the songs!!! For example, after you have sex with your bodyguard, a song where you belt "he fills me up" is not appropriate. The song "I Have Nothing" should never be interpreted as something your stalker would think about you. People were laughing.  

I saw Cox in Jeckyll and Hyde and thought she was alright - I am surprised how flat she was here, particularly on a weekend night.  it was clear she was saving her voice in Act 1.  Everyone around me was excited whenever the sister sang - not what you want where you have a "pop star" lead.  

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 2/6/17 at 10:30pm

Let's be clear: This is a dumpster fire of a show.  

There are craptactular shows that work because the leads are amazingly able to elevate the material.  As was the case on the West End with Headley.  She sold the **** out of this show...  And it sort of worked.  

With Cox, it's a lot of subscription audience who would have gone to see anything crammed in there, as well as nostalgia gays who remember dancing to her songs in their club days.  To this day, the only quality thing I saw Cox take over was AIDA.  She was in lovely voice and her absences were few.  Jekyll & Hyde was a steaming, hot mess.  She wasn't suited at all to those songs.  Because she clearly muscled her voice into some of those notes, she had a ton of missed shows.

 

Beverly Knight, however, will kill this when she opens it in Toronto.  Her voice is just perfect for this show.  That being said, are either performer right to bring it to Broadway?  Probably not.

[HunterK]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 12:40am

Just came back from the Tuesday evening performance.

I got 2 - $25 Rush tickets at 3pm from the box office. The box office worker never asked for ID or anything. I'm not complaining! We got Orchestra Row W 19 & 21. The entire sides of the orchestra were empty. We saw perfectly fine and moved to Row R for Act 2. I wasn't expecting much from this, but honestly had an enjoyable time. Yes, the book is basically non existant and that opening scene...WTF?? Made no sense. I love Whitney Houston's music, so I went in just wanting to hear the orchestrations and the Broadway twist on it. Deborah Cox is no Heather Headley, but she is a star in her own right, especially Chicago. Her huge GBLTQ following is there to support her no matter what she does. Her Act 1 was very quiet and held back, but Act 2 she was on fire. The curtain call she really shows why she has so many fans. It was her stage and she owned it! I thought her "I Will Always Love You" & "One Moment In Time" were gorgeous. I must say SHE LOOKED AMAZING! Her body is to die for! She never ages! 

I absolutely loved Jasmin Richardson as Nikki, I would love to come back on a matinee and see her on for Ms. Cox. Her voice was unbeatable. Strong and full! Loved her. 

Everything else was ok, nothing to write anymore about. Judson Mills has a great face and body, that's all I saw. 

For $25 it was way worth it and had a lot of fun! I know it will do well touring! I wish it all the best! 

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 9:00am

HunterK said: "Just came back from the Tuesday evening performance.

I absolutely loved Jasmin Richardson as Nikki, I would love to come back on a matinee and see her on for Ms. Cox. Her voice was unbeatable. Strong and full! Loved her. 
"

This.  I wish I had seen Ms. Richardson as Rachel.  But, I do not intend to ever watch this show again in any venue at any price.  (Unless I have friends/family, in which case, there is a moral obligation).  

 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 10:20am

Based on these reviews, I'd guess this never arrives on Broadway. Likely just continues to tour for another year or so.

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 12:31pm

I was there last night too. 

Has anybody else noticed how a lot of shows from London have some sort of heavy projections involved? (The Bodyguard, Curious Incident, American Psycho to name a few) 

Also, the highlight for me was opening the second act with, "You Fill Me Up" and giggling all the way through. 

Don't go in expecting a great story. To be honest, I felt it was a little tongue-in-cheek jab at American culture and stereotypes. 

[HunterK]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 1:21pm

TheSassySam said: "I was there last night too. 

Also, the highlight for me was opening the second act with, "You Fill Me Up" and giggling all the way through. 
 

YES!! The audience last night laughed and applauded and hooted and hollered for a few minutes. Then there was another "cum" joke 15 minutes later. Funny that it didn't faze Deborah in the slightest. She is probably saying to herself "laugh if up people, I hear this every night (only when I'm in)!" - But it was funny, strategic placement.

 

[HunterK]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 1:23pm

I know I was negative about the show last night, but I woke up this morning with nothing to do until Hamilton tonight, so I just bought a rush ticket for the 2pm to see Jasmin Richardson as Rachel. I just want to see her take on it and hear her on the songs. Her Nikki was the best part of the show!

Review later!

Have a good day! Freezing here and starting to snow a little!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 1:30pm

I have season tickets and I gave my tickets to a friend for last night's performance.  After the show, he texted, "Shocker.  It's bad."

Including the show in the Broadway in Chicago season with Hamilton, Curious Incident and Hedwig was a wise move for the tour.  I suspect there will be a huge dropoff in renewals.

[Phillytheatreguy10]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 5:29pm

The recording being sold does not claim to be the Original British Cast- it says, very clearly, it is the "World Premiere" recording.  This would explain why Heather is not on it.

[HunterK]

Posted: 2/8/17 at 8:10pm

I saw this afternoon's matinee (2/ and Jasmin Richardson was a freaking POWERHOUSE as Rachel. Honestly, prefer her over Deborah Cox. She has vocal cords of steel and the stage presence to match any A list celebrity. From her entrance she had the audience in the palm of her hand. No one (well around me in the orchestra) said a word about Ms. Cox being out. Ms. Richardson has a spark to her that made her triumph. She does delicious riffs and amazing harmonies that I have not heard yet. I feel the late Whitney Houston would be proud. I only see amazing things in the future for her.

The show itself was still weak, but the cast does give 110% and the 75% full audience loved every minute. Constant screams and full standing ovation at the start of curtain call. No "He fills me up" laugh this afternoon, maybe the older crowd didn't get it or didn't want to!  

Just vocally an amazing Rachel Marron. I look forward to seeing her in Fort Lauderdale!

Have a good night everyone!

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 2/20/17 at 3:06am

Just saw this 2/19 at 1:00. Pretty much everything I came to say has been said. No character songs until 40 minutes into the 1 hour first act. Confusing plot holes. Flat acting. Uninteresting direction. As is there is just no reason for this show to exist. Some major over-hauling by some A-List talents and I think this could be an amazing show, but as is it just doesn't cut it.

[carolinaguy]

Posted: 3/20/17 at 10:17am

I saw this hot mess in Durham Saturday night. Not even the rudimentary basics of storytelling are in place here. The "triangle" between Rachel, Frank, and Nikki is particularly dreadful. It comes out of nowhere and is never given any development, resolution, or reason for being. Several "plot" points are never really explained or resolved. Too many songs have their build or their endings stepped on--"Greatest Love of All" is interrupted by dialogue at the bridge, then given a perfunctory finish later. Toward the finale, the end of "One Moment in Time" is completely killed by

SPOILER

Frank running on stage at the Oscars and firing out into the audience of famous people trying to hit the stalker. (Right.)

END SPOILER

The use of projections is cheesy and anti-theatrical in this production. There are several over-amplified jump-scares that are ludicrous. At the performance I saw, one woman in the orchestra screamed at one of them and caused much of the house to laugh during what was supposed to be a tense scene in the cabin. The direction was flat and random, with lots and lots of sliding panels that often move for no particularly good reason. The only part of the show that worked for me was the final Act One sequence in the karaoke bar, which actually had some humor, charm, and character moments. It hinted that there might be a better show in here somewhere.

I suppose the cast does their best with what they're given. But when what should be subtext is made text in the script, they are defeated before they begin because there's really nothing to play. Deborah Cox's voice sounded tired to me for many of the songs, but she did bring it for the act finales, particularly "I Will Always Love You" at the very end. Jasmin Richardson as Nikki has a sweet voice and makes an effort with a woefully underdeveloped character. Judson Mills as Frank Farmer wears suits well. The rest of the cast is, well, what you would expect of a touring show that never played Broadway.

In short, you're better off to curl up at home with a Whitney Houston Greatest Hits CD. 

That said, the 2700-seat house was nearly full and the audience did seem to enjoy it for the most part. Perhaps the cocktails were really flowing in the atrium pre-show.

And why is it that latecomers are always seated in the exact center of the row so that the maximum number of people have to get up?

Updated On: 3/20/17 at 10:17 AM