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
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.
