Whitney Houston's Broadway connections

[mikey2573]

Posted: 2/12/12 at 7:45am

That "other" theater chat message board has removed all Whitney Houston posts as being OFF TOPIC, but a few daring chatters defied their edict and posted messages that pointed out all of Houston's connections to Broadway musicals.
* Her first TV appearance was on The Merv Griffin Show singing HOME from the Broadway musical THE WIZ
*She played the fairy godmother in the TV remake of Rodgers and Hammerstiens CINDERELLA, which eventually toured the country as a live theatrical event with Debbie Gibson and Earth Kitt.
*AND I'M TELLING YOU I'M NOT GOING from the Tony Award winning musical DREAMGIRLS was a song she sang during her "BodyGuard" tour.
*The song I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU was from the movie version of the Broadway musical THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS.
*The Houston role in the planned musical adaption of THE BODYGUARD is reportedly to be played by Tony winner Heather Headely.
*Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn wrote the song WHERE DO BROKEN HEARTS GO which was a hit for Houston.

Despite people pointing out all these Broadway connections, all posts re: Houston's death were quickly removed. I am sure there are other connections between Houston and the theatre world. But those were some of the bigger ones.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/12/12 at 10:15am

She also did a beautiful rendition of "I Know Him So Well" from CHESS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9fH34n1lv8

EDIT:

Actually, even better ... here she is singing it in a duet with her mother.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVJ4euCR2FE

Updated On: 2/12/12 at 10:15 AM

[finebydesign]

Posted: 2/12/12 at 11:01am

Who can forget the duet "When you believe" written by Stephen Schwartz bringing together Whitney and Mariah.

So sad.

[seeseveryshow2]

Posted: 2/12/12 at 11:38am

Not clear why ATC is banning ALL comments about Whitney Houston today. Anyway - there is a musical reference to her in the current GODSPELL - one the ladies in the cast warbles the beginning of "I Will Always Love You." I wonder if that will stay in the show.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 2/12/12 at 11:53am

"Despite people pointing out all these Broadway connections, all posts re: Houston's death were quickly removed. I am sure there are other connections between Houston and the theatre world. But those were some of the bigger ones."

"Not clear why ATC is banning ALL comments about Whitney Houston today"

To be fair, all of those connections are at best tenuous, and ATC is very strict about its rules. I often wish the mods here would be more vigilant. Given the format at ATC (no off-topic board, its linear nature, etc), the entire board would have been taken over with Houston posts. I'm am sorry for her death, but the media is saturated with the details of her life and passing as it is. I'm okay with ATC's edict.




Updated On: 2/12/12 at 11:53 AM

[Jon]

Posted: 2/12/12 at 1:53pm

"I Will Always Love You" is not really "from" the Best Little Whorehouse movie. It was written and first recorded by Dolly in the 1970's, and later inserted into the movie.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 2/12/12 at 2:10pm

She was also interested in Dreamgirls as a film in the 80s, but wanted to do both Deena and Effie's material.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 2/12/12 at 3:41pm

Just to be technically accurate: "I Will Always Love You" is not FROM the film version of BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE. It was a hit single for Dolly Parton almost 10 years earlier that was later inserted (awkwardly) into the movie.

I remember this because I laughed out loud when she suddenly started singing it in the film. Not that there was much that was believable on that screen in the first place, but singing one of her biggest hits at the climax of the film was the dramatic equivalent of turning to the camera, winking and saying, "I'm not really Miss Mona, ya'll. I'm country-western singin' superstar, Dolly Parton!"

This doesn't change the fact that Whitney Houston had various connections to Broadway music. She's a big star who died rather young (if not so surprisingly). I see no reason to ban discussion of her; I just wanted to set the record straight on that song.

And on that note, let me add that the Whitney Houston arrangement of the song was sung by another singer in the film version of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH, bringing Houston and the song full circle, I suppose.


Updated On: 2/12/12 at 03:41 PM

[SingingChef]

Posted: 2/13/12 at 2:08am

No words. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0eGIo_SCrN8#!

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 2/13/12 at 2:23am

Other random connections--All The Man I Need (first done for Linda Clifford) was by the composers of Carrie (etc). And her first recorded song as a teen was the ballad Eternal Love by Paul Jabara who of course infamously wrote I'm Rachel Lily Rosemblum as well as stared in the original productions of Hair and JCS and replaced Tim Cury in Rocky Horror.