Press release: The Bodyguard musical opens at the Adelphi Theatre

Thea Sharrock is to direct The Bodyguard, a new musical opening at the Adelphi Theatre in Autumn 2012 based on the Warner Bros. film of the same name with screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan.  Starring Heather Headley as Rachel Marron and Lloyd Owen as Frank Farmer in the roles made famous on film by the late Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, tickets for The Bodyguard go on sale today (1 May 2012) taking bookings until 27 April 2013 for the production’s first booking period. Previews begin on 6 November 2012, twenty years after the release of the Oscar nominated film.  Press performances are 1 December at 7.30pm, 4 December at 7.30pm as well as opening night on 5 December at 7pm with reviews under embargo until 6 December 2012.    

Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love.  A romantic thriller, The Bodyguard features a multitude of Whitney Houston’s greatest hits including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, I’m Your Baby Tonight, Run to You, I Have Nothing, How Will I Know, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and one of the greatest hit songs of all time - I Will Always Love You.

Book is by Alex Dinelaris, with designs by Tim Hatley, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Richard Brooker.  Choreography is by Arthur Pita, orchestrations by Chris Egan and musical supervision by Mike Dixon. The Bodyguard is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.

 Tony and Grammy award-winning Heather Headley will make her West End stage debut as Rachel Marron.  Having originated the role of Nala in The Lion King on Broadway, Headley went on to play the title role in Aida for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.  Her debut solo album, This is Who I Am, was nominated for two Grammy Awards.  Her third studio album,Audience of One, won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.  In recent years she has worked extensively with Andrea Bocelli on his American and international tours and sung at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Lloyd Owen was last on stage in London playing leading roles in Sarah Helm’s Loyalty at Hampstead Theatre and J T Rogers Blood and Gifts at the National Theatre.  Previously his theatre credits include The York Realist for the Royal Court, Julius Caesar for the Young Vic, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  for the Almeida Theatre and The Way of the World for the Royal Exchange Theatre.  On television Owen is best known for playing Paul Bowman-MacDonald in the BBC’s long running drama Monarch of the Glen and Indiana Jones’ father Professor Henry Jones, Sr, in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.  His other television credits include Ghost Squad, The Vice, Coupling, Wire in the Blood and Dead Gorgeous. His film credits include Apollo 18, Miss Potter, The Republic of Loveand Between Dreams and the forthcoming Free Ride with Anna Paquin and Drea de Matteo.

Thea Sharrock’s production of 13 completed a run at the National Theatre last year where she previously directed After The Dance for which she won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Revival,Happy Now? and The Emperor Jones.  Later this month Thea Sharrock’s production of Neil Simon’sThe Sunshine Boys with Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths opens at the Savoy Theatre, reuniting her with Griffiths who she directed in Equus both in the West End and on Broadway and in Heroes at the Wyndham’s Theatre.  Her other theatre credits include Cause Célèbre for the Old Vic and The Misanthrope at the Comedy Theatre.  Sharrock was previously Artistic Director at the Southwark Playhouse (2001-2003) and the Gate Theatre (2004-2006). 

As well as The Bodyguard, Oscar nominated, Golden Bear and New York Film Critics award winnerLawrence Kasdan has written or co-written the films Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.  He has directed eleven films including Body Heat, The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, Grand Canyon and Dreamcatcher.  Kasdan's new film, Darling Companion, based on a script by Meg Kasdan and Lawrence Kasdan, has recently been released by Sony Pictures Classics.

Alex Dinelaris’ plays include Still Life, produced by Manhattan Class Company and Red Dog Howls, with the New York Theatre Workshop.  Dinelaris was nominated for two Drama Desk awards for his additional work on the book and lyrics for the musical Zanna Don’t.  His other plays include Folding The Monster, The Chaos Theories, In This Our Time, Pathetique and Big Kids.  Film director Alejandro Gonzalez-Inarritu will directed Dinelaris’ latest work.

Award-winning designer Tim Hatley’s many theatre credits in London and on Broadway include Betty Blue Eyes, Shrek the Musical, Private Lives,  Spamalot, Suddenly Last Summer, The Crucible,Endgame, and Another Country.  For the National Theatre his work includes Timon of Athens,Welcome to Thebes, Rafta Rafta, Present Laughter, Henry V, Humble Boy, The Talking Cure, Vincent in Brixton and Stanley and for the Royal Shakespeare Company Richard III, Goodnight Children and Talk of the City. On film his credits include Stage Beauty, Closer and Notes on a Scandal.

Michael Harrison has produced Aspects of Love starring David Essex which transferred to the Jo’burg Civic Theatre, Jolson & Co starring Allan Stewart, The Witches of Eastwick starring Marti Pellow and Chess directed by Craig Revel Horwood which played at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto and on tour in the UK. This year he produced I Dreamed a Dream.  He is also Managing Director of Qdos Pantomimes Ltd. 

David Ian has produced theatre shows all over the world.  His credits include Grease, Saturday Night Fever, The King and I, West Side Story, Singin’ in the Rain, Anything Goes, The Producers,Guys and Dolls, The Sound of Music, La Cage Aux Folles, Sweet Charity, Flashdance, Gypsy, The Phantom of the Opera, My Fair Lady, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Chess, Rocky Horror Show, Cats, Chicago, Dr Dolittle and Starlight Express.