Somehow the film passed me by and although I can guess the storyline I was coming to this with a fresh mindset, except as it was Whitney Houston in the original there is a level of expectation in the quality of this musical. From everyone to be fair, not just me.
With a standing ovation to celebrate the high-octane, musically-charged stadium concert wrapped inside a tense thriller, I think the expectation level was reached!
From the second the lights dimmed, the show caught everyone off guard. A sudden, deafening gunshot echoed through the auditorium, making the audience jump out of their skins. It immediately set the stakes. We weren’t here for a sing-along, we were there for a story with some drama.
The plot: superstar singer Rachel Marron is being targeted by a terrifyingly obsessive stalker, and former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer is brought in as her reluctant bodyguard. Feelings blur the lines of professional conduct and hard choices need to be made. You know it, I don’t need to explain anymore.
The set design was very simple yet with great lighting, strategic props and use of curtains, each of the many scenes seamlessly flowed between the clinical, cold reality of Frank’s world and the blinding, explosive glitz of Rachel’s superstar life. The group dance numbers are incredibly sharp, with heavy bass and spectacular choreography that felt like we were at a concert, which was the point.
But let’s be honest: a show like this completely hinges on the leading lady. Stepping into Whitney Houston’s shoes is an almost impossible task, but the actress playing Rachel Marron this night was an absolute force of nature. It wasn’t the main actress Sidonie Smith, for reasons unknown, it was the ‘alternate’ Rachel played by Mireia Mambo. Well, she was incredible!
Mireia’s vocal range was jaw-dropping. She belted out hits like ‘Queen of the Night’ and ‘I’m Every Woman’ while executing intense dance routines without ever sounding out of breath. Yet, it was the quieter moments that blew me away. Her rendition of ‘Run to You’ gave me literal goosebumps.
The chemistry between Rachel and Frank was a little stiff, Frank (Adam Garcia) plays the ultimate stone-faced professional, which made the occasional cracks in his armour – especially during a hilariously awkward karaoke scene – all the more entertaining. Rachel’s sister, Nicki (Sasha Monique), also deserves a massive mention. Her vocals were stunning, and the sibling rivalry over Frank added a tragic layer to the story.
The ‘talking’ scenes were slightly dry, however they were emotionally sufficient to provide the key elements to the storyline to move it along quickly for the next big singing track. There were no musical-specific songs, nonetheless the use of the songs were perfectly placed, and perfectly performed.
By the time we reached the inevitable climax, the atmosphere in the theatre was electric. When the opening notes of ‘I Will Always Love You’ played, you could have heard a pin drop. As soon as it ended everyone jumped to their feet for the applause.
If there is any criticism, the stalker characters’ scenes felt a little brief and melodramatic, but it didn’t detract from the sheer entertainment value. The show wrapped up with a full-cast encore of ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody,’ which had the everyone on their feet. It’s loud, it’s glamorous, and very enjoyable.
Photo credit: Paul Coltas
The Bodyguard The Musical is playing at Norwich Theatre Royal until 27th June – more information here.