273 replies to this topic

[KevinUK]

Jon, on 08 November 2012 - 09:52 PM, said:

I think the show will be slaughtered by the critics but I think it should run for a year or so. Its pointless trying to be faithful to the film as some things just don't translate to stage well at all.

Yeah, I think it'll manage a year. It's sad as obviously lots of money has been spent on it, and something like this should be an amazing show, a complete extravaganza to be honest.

[Jon]

KevinUK, on 08 November 2012 - 10:54 PM, said:

Yeah, I think it'll manage a year. It's sad as obviously lots of money has been spent on it, and something like this should be an amazing show, a complete extravaganza to be honest.

I wonder would it have worked with original songs and maybe just Queen of the Night and I Will Love You from the film. If the reviews are bad, it may put potential audiences off it but then again shows have survived and had a long run with mixed to bad reviews.

[KevinUK]

Jon, on 08 November 2012 - 11:04 PM, said:

I wonder would it have worked with original songs and maybe just Queen of the Night and I Will Love You from the film. If the reviews are bad, it may put potential audiences off it but then again shows have survived and had a long run with mixed to bad reviews.

SPOILERS:

Original songs would give it a greater sense of identity, and helped it come out from under Whitney's shadow.  However, one thing I hated was how they used the songs - most were performances (characters singing on a stage), but a few were thrown in anywhere, like you would expect in a musical. The Bodyguard as a film worked because the character was a popstar, where as other characters weren't, so didn't sing. This show mixes it up, which I find distracting, and defers from Rachel being "the star" (especially as her sister sung just as well, if not better at times).

Rachel should have been the only one to sing, and Saving All My Love is a good example of why - it would have worked so well if it was sung as a song to describe a secret love affair between the leads, rather than an attempt to demonise Rachel as a woman who stole the spotlight from her sister, who sings it in a bar scene.

There was also some interesting music omissions - The Greatest Love would have worked perfectly (at the Single Mothers Convention), Million Dollar Bill, and It's Not Right But It's Ok (especially when Rachel's sister finds out that she slept with Farmer after a date!). Not from the film, but not all songs were!

[mallardo]

I saw but don't remember the movie and did not reference it as I watched this tonight so perhaps I'm more tolerant of its apparent failure to duplicate the original.  I thought it was pretty damn good.

I had no trouble tracking the story.  The scenes all played, the musical numbers certainly worked.  Heather Headley has an amazing voice and an amazing stage presence.  I well remember her as a wonderful Tony-winning Aida on Broadway over a decade ago and she sounds better than ever now.  I also liked Lloyd Owen  who was a plausible and strong, non-singing, male lead.  In fact the whole cast was terrific.

The story and staging issues pretty much revolve around the Stalker and I don't know what they can do about him.  He doesn't easily musicalize and his first act number was the one true misfire for me.

My sense was that the packed house tonight was VERY positive about it.  Everyone around me was on their feet at the end. And the buzz in the lobby was good.  Even if the reviews are negative - as I'm guessing they will be considering the musical philistinism of most of the critics in this town - I think word of mouth will be strong.  I can see this one sticking around for a while.

[Jon]

Baz Bamigboye seems to gushing over it but he tends to do that for most new shows, I'm going to wait until the reviews come out as I imagine they're going to mixed at best.

[Titan]

he did the same with lnd. id say so far word of mouth is mixed.

[EyesLikeFires]

I forgot to say as well before (as a positive), i really liked the way they used "Oh Yes", and that was a very pleasant surprise. Perhaps a suggesting as an alternative to using original songs, is that they perhaps consider some album tracks/lesser known?! This is the Bodygauard i realize, and not "Whitney the Musical", however a couple of songs (ie: Tell Me No) could have been used. Why "Greatest Love of All" was not included (particularly for a Single Mother's Convention) is beyond me......it seems like such an obvious oversight.

I also think they definitely need to change the club song and the staging for that scene as it was really middle of the road.

[gandalf]

I went in expecting The Bodyguard not a new Sondheim so really enjoyed it. Great to hear those songs sung live. Liked the cast especially Heather Headley and Debbie Kurup. Big standing ovation - think it will do well.

[wls250]

Went last night. The cast are all pretty good vocally but felt acting wise there were certain things missing from some of them. I know it's rehearsals so probably just tired.
The show I felt was very slow, slow transitions between sets, in some cases I thought there might have been a probably and a show stop announcement.
I’ve never seen the film so didn’t know what to expect and didn’t feel the *spoiler time*

Spoiler

part where the boy wasn’t in his bed / stalker scene didn’t really flow with the dialogue between the stalker / bodyguard and then the boy was back with his family? Perhaps I’d switched off when that was all be explained, but didn’t really get that bit?

The show ended on one of the high everyone on your feet lets clap kind of numbers which inevitably makes people come out smiling. I don’t think I’ll be back unless there’s a bit of a revamp.

1 obvious fault with the set not working and caused Heather to sing a whole song off stage instead of onstage, which felt very “odd” and clearly wasn’t meant to happen that way.

[Bamba]

I was really excited about going to see this and went in to buy tickets!  The Box Office man in the Adelphi Theatre was so very rude and unhelpful, that I left without buying or really investigating!!  However, I did see that some of the stalls were £95!!  I am so gobsmacked by this - think ordinary folk are being priced out here!!  I can't do day seats because can;t get down to London early enough!!  Am still excited to see this at some point but its been very much delayed at the moment!!