ADRIAN — When the 1992 Whitney Houston-Kevin Costner movie “The Bodyguard” was turned into a stage musical in 2012, opening as it did not long after Houston’s untimely death, it became an homage to the vocal force of nature that she had been.
That leads to the obvious challenge for any production of this show: casting a lead actress who can channel both Houston’s stage presence and her vocal range and power.
The Croswell Opera House has absolutely nothing to worry about in that regard, because it has Arielle Crosby. Crosby, an Equity actress with a long list of performing credits, is simply stunning in the highly demanding role of musical superstar Rachel Marron.
Crosby’s considerable musical abilities are on full display in “The Bodyguard,” and she more than rises to the occasion. No, she’s not trying to do some imitation of Whitney Houston, nor should she; she makes the role hers, but she does it with all the vocal heft and versatility it requires.
Besides that, she has a real command of the stage, whether it’s in full-voiced production numbers like “How Will I Know” or tender moments like “All the Man That I Need.”
Most of Crosby’s supporting cast is extremely good. Steven Kiss as Frank Farmer, the bodyguard of the show’s title, continues to impress with his versatility; this is a man who has shown he can play Buddy the Elf and be terrific, and play Billy Crocker in “Anything Goes” and be equally great. He does a fine job as Frank.
Preview: 'The Bodyguard' brings Whitney Houston hits to Croswell Opera House
Also doing great work is Anjewel Lenoir as Rachel’s sister Nicki. Lenoir also has some pretty impressive vocal ability of her own, and she really shines when she gets solo moments like “Saving All My Love For You.”
Both Kiss and Lenoir bring plenty of Croswell stage credits to bear in this show, and so do Meg Clark as Sy and Maxwell Lam in the small but obviously pivotal role of the Stalker. On the other end of the experience spectrum are King Brinson as Rachel’s son, Fletcher, and Tori Bruce as Bill Devaney, and while that inexperience does show for both of them, each of them are solid performers.
A special round of applause has to go to Steve Antalek, who at basically the last minute stepped in for Aaron Treadway to play Tony. Antalek has been on the Croswell stage a lot over the years and is great every time, and I can’t think of anyone more capable of taking on a role on short notice and doing such a tremendous job of it.
A huge shoutout also has to go to choreographer Sarah Nowak, who for this production put together some really spectacular, highly creative moves for the performers who serve as Rachel’s backup dancers. And as for that dance ensemble, their movements are tight and high-energy, and these performers are a perfect complement to Crosby’s stage work.
Michael Yuen directs the production, and he was exactly the right person for this job because his attention to both staging and the vocal needs of this show are in full evidence. He, his cast, and the rest of the creative team, can rightly be pleased with what they’ve put onstage and, thanks to music director Josh Glover, with the quality of the orchestra.
That orchestra, by the way, isn’t in the pit but rather is at the back of the stage, and during Rachel’s concert numbers the musicians are in full view, as indeed they should be.
The stage version of “The Bodyguard” basically follows the movie’s plot, some details aside, and adds a few more songs to the mix. Now, it does have to be said that the show suffers from being structured a little too much like a movie — all the scenes are relatively short, and there’s the stage equivalent of quick cuts between them. One moment we’re in Rachel’s house, and the next moment we’re watching her perform.
Changing locations from one scene to the next is easy in a movie, but a whole lot harder to make happen onstage, of course. The Croswell’s crew does a fantastic job of making things as seamless as possible, and Marty Flake’s scenic design makes the transition from one location to the next both relatively easy to achieve and clearly understood.
Subscribe Now: For all the latest local developments, breaking news, and high school and college sports content.
But the unavoidable end result of all those short scenes that just stop completely and then things change gears (besides the need for some pretty amazing quick-changes in costumes) is that the show is kind of choppy, both in terms of the action and from a plot standpoint. The playwright didn’t bother with giving either the characters or the plot any real time to develop.
Of course, the real reason for “The Bodyguard” isn’t the plot, it’s to showcase all that terrific Whitney Houston music, and just about everything you could want to hear is in this show. And if you get to the end and wonder why you didn’t get to hear “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” well, just wait. Important tip: don’t leave right after the curtain call.
The bottom line is that if you’re at all a fan of “The Bodyguard,” or at least of Houston’s music in general and the incredible way she performed it, the Croswell’s version will be everything you could want out of this show.
If you go
WHAT: “The Bodyguard”
WHERE: Croswell Opera House 129 E. Maumee St., Adrian
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 14; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 16
TICKETS: $44/$33/$22 for adults; $25/$20/$15 for students
HOW TO ORDER: Online atcroswell.orgor by calling 517-264-7469
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Review: 'The Bodyguard' at the Croswell Opera House
