The Bodyguard

It’s a case of life imitating art: In the 2000 single “Same Script, Different Cast” by Whitney Houston and Deborah Cox, the two women sing about a philandering partner who has led their relationship awry. “I was his star for many nights,” Houston tells Cox. “Now the roles have changed and you’re the leading lady in his life.” The duet’s purpose was twofold. It would introduce Cox to a larger audience while serving as one of the promotional singles for Houston’s Greatest Hits album. Fast forward 17 years and Cox is now playing the lead role of Rachel Marron in the first national tour of The Bodyguard, a musical adaptation of Lawrence Kasdan’s 1992 film starring Houston and Kevin Costner. A romantic thriller, The Bodyguard features some of Houston’s biggest hits, including “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” and the Dolly Parton-penned classic “I Will Always Love You.” In February, Cox spoke with the New York-based magazine The Source about the challenges of starring in the musical. “I know the audience’s expectations are very, very high,” Cox said. “Our beloved Whitney is an artist we treasure and we love her legacy of music, so this show really has a lot of that in it. I know and understand the integrity that needs to be kept with the show and the storytelling.”