Belinda Davids and Craig Urbani to recreate Whitney Houston-Kevin Costner chemistry
THE BODYGUARD: The Musical opens at Artscape in Cape Town on 12 March 2027 before transferring to the Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg on 24 April 2027. Producers Showtime Management are proud to announce the full cast, headlined by singing sensation Belinda Davids and musical theatre superstar Craig Urbani. Tickets are on sale only at Ticketmaster, the exclusive ticketing agent. Patrons are advised not to purchase tickets from anyother ticketing platform.
As pop star Rachel Marron, played by Whitney Houston in the 1992 Hollywood hit film on which the musical is based (with Houston singing all the songs on the movie’s record-shattering soundtrack), Belinda Davids brings a four-octave singing voice and a wealth of experience as an interpreter of Houston’s songs, having performed them on stages all around the world as the lead in the Whitney Houston tribute show The Greatest Love Of All. She also reached the finals of Britain’s Got Talent: Season 14 and received a Golden Buzzer on the Spanish television show Got Talent: All-Stars. The Bodyguard marks her debut in musical theatre.
Opposite Davids, playing Rachel Marron’s bodyguard Frank Farmer (Kevin Costner in the film), the multi award-winning Craig Urbani is arguably South African musical theatre’s pre-eminent performer, having appeared in lead roles in We Will Rock You, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady and return runs of The Rocky Horror Show since 2023 alone as well as in Chicago The Musical, Rock of Ages, West Side Story, Saturday Night Fever, Hair, Grease, Kiss Me Kate and The Buddy Holly Story.
Stephanie Baartman plays Rachel Marron’s sister Nicki. Baartman is a popular music, television and theatre presence with over two decades of experience, including a long-running starring role on KykNET’s Getroud Met Rugby; the powerful one-woman show Hoort, which earned her the Outstanding Contribution to Contemporary Music award at Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees, plus a Kanna nomination; and playing Edith Piaf opposite André Schwartz in the much-loved production Brel and Piaf.
Other featured roles see an exciting array of talent take the stage. Jock Kleynhans (MAMMA MIA!, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Dumb Waiter) plays the Stalker; Sandi Dlangalala (Hlakanyana The Musical, My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman The Musical) plays Sy Spector/Mr Klingman; and Russel Savadier (The Good White, The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd, Waiting For Godot) plays Bill Devaney. Boris Petrenko (Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, Othello) stars as Tony Scibelli; Matt Newman (MAMMA MIA!, Betrayal, Sweet Phoebe) plays Ray Court and Matthew Vey (Metamporphoses, I Can’t Speak For Freddy, The Cravy) does triple duty as Douglas/Jimmy/Bobby.
The rest of the cast comprises backing vocalists Hope Mkhway (Dirty Dancing: The Celebration, Hall Of Fame) and Siya Makakane (We Will Rock You, Peter Pan); dancers Tamsyn Leigh-Dexter (Xcode, Unthinkable), Golda Rabe (So You Think You Can Dance SA, The Masked Singer SA), Janelle Mitchell (Ignite, Afrikaans Is Groot), Shannon Bester (Messiah Minerva Woven, Carmen), Jayden Ockhuis (Paper + Roses, Majika), Yaseen Manuel (Porgy And Bess, Melting Truth), Chichi Nwoha (Pretty Woman The Musical, Mamma Mia!), Lee Miller (Boogie Boogie, Afrikaans is 100 Jaar Groot), Jordan Rogers (Beauty And The Beast, MAMMA MIA!), Yethu Kibi (Joseph And The Technicolor Dream Coat, Heathers), Danny Meaker (Pretty Woman The Musical, Alice In Wonderland) and Liam Gillespie (Little Shop Of Horrors, The Craving) – who also serves as Dance Captain.
The Bodyguard brings together theatre professionals from around the world and South Africa. The international team includes Kim Ace Nielseon (Associate Director), Ryan-Lee Seager (Choreography) and Jeppe Laweatz (Lighting Designer/ Tech Supervisor) and Lasse Storm Jensen (Tech Supervisor). In South Africa, Hazel Feldman and Tony Feldman are the producers and Darren Greeff is Associate Producer and Resident Director. The local team comprises Alistair Kilbee (Technical Director), David Classens (Sound Designer) and Daniel Geddes (Music Director).
Hazel Feldman cannot wait to get going with this sterling cast and team, saying, “To be able to assemble such a strong cast and to be working with our international colleagues and brilliant local production team is such a thrill. Debuting a major musical in South Africa is a massive enterprise, but we know we have the best people involved and we can’t wait to bring this powerful story to the stage.”
With its combination of chart-topping music, glamorous superstar energy, romance and edge-of-your-seat drama, The Bodyguard is a spectacular theatrical experience for Whitney Houston fans and musical theatre audiences alike. It’s an unforgettable love story that sees a former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer, hired as a private bodyguard to protect global singing superstar Rachel Marron from a mystery stalker, struggling to balance his duty to protect her and her family with his growing feelings for his client. Fame, danger and desire collide, and an unexpected romance unfolds – backed by some of Whitney Houston’s biggest hits, including “I Will Always Love You,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “Queen of the Night,” “I Have Nothing,” “Run to You” and “So Emotional.” Get your tickets now! Note: this production has a PG rating 12+ owing to adult themes, language and content. Parental guidance is advised. Terrific Tuesday discounts available. Ts and Cs apply. A 20% block booking discount is offered on groups of 20+ on selected shows for specific price categories. Contact sales@showtime.co.za. Book today at www.ticketmaster.co.za. Ticketmaster is the ONLY official exclusive ticketing agent and tickets should not be purchased from any other supplier or outlets.