October 8, 2019

North Shore Music Theatre To Present The Boston Area Premiere Of ‘THE BODYGUARD: The Musical’

by cns2020

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October 29 – November 10, 2019 – Tickets on sale now!

Beverly, MA:  Bill Hanney’s award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) is thrilled to announce complete casting and creative team details for the upcoming production of, THE BODYGUARD, starring the previously announced Cheaza Figueroa and Judson Mills in the roles made famous by Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in the smash hit 1992 movie. The Boston area Premiere of THE BODYGUARD plays from Tuesday, October 29 – November 10, 2019.  

“We are excited to end our subscription season with a thrilling production of The Bodyguard,” said Bill Hanney, NSMT owner and producer. “Our director and choreographer Nick Kenkel, who has brought our audiences unforgettable production of Chicago, Dreamgirls, Legally Blonde, and Evita, has assembled a powerhouse cast and creative team to bring this story to life on stage. His love for Whitney Houston is evident in his work and will make this show an unforgettable love letter to the movie and music we all love.”

THE BODYGUARD is a new musical based on the smash hit 1992 film. Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love. A breathtakingly romantic thriller, THE BODYGUARD celebrates the music of Whitney Houston by incorporating more the 15 of her smash hit songs including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, Run to You, I Have Nothing, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and one of the biggest selling songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.

Currently based in Las Vegas, singer and actress Cheaza Figueroa has journeyed from commercials, to trade shows, to modeling, to television appearances on shows including E!’s “Ice Loves Coco,” NBC’s “City Guys,” and “The View.” She has been featured on MTV’s “The X Factor”, “Extra,” “South of Nowhere,” “Malcolm In the Middle,”and Universal Pictures’ Bring It On; In It to Win It. She has also sang/improvised with Wayne Brady and can be heard singing on his album, “A Long Time Coming.” She’s graced stages from Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, to the Las Vegas Strip. Cheaza was the lead singer and host for 4.5 years in one of the Strip’s hottest performances, sexy modern burlesque show Peepshow at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. The musical was created by an award-winning team, led by Tony Award-winning creator, director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Cheaza has performed as a lead singer in one of the longest ongoing shows in Las Vegas, Don Arden’s Jubilee. She has also shared the stage and recorded with artists Jon Secada, All-4-One, Marie Osmond, Barry Manilow and many more. She’s just completed filming a feature film, Temporary Forevers set to be released in early 2020 and is currently a guest Entertainer on major cruise lines across the world.

Judson Mills was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in a small town in Northern Virginia. Mills majored in Theatre at Barry University in Miami after being inspired to pursue acting in high school, and continued onto the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York afterward. After school, he booked his first audition and spent 3 years on the soap opera “As The World Turns.” Mills has since done over 35 guest starring roles on television including “Law and Order,” “The X Files,” “Dexter,” “The Mentalist,” ABC’s new “Notorious” and can be seen on HBO’s new hit series from JJ Abrams, “Westworld.” Judson was also a series regular alongside Chuck Norris on the popular action show “Walker, Texas Ranger” from CBS. He went on to star with Mr. Norris in “The Presidents Man: A Line in the Sand” for CBS. Mills has appeared in 20 feature films including Major League 3: Back to the Minors, Mighty Joe Young, Chill Factor and the Academy Award nominated Gods and Monsters. Judson originated the role of Frank Farmer in the American Premiere of THE BODYGUARD in 2016 and has spent the past few years touring the country with the show. 

Cheaza Figueroa (Rachel Marron) and Judson Mills (Frank Farmer) will be joined by Jonathan Hadley (Sy Spector), Nicole Henry (Nicki Marron), Jesse Sharp (Tony Scibelli), Brent Thiessen (The Stalker), Charles E. Wallace (Bill Devaney), and 8-year-old Beverly, MA resident Joshua McKenna making his stage debut as Rachel’s son Fletcher.

The 19-member cast will also feature Marie Rose Baramo, Raylon Jerome Bivins, Ashley Chasteen, Rob Coglitore, Taylor Jane Green, Dakota Hoar, Valton Jackson, Desiree Murphy, Gabriel Andrew Reyes, Adea Michelle Sessoms, and Khalifa White.

The creative team for THE BODYGUARD includes Nick Kenkel (Director and Choreographer), Wendell Vaughn (Music Director), Kyle Dixon (Scenic Design)Kelly Baker (Costume Design), Jose Santiago (Lighting Design), Don Hanna (Sound Design), Rachel Padula-Shufelt(Wig and Hair Design), Natalie A. Lynch (Production Stage Manager)Dakotah Wiley Horan (Assistant Stage Manager), and Austin Davy (Assistant Music Director). THE BODYGUARD is produced for North Shore Music Theatre by Bill Hanney (Owner/Producer), Kevin P. Hill (Producing Artistic Director), and Matthew Chappell (Associate Producer, Casting Director).

Tickets for THE BODYGUARD are priced starting from $61 – $86. Kids 18 and under save 50%. $25 Student Rush tickets are available with a valid student I.D. starting one hour prior to curtain time. Prices are subject to change without notice. Phone, internet, and other fees may be applied at time of sale.

THE BODYGUARD performances are October 29 – November 10, Tue – Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri & Sat at 8 pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun at 2 pm. For tickets and information call (978) 232-7200, visit nsmt.org, or visit the box office at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly, MA.

Additional Free Audience Enrichment Events:

· Meet the Theatre: post-show audience discussion with the artists on November 5 after the 7:30 pm performance and November 9 after the 2 pm performance.

· OUT at the North Shore, an evening for the LGBTQ+ Community with a post-show reception on November 7 after the 7:30 pm performance. OUT at the North Shore is sponsored by North Shore Pride.

North Shore Music Theatre will conclude the 2019 Season with the 29th annual production of A Christmas Carol starring David Coffee (December 6 – December 22).

About North Shore Music Theatre

Since opening in 1955, NSMT has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors’ Equity, and the Moss Hart Award.

NSMT produced the World Premiere of ‘Memphis’ in 2003, the show went on to win four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Under the new ownership of Bill Hanney since 2010, NSMT continues to annually produce a musical subscription series and an annual production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ along with celebrity concerts, children’s programming and year-round education classes for children and adults.


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