Heather Headley performs

[finebydesign]

Heather Headley performs "I Will Always Love You"

[GardenOfEden]

Its just wrong. She's so talented. But, this just isn't right. She's not a pop princess. A nubian princess yes, but not a pop princess. And she's so vocally inconsistent, I love her voice and saw her in Aida many times, but she's so inconsistent and just hearing these big songs from her when the most flawless recordings are ingrained in our minds and hearts makes me nervous for what it's going to sound like live. I'm not a hater at all just think this is the wrong casting choice on so many levels.

[ljay889]

I'm not really feeling it.

[theaterfan862]

I don't know how I feel about this yet. I do agree about being weary if her version will win over audiences since Whitney's version is very iconic. I love Heather Headley and the movie so I hope it does well and comes to Broadway.

[HHteamofficial]

The Bodyguard Rehearsals start this Monday, so we thought a good way to kick it off would be to release Heather Headley's version of "Run To You" off of her new album "Only One In The World." Please follow us @ hhteamofficial and Heather @ HeatherHeadley on twitter for more details. Thanks for the support guys!!

[SonofRobbieJ]

The role of Rachel Marron is a superstar. You need someone who can bring that. And Heather Headley has that in spades. Even when playing a lioness in THE LION KING, she attacked the role with such a ferocity, it was remarkable. She's an absolutely terrific actress. She is as close as the theatre world could get to Rachel Marron. J. Hud would be vocally perfect, but can she act it 8 shows a week? No other pop diva comes close. This casting makes all the sense in the world, and it stuns me that people are questioning it so strongly.

[MrMidwest]

I hope they make the stalker storyline a little bit more interesting and suspenseful than in the movie.

[HHteamofficial]

Haven't read the script yet, but they were working on it for 6 years before it finally started workshops last year. We hear that there are some very nice changes. We are also planning to get Heather on some live hangouts soon with you guys so you can ask any questions you may have. She is traveling to London today so we are sending good traveling vibes her way :)

[Visceral_Fella]

Leona Lewis would be perfect for this. I feel like her voice would hold up 8 shows a week too. Not sure of how capable of an actress she is though.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Blah.

[Dave516]

SASHA ALLEN, Please!!!!!

[wicked1492]

[somethingwicked]

As others have said, Headley is an absolute phenom on stage, and that's what is required to play a character said to be a global superstar like Rachel Marron. This footage is all promotional stuff from a demo recording session, so it's ridiculous to judge how she'll be in the role based on these clips. Since the show hasn't even started rehearsal yet, these are far from the final keys or arrangements for what will end up on stage.

If you want to bitch about the keys being lowered, Whitney Houston herself couldn't sing her musical catalogue in its original keys on a consistent basis and never could (as much as I love and revere her,) so please don't act like anyone else should be able to. People like Sasha Allen and Leona Lewis have phenomenal voices, but they are far from what I'd ever call actors, and they'd be the first to admit that. Headley is the rare embodiment of a studied, magnetizing actor who happens to have an absolutely incredible instrument. She radiates star power, and I think this show is only going to reiterate that.

In fact, I'd much rather the keys be lowered and her make the songs her own than her sound like she's straining and blow her voice out attempting to do a Whitney Houston imitation. I think it's actually a huge asset to the show that Headley has such a distinctly different sound than Whitney did while still possessing a ton of power. They're so different that you can't really compare the two, so it frees you as an audience to be more open to the stage incarnation being something totally and completely separate from the iconic status of the film version.

For what it's worth, here Headley is actually singing live and knocking "I Have Nothing" out of the park at the press launch earlier this summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh7D32mWWO0

[Scottsacto]

Thanks for That "Something Wicked"---I am so looking forward to seeing this.

[MrMidwest]

"As others have said, Headley is an absolute phenom on stage, and that's what is required to play a character said to be a global superstar like Rachel Marron. This footage is all promotional stuff from a demo recording session, so it's ridiculous to judge how she'll be in the role based on these clips. Since the show hasn't even started rehearsal yet, these are far from the final keys or arrangements for what will end up on stage."

I agree that she has star quality, but her voice is low and nasally. Changing the arrangements won't help that. Whitney is the one who made the songs famous with her soaring mezzo, so people are going to compare. That's just the way it is.


"If you want to bitch about the keys being lowered, Whitney Houston herself couldn't sing her musical catalogue in its original keys on a consistent basis and never could (as much as I love and revere her,) so please don't act like anyone else should be able to."

But who cares? Whitney is on record (and many live performances in the 90s) singing the songs fabulously well. That's what people remember. Would the show even have been fast tracked like it has without the renewed interest in Whitney?

[javero]

"I agree that she has star quality, but her voice is low and nasally."

Heather the actress tends to wow me. But, the nasally tone of her mid-range singing voice isn't always pleasant. And at times she can sound a bit forced.

It's like playing a wind instrument. Not all singers can shift registers effortlessly. In her prime, Whitney was one of the best at it so I dread the coming comparisons.

I wish the best for all involved though.

[ClapYo'Hands]

The versions are both in the same key. At least, the short preview of Heather is in A Major, just like Whitney's version. I guess it just ends up in this key for Heather rather than it ending up in B Major for Whitney.


But seriously, we don't know exactly what they're going to do with it based on a 40 second clip, do we?

[jewishboy]

Nasally? I understand the inconsistency argument, but I don't hear any type of nasal qualities. I am hopeful for this show. I think she is an excellent musical theatre actress and a great interpreter of classic pop songs.

[silent]

Heather looks and sounds like she's struggling just to get through the song. I like her as a vocalist but I think she's all wrong for the part.

[somethingwicked]

"Would the show even have been fast tracked like it has without the renewed interest in Whitney?"

The show was already fast tracked for its current production schedule well before Whitney passed away.

[TonyaFanatic]

Felicia Boswell would be phenomenal in this role. I love Heather and think she's a rare, ferociously talented actress and singer...but this is DEAD ASS WRONG for her. The songs just aren't written for a voice like hers. Felicia would sing them in the correct keys and still set them apart from Whitney's.

I am hoping when it comes to the States an unknown like Boswell will be considered.

[MrMidwest]

"Nasally? I understand the inconsistency argument, but I don't hear any type of nasal qualities. I am hopeful for this show. I think she is an excellent musical theatre actress and a great interpreter of classic pop songs."

It's not a kewpie doll Adelaide or Megan Mullally kind of nasally. Heather basically just sounds like she's singing through her nose at times. It doesn't really bother me, but I've heard other people comment on it.

As great as this performance is otherwise, it's pretty evident here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2PAg6neH8E

[SonofRobbieJ]

I honestly don't know which world we're living in where Grammy and Tony-winner Heather Headley, who is astonishingly beautiful and brings the diva attitude (as well as truly accomplished acting skills) is wrong for the role of Rachel Marron. And if they are tailoring the score to her strengths (which they should be doing for whichever actress they cast), I think she's going to end up being definitive. She's going to be better than Whitney's performance in the movie. She's going to bring star power and it's going to be an epic performance. No...she's not going to sound like Whitney. No one does. But, as said repeatedly, this isn't a Whitney tribute show. This is a book musical about a character. I don't get the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments in regards to this particular casting.

[MrMidwest]

"But, as said repeatedly, this isn't a Whitney tribute show. This is a book musical about a character. I don't get the gnashing of teeth and rending of garments in regards to this particular casting."

Honestly, I think Heather can pull it off. I just don't know if certain Whitney fans will ever be pleased, though. I'm just saying that people should be prepared for that.

[SonofRobbieJ]

^ Well...those people are the loosely wrapped and walking wounded and they should be ignored with vigor and elan.

[MrMidwest]

True, but by using the songs from the movie, the creative team should probably expect some comparisons. It's not like Sister Act where it was a whole new score.