Breaking News: Deborah Cox to Headline North American Tour of West End Hit THE BODYGUARD; Kicks Off in Fall 2016!

Michael Harrison, David Ian and Nederlander Presentations, Inc. have announced the North American tour of the hit musical THE BODYGUARD. Directed by Thea Sharrock, the tour will launch in the fall of 2016.

Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum R&B/pop recording artist and actress Deborah Cox will star as Rachel Marron. Additional casting and tour cities will be announced at a later date.

Based on Lawrence Kasdan's 1992 Oscar-nominated Warner Bros. film of the same name starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, and adapted for the stage by Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman), THE BODYGUARD had its world premiere on December 5, 2012 at London's Adelphi Theatre. THE BODYGUARD was nominated for four Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical and Best Set Design, and won Best New Musical at the Whatsonstage Awards. The musical concluded its smash hit West End run on August 29, 2014 and is currently touring the UK and Ireland.

THE BODYGUARD features set & costume design by Tim Hatley, lighting design by Mark Henderson and sound design by Richard Brooker. Choreography is by Karen Bruce and orchestrations & additional music by Chris Egan. The North American tour of THE BODYGUARD is produced by Michael Harrison, David Ian and Nederlander Presentations, Inc.

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 romantic thriller, THE BODYGUARD features a host of irresistible classics 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 best-selling singles of all time - "I Will Always Love You."

DEBORAH COX (Rachel Marron) Grammy Award-nominated and multi-platinum R&B/pop recording artist and film/TV actress Deborah Cox made her Broadway debut in the lead role in Elton John and Tim Rice's musical, Aida. She most recently starred on Broadway in 2013 as Lucy in Jekyll & Hyde, and will star as legendary Josephine Baker in Josephine at Asolo Repertory Theatre in April 2016. Cox began her recording career as a background singer with Celine Dion, before securing her first recording contract with Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Clive Davis. She has recorded six award-winning and critically-acclaimed albums, and has written and recorded on numerous celebrated soundtracks. Her platinum selling debut album Deborah Cox earned her an American Music Award nomination. She won her first of 3 Juno Awards including a Female Vocalist of the Year nomination. From her second CD One Wish, came the double platinum "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here" which held the record for being the longest running #1 R&B Single for 14 consecutive weeks and earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination, a Soul Train Award, A Lady Of Soul Award, Best Female vocalist Juno nomination and a Billboard Music Award Nomination for R&B Single Of The Year. Cox has collaborated with such artists as Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Josh Groban, The Isley Brothers, Cyndi Lauper, Sarah McLachlan and numerous others. The Canadian born star has an impressive list of #1 Billboard hit records, including twelve #1 songs on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. In 2000, Cox collaborated with Whitney Houston to record the duet "Same Script Different Cast" for Houston's Greatest Hits CD. Cox has been recognized for her longstanding commitment to various social issues in the LGBTQ community. In January 2015, she received the Out Music Pillar Award. In 2014, she received the California State Senate Award and in 2007, she received The Civil Rights Award from the New York Senate for her efforts in the fight for Human Rights and Equality. She was recently honored by The Harvey Milk Foundation at the 2015 Diversity Honors for all of her efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the LGBTQ community. www.deborahcox.com @Deborah_Cox www.facebook.com/DeborahCoxDRG

THEA SHARROCK (Director) In 2000, Thea won the James Menzies-Kitchin Young Director of the Year Award, making her directorial debut with a production of Caryl Churchill's Top Girls, which transferred to the West End and toured the UK twice. Thea was then made Britain's youngest artistic director when she took over the Southwark Playhouse for three years, before then going on to be the artistic director of the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill. Since then, as a freelance director, her credits include: productions for the Almeida and the Donmar, the National Theatre and many in the West End including: Equus with Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths (also Broadway); The Misanthrope with Keira Knightley; Heroes with John Hurt and Cause Célèbre with Anne-Marie Duff at the Old Vic. Her production of After the Dance for the National Theatre won eight major awards. She has also directed Henry V, starring Tom Hiddleston, for Sam Mendes/Neal Street and the BBC, as well as the 2013 Christmas special of Call the Midwife, also for Neal Street and the BBC. She directed Richard Griffiths in his last stage performance, The Sunshine Boys, with Danny DeVito at the Savoy Theatre; before directing her first musical, The Bodyguard, at the Adelphi. She directed Miranda Hart in her arena tour for 2014, as well as Kevin Spacey in his first one-man show, Darrow, for the Old Vic. She is currently attached to direct a feature film adaptation of Jojo Moyes' novel Me Before You for MGM, which is set to go into production in spring 2015.

LAWRENCE KASDAN (Screenplay) has directed, written or produced 21 motion pictures, including: Body Heat, The Big Chill, Silverado, The Accidental Tourist and Grand Canyon. Among them, he has written or co-written four of the most successful films in motion picture history: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Bodyguard, the first original screenplay Kasdan sold. The Big Chill and The Accidental Tourist were nominated for Academy Awards as Best Picture. The Accidental Tourist was named Best Picture of 1988 by the New York Film Critics Circle. Grand Canyon won the Golden Bear as Best Picture of the 1992 Berlin Film Festival. Nominated for four Academy Awards and six Writers Guild Awards, Kasdan was honored by the Writers Guild of America with its Laurel Award for advancing the literature of motion pictures.

ALEXANDER DINELARIS (Book) is an Academy Award and Golden Globe winner for the screenplay of Birdman (or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). He is the co-creator and executive producer of the upcoming series The One Percent for the Starz network, starring Ed Helms, Hilary Swank and Ed Harris. His film The Year of the Monarchs is currently in development with Mandalay Entertainment and he is co-writing an upcoming untitled feature film with director Guillermo Del Toro. Alexander is also the book writer of Emilio and Gloria Estefan's upcoming Broadway musical On Your Feet! Other recent work includes his plays Red Dog Howls (New York Theater Workshop), Still Life (Manhattan Class Company), The Chaos Theories (Shotgun Theater) and In This, Our Time (59e59). Mr. Dinelaris is a proud member of the Writer's Guild and the Dramatists Guild.

TIM HATLEY (Set & Costume Designer) Theatre credits include: Great Britain, 3 Winters, Small Family Business, Timon of Athens, Welcome to Thebes, Rafta Rafta, Present Laughter, Henry V, The Talking Cure, Vincent in Brixton, Humble Boy, Stanley, Hamlet, Sleep with Me, Darker Face of the Earth, Flight, Caucasian Chalk Circle (National Theatre) Out of a house... (National Theatre with Complicite), Ghosts, Betty Blue Eyes, Shrek the Musical, Spamalot, Private Lives, Suddenly Last Summer, The Crucible, Endgame (West End and Broadway), The 3 Lives of Lucie Cabrol (Complicite). Film credits: Stage Beauty, Closer, Notes on a Scandal. Awards include: Olivier Awards for Stanley (NT) and Private Lives (West End), Tony Awards for Private Lives (Broadway) and Shrek (Broadway).

KAREN BRUCE (Choreographer) is an Olivier Award-winning Choreographer and Director, working extensively in theatre and television, both in the UK and abroad. Theatre includes as Director: Dance 'Til Dawn (UK Tour, West End), Midnight Tango (West End, UK Tour), Strictly Come Dancing - The Professionals (Stage Entertainment Tour), Saturday Night Fever (Spain, South Africa, West End, UK Tour, Australia, Singapore, Scandinavia, Korea), Oliver! (Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Bermuda), Footloose (West End, UK Tour, South Africa), The Wedding Singer (UK Tour). As Choreographer: Dance 'Til Dawn (UK Tour), Starlight Express (Joberg Theatre, South Africa), The Last Horseman (Madrid), Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates (Birmingham Hippodrome), Chess (Margitsziget Open Air Theatre, Budapest), Never Forget (Savoy, UK Tour), Doctor Dolittle (UK Tour), Pacific Overtures (Donmar Warehouse), The Producers (Spain), Far Pavilions (Shaftesbury), Brighton Rock (Almeida), Annie Get Your Gun (Number 1 Tour), Footloose (Plymouth, Number 1 Tour), When Harry Met Barry (The Venue, Tryout), A Chorus Line and Sweet Charity (Sheffield Crucible). Awards & Nominations: Olivier Award for Best Choreography for Pacific Overtures (Donmar Warehouse), TMA Best Musical Award for Sweet Charity (Sheffield Crucible), Olivier Award Nomination for Best Entertainment for Midnight Tango. What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Nomination for Best Choreographer for Never Forget.

MICHAEL HARRISON (Producer) co-produced The Bodyguard at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End. With Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre, he is currently producing the spectacular new production of Barnum, starring Brian Conley. His other musicals include: Aspects of Love, The Witches of Eastwick, Chess, I Dreamed a Dream and Jolson & Co. As managing director of Qdos Pantomimes, he oversees the entire pantomime division and has produced nearly 100 pantomimes for the company. In 2012, he was awarded a companionship to the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts by Sir Paul McCartney. This year, as well as the continuation of the national tour of Barnum, he will co-produce the West End transfer of Gypsy, starring Imelda Staunton; the North American premiere of the highly acclaimed production of Titanic - the Musical at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto; a new production of Annie, starring Craig Revel Horwood as Miss Hannigan; and a brand-new musical, Mrs Henderson Presents.

DAVID IAN (Producer) has produced theatre shows all over the world. He is the recipient of four Olivier Awards and two Tony nominations. His credits include: Grease, Saturday Night Fever, The King and I, West Side Story, Singin' in the Rain, Ain't Misbehavin', Anything Goes, The Producers, Defending the Caveman, Guys and Dolls, Daisy Pulls It Off, The Sound of Music, La Cage aux Folles, Sweet Charity, Flashdance, Gypsy, The Shawshank Redemption, The Phantom of the Opera (Las Vegas), My Fair Lady, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Chess, The Rocky Horror Show, Cats, Chicago, Doctor Dolittle, Starlight Express, Seminar, Steel Magnolias, Ghost - the Musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Bodyguard, Jersey Boys and Annie.

NEDERLANDER PRESENTATIONS, INC. (Producer) is a producing company under the leadership of James M. and James L. Nederlander. The company operates a chain of legitimate theatres including the Brooks Atkinson, Gershwin, Lunt-Fontanne, Marquis, Minskoff, Nederlander, Neil Simon, Palace, and Richard Rodgers on Broadway, and many landmark venues around the world from Los Angeles to London. Recent credits include: The Elephant Man starring Bradley Cooper & An American in Paris. Upcoming: On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan.