Modernizing ‘The Bodyguard’ and Christine Allado’s Manila Comeback
Christine Allado, acclaimed West End actress and Filipino homegrown talent, makes her Manila return as Rachel Marron in 9 Works Theatrical’s staging of The Bodyguard The Musical. The role, popularized by Whitney Houston in the 1992 film, will be paired with West End actor Matt Blaker as Frank Farmer—the titular bodyguard first portrayed on screen by Kevin Costner.
Allado first rose to international recognition when she originated the role of Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds in the West End production of Hamilton in 2017. Since then, she has portrayed notable roles such as Tzipporah in The Prince of Egypt, Julie Jordan in Carousel at the Royal Festival Hall, and Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame in concert at the Prince Edward Theatre, among others.
Before embarking on her London career, Allado last appeared on the Manila stage at just 13 years old, playing Amber Von Tussle in Atlantis Productions’ 2008 staging of Hairspray. She also trained through summer workshops with Trumpets Playshop and Repertory Philippines as a young, aspiring thespian.
A Homecoming
For Allado, the Manila return is a personal homecoming. “It means the world,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to come back and give back somehow. This is where it all started for me—this is what formed me and gave me the fuel to go abroad and forge my way there. So it means the absolute world to be able to bring such an iconic character and a show na kilala ng Pinoy, and hopefully the current generation will also get to know and love.”
The experience, she adds, is also about reconnecting. “I love reconnecting with old friends, people that I used to work with more than a decade ago. In London and the West End, theater is almost like a big fish in a small pond. But here, it’s like a family. Everyone is so interwoven and interconnected, and it really takes a village to make these things happen. I feel very supported by everybody.”
Her connection to Rachel Marron runs deeper than performance. “She sacrifices a lot to chase her dreams. I think similarly, I had to sacrifice a lot to chase mine. I had to leave home when I was a teenager,” she says. “I had to learn how to do everything at a very young age by myself with no friends, no family, whereas she sacrificed her safety, her privacy, and her love life. So I can relate to her in that pursuit of greatness and pursuing her art.”
Making The Bodyguard Speak to Today’s Audience
When it comes to staging the show, director Robbie Guevara aims to strike a balance between nostalgia and relevance. While Gen X—who grew up with Whitney Houston and the 1992 film—remain the primary audience, today’s theatergoers are largely now of a different generation. “We had to sit down and really think about how they can not only appreciate the musical as written, but more importantly, how they can see themselves in it,” he explains.
Unlike the original film, which leaned heavily on suspense and featured only a handful of Houston’s songs, the stage version uses around 16 of her hits and leans further into the romantic aspect. Working with scenographer Mio Infante, Guevara also sought to restore the thriller element, bringing greater balance to the love story. “Hopefully that makes it more interesting, regardless of age or whether you identify with the songs per se.”
For him, the title itself reframes the story. “When you say The Bodyguard the movie, automatically it’s Whitney—second lang si Kevin Costner. But the title is The Bodyguard.”
He describes his thesis: that every character in the show is, in some way, a bodyguard—whether it’s Sy Spector, Rachel’s PR manager who protects her reputation; Tony, her childhood friend who becomes her first bodyguard; or her manager who guards her personally and professionally. “Everybody is a bodyguard. And the tragedy in the show happens because that person didn’t get a bodyguard, didn’t get guarded, didn’t get protected.”
Tim Yap, who plays Sy Spector, echoes this takeaway: “This show is about family, and how no matter who you are, whether you’re a superstar or a bodyguard, it’s the choice of protecting the people that you love.”
At the same time, Guevara acknowledges the challenge of modernizing a script that remains very close to the film and mentions only Instagram in today’s multi-platform social media world. To bridge that gap, the team has incorporated visuals that reflect today’s social media and technology, making the show feel current. “We’re trying to make it really appealing and new-ish despite the songs being classic. That’s the approach.”
The choreography also mirrors this approach. Male swing PJ Rebullida shares, “We’re doing a lot of production numbers and you’ll be in for a lot of nostalgic moves coupled with POW and pizazz from today.”
The Bodyguard runs from September 26 to October 19, 2025 at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell. Tickets are now available via Ticketworld.
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