Once officially dubbed by Simon Cowell as #britishbeyonce, the most popular winner of X-Factor UK Alexandra Burke has just received the opportunity of a lifetime that will finally place her on the same platform as her American female vocal counterpart. Burke was recently named as the new lead for ‘The Bodyguard: The Musical’, created by Alexander Dinelaris and based on the 1992 film of the same name. Whitney Houston’s iconic role as Rachel Marron was initially played in the Broadway redux by Grammy and Tony-award winning singer Heather Headley and earned rave reviews worldwide. Burke’s recent addition to the cast also marks the departure of British soul artist Beverley Knight, who is leaving the musical for the international debut of the musical ‘Memphis’ about the first white DJ to play black music. The shoes that Burke will be filling as the ‘Bodyguard’ musical star are undoubtedly huge, but it’s just about as big as her voice. Known for her stirring rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” – which inevitably became the fastest selling single in the history of British music – Burke is no stranger to delivering powerhouse vocals. And if Simon Cowell gives you a Beyonce’ comparison, you’d better run with it. Check out the list of songs for ‘The Bodyguard: The Musical’ as well as the official trailer below, which Alexandra will begin on May 31, 2014:
Act I: “Queen Of The Night”, “I’m Your Baby Tonight”, “Oh Yes”, “Saving All My Love / Reprise”, “So Emotional”, “Run To You”, “How Will I Know”, “I Will Always Love You”, “I Have Nothing”
Act II: “All The Man That I Need”, “I’m Every Woman”, “All At Once”, “Jesus Loves Me / Reprise”, “One Moment In Time”, “I Will Always Love You / Reprise”, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody”