Cast and crew to spend two weeks in Glass City preparing for national tour
TOLEDO – The cast and crew of the hit musical The Bodyguard will gather in Toledo a few weeks before the show opens Oct. 15 at the Stranahan Theatre, getting everything ready for the launch of its North American tour.
“We were lucky enough to have the time available at the Stranahan to make that happen for the cast as well as the production people, the stage and sound crew, everybody involved in the show,” said Craig Aikman, Senior Director of Presenting Operations for the American Theatre Guild, based in Kansas City, Mo.
“They are going to bring the show in, load and unload it, and get all that practiced. Just as much as you may expect the stage version to be choreographed, the backstage is just as choreographed,” Aikman said,
“In some ways the backstage is probably more important sometimes, to make sure that everything is moving and shifting the way that it’s supposed to,” he said.
The Bodyguard will be the first show of the 2026-27 Broadway in Toledo season, running Oct. 15-18 and marking the Toledo premiere of the smash-hit musical based on the 1992 movie that starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner.
The season will continue in 2027 with The Book of Mormon, Feb. 18-21; Jersey Boys, March 4-7; Mamma Mia!, April 27-May 2; and The Outsiders, July 13-18.
“Broadway in Toledo is a treasured part of our community,” said Caleigh Heuring, Director of Marketing & Destination Engagement for Destination Toledo. “Being able to offer Tony Award-winning shows right here in the Glass City adds so much to our arts and culture scene and enhances the visitor experience.
“People come to our destination specifically for this, and with upgrades like the new seats at The Stranahan and an exciting lineup of new and beloved classics this season, it further cements Toledo’s place as a destination for the arts,” Heuring said.
In addition to the Hollywood star power of Houston and Costner, The Bodyguard movie is renowned for its musical numbers. It was nominated in 1993 for two “Best Original Song” Oscars – for “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You.”
The soundtrack won American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Album, Favorite Soul/R&B album, and Favorite Contemporary Album, and three Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Award for Houston’s classic “I Will Always Love You.”
Aikman said the stage show follows the movie plot closely, but live performances are vastly different from watching a movie because there is a give-and-take between audience and actors.
“The stage show will give audiences a completely different experience than on screen because the audience is an integral part of what’s happening on stage,” Aikman said.
When watching a movie, an audience is “just sitting in a darkened theater or sitting in their living room and watching something on a screen,” he said. “In a stage show, the actors can feel the energy coming from the audience and feel their level of appreciation.”
Aikman said every show is unique – even the same show performed on different nights.
“There are going to be changes. If anybody wants to test that theory, just buy tickets to every single show – which we would love – and every show during the run, just take a look at what’s different because there are always going to be some changes that happen on the fly,” he said.
“Sometimes things kind of go off the rails just a little bit where the cast has to kind of pick things up. That’s live theater. There’s always a certain level of excitement and that’s part of the love of theater. You know it’s live and it’s right there in front of you.”
Aikman said his role as senior director of presenting operations involves working with the Theatre Guild’s programming and production teams “to kind of make sure that everything is moving the way it’s supposed to.”
He described himself as “a frustrated actor” with a lifelong love of live theater. “I still do it from time to time, to keep my head in the game. I’m very lucky to be able to do it as a hobby.”
The American Theatre Guild presents stage shows in 11 cities including Toledo. Choosing which shows to bring to each market is a complex puzzle that depends on booking agents, Broadway producers and the results of audience surveys.
“We take a look, we dump all of those pieces down on the table, and we try to fit it all together so that it makes sense,” Aikman said.
Each year around the time of the Tony Awards, which this year were held June 7, the American Theatre Guild conducts a survey to see which shows the fans in each market want to see.
“Anybody that’s purchased a show at the Stranahan will get that survey and they’ll have the opportunity to give us their opinion. We do look at that and pay attention to it and we try to bring the shows that everybody wants to see,” Aikman said.
He said the American Theatre Guild is the largest not-for-profit presenter for Broadway shows, which gives it enough clout to make national tours viable.
According to GuideStar, which tracks nonprofit organizations’ finances nationwide, the American Theatre Guild has annual revenue of more than $32 million and its mission is to provide “the experience of live theatre to foster passion, inspire creativity and empower youth within our communities.”
Aikman said he has been to Toledo numerous times with the theatre guild and is confident that the cast and crew of The Bodyguard will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the area.
“I’ve been with our organization for nearly 20 years and I’ve spent a lot of time in Toledo and just loving the Glass City. Without a doubt the cast and crew of The Bodyguard will have no shortage of things to do.”
Heuring of Destination Toledo said she is excited about the new Broadway in Toledo season and the fact that it “gives the cast and crew a chance to experience everything our city has to offer.”
