Cape Town audiences will soon hear one of Whitney Houston’s most recognisable voices brought to the stage by a South African singer who has spent years performing the music of the late superstar around the world, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Gqeberha-born vocalist Belinda Davids has been cast as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard: The Musical, taking on the role Houston made famous in the 1992 Hollywood film. The South African production opens at Artscape in Cape Town on 12 March 2027 before moving to the Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg from 24 April.
For Davids, the role represents a new chapter in a career built largely around live performance and her remarkable vocal ability. It will be her first major musical-theatre role, requiring her to add acting and dancing to the repertoire that has already taken her across international stages.
Davids is no stranger to Houston’s music. She has performed internationally in The Greatest Love of All, a show built around the songs and legacy of the American superstar, and has become particularly known for her ability to tackle Houston’s demanding vocal catalogue.
Her four-octave range has often drawn comparisons with Houston’s own extraordinary voice. That ability was put firmly in the spotlight when Davids reached the finals of Britain’s Got Talent in 2020. Before her audition, Simon Cowell warned that singing Houston’s material meant having ‘tough shoes to fill’.
Davids answered with a performance of One Moment in Time that earned a standing ovation.
‘That was the audition we’d been waiting for all season.’
– Simon Cowell on Britain’s Got Talent
Three years later, Davids earned another major television moment in Spain when she received a Golden Buzzer on Got Talent: All-Stars before progressing to the final.
The Bodyguard gives Davids some of Houston’s biggest songs to work with, including I Will Always Love You, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, I Have Nothing, Run to You, Queen of the Night and So Emotional.
The musical follows superstar singer Rachel Marron as growing threats to her safety bring her into close contact with Frank Farmer, the bodyguard hired to protect her. What begins as a professional relationship develops into something more complicated, bringing together romance, fame and danger.
For South African audiences, the show also offers a chance to experience a familiar piece of 1990s pop culture in a live theatrical setting.
The original film was a global phenomenon, while its soundtrack went on to sell around 45 million copies worldwide and won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. I Have Nothing and Run to You were also nominated for Academy Awards for Best Original Song.
An all-South African production
Davids will not be carrying the production alone. The South African staging will feature an all-local cast, crew and band, with the rest of the performers due to be announced. Hazel Feldman of Showtime Management said Davids was a natural choice for a role demanding such a powerful vocal performance.
‘This is such a huge, challenging vocal role,’ Feldman said, adding that Davids had established herself internationally as a performer capable of delivering Houston’s songs with the necessary impact. Davids, meanwhile, says taking on the character is particularly meaningful because of her lifelong admiration for Houston.
‘I have loved Whitney Houston since I was a child. I’m so grateful.’
– Belinda Davids
The production follows Showtime Management’s recent work bringing internationally recognised musicals to South African stages, including Pretty Woman: The Musical and Mamma Mia!.
Event Details
The Bodyguard The Musical opens at Artscape in Cape Town on 12 March 2027, before transferring to the Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg from 24 April 2027.
Early Bird tickets offer a 20% discount for selected performances, including 17 and 18 March in Cape Town and 28 and 29 April in Johannesburg. The offer is available until 31 October 2026, subject to limited availability.
Tickets are being sold exclusively through Ticketmaster, available here.
The production carries a PG 12+ rating because of adult themes, language and content, with parental guidance advised.
For fans who grew up with Houston’s voice, or discovered her music long after the film became a classic, Davids’ casting adds a distinctly South African dimension to one of the world’s best-known pop soundtracks.
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Picture: Supplied
