Theater News

Whitney Houston Bio-Musical Headed for the Stage

The show is said to be based on the upcoming movie ”I Wanna Dance With Somebody”.

Whitney Houston sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV.
Whitney Houston sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXV.
(© YouTube)

A new stage show based on the life of Whitney Houston is on its way.

As the world prepares for the forthcoming biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody (directed by Kasi Lemmons and starring Naomi Ackie), which will be released in December, Variety has reported that the Houston estate is also eyeing the stage.

Ten years after Houston died, the estate revealed that "a Broadway adaptation of the biopic" is in the pipeline, with producer Sonia Friedman helping to steer the project toward a theatrical bow.

Houston is responsible for some of the greatest vocal performances of the last century, delivering powerhouse tunes such as "I Wanna Dance With Somebody," "How Will I Know," "Run To You," and renditions of Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" and Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You".

She died aged 48 in 2012, having made her acting debut in The Bodyguard in 1992 (which was later adapted for the stage, with a variety of Houston numbers involved). Other screen credits include the 1997 version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

Further details on the stage show are to be revealed. Plans for a Las Vegas destination show are also being developed.