Tony Winner Heather Headley Tapped to Channel Whitney Houston in Stage Adaptation of The Bodyguard

Tony winner and Grammy winner Heather Headley is heading back to the stage to belt some of Whitney Houston's most famous hits, according to The Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye. Headley has been tapped to star in the previously reported musical stage adaptation of the 1992 romantic thriller The Bodyguard, which turned the song “I Will Always Love You” into a bestselling single. Thea Sharrock (who helmed the Broadway revival of Equus with Daniel Radcliffe) will serve as the director for the project. A fall 2012 bow in London's West End is expected.

Headley won the 2000 Best Actress in a Musical Tony Award for playing the title role in Aida. She also notably originated the role of Nala in Broadway's The Lion King. Her other stage credits include an Encores! presentation of Do Re Mi. Her debut album This Is Who I Am was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2002. She won a Grammy in 2010 for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album for her third album, Audience of One.

The Bodyguard starred Houston as soul-singing diva and film star Rachel Marron, who hires a former U.S. Secret Service agent, Frank Farmer, (played in the film by Kevin Costner) as her personal bodyguard for protection from an obsessed and violent fan. In addition to “I Will Always Love You,” which was written by Dolly Parton, the movie features the songs “I’m Every Woman,” “Run To You,” “I Have Nothing,” “Queen of the Night” and “Jesus Loves Me,” all sung by platinum-selling artist Houston. Additional numbers on the soundtrack include Joe Cocker’s “Trust In Me” and Soul System’s “It’s Gonna Be A Lovely Day.” The numbers are expected to be a part of the stage adaptation, which will feature a book by Alex Dinelarius.

The film, which was nominated for two Academy Awards (for Best Original Song for “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You”), grossed over $410 million worldwide.