LANSING, Mich.–Not everything made for the silver screen translates well to the stage, despite the best efforts of those involved. On the other hand, some things work even better on the stage than their original movie counterparts.

The Bodyguard is a mishmash of two musical genres—the jukebox musical and the movie musical. It might make one hesitate to see it for fear that it is lacking in originality or the singular magic that makes live productions work. But if one did so, one would risk missing out on something magical.

The Bodyguard, based on the 1992 movie with Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, really does work incredibly well for the stage, bringing together electrifying musical performances, intensely personal love scenes and a thrilling story told with the magic of stagecraft.

The musical starts with a bang—literally—and it never lets up. Even the quiet moments are powerful.

It helps that the touring show, currently at East Lansing’s Wharton Center, features Deborah Cox in the lead role of Rachel Marron. Like the character, Cox is herself a superstar and knows what it is like to pursue a career with the single-mindedness that Rachel does. And Cox makes you believe that Rachel is an A-list performer along the lines of Houston who originally created the role and whose music fills the entire production.

Her voice and her stage presence is stunning. When she makes her first appearance performing in a rock concert, she quickly makes believers out of the audience. But there is more to Cox’s magic than just her singing, as powerful as that is. She is also a talented actor who is adroit in her scenes with everyone from her son to her sister to the eponymous bodyguard, Frank Farmer (Judson Mills). She creates a woman who is powerful and capable, but also has her moments of vulnerability and fear.

Mills and Cox have a strong chemistry, one that is effective because they are both individually so strong and committed to their work. While their initial opposition seems a bit cliché, the relationship then develops in a very touching fashion and their choices are strong ones.

Mills gives us a bodyguard who may be considered the best in his field (though he tells us there is no such thing), but is still human and imperfect. The scene in the karaoke bar with him and Cox is not only a great deal of fun, but shows the depth that Mills infuses Frank with.

It is also a joy to watch the scenes between Farmer and Fletcher, Rachel’s 10-year-old son, played by Flint native Kevelin B. Jones III. They have an immediate strong relationship and they both play well off each other.

Jones makes sure that Fletcher is his mother’s son. He has great dance moves and can belt out his songs with the best of them. He’s got a charisma that makes you care not only about him but about his family and their safety. Fletcher raises the stakes for everyone and Jones is good at making that happen. He also shines when he gets his moment in the spotlight as a musical performer.

Jasmin Richardson brings empathy to the part of Nikki Marron, the sister who is always in the shadows and never gets the prizes that her more famous sibling does. Richardson expresses longing and frustration well and is powerful in her musical numbers. Her role differs from that of the movie and she is a more sympathetic and moving character.

There are a few times when Alexander Dinelaris’ script hangs up. In the need to keep things at a rapid pacing, there are some plot points that are skipped over too fast. There isn’t time to explain what happened and the audience is left guessing. That said, most of the adaptations work extremely well. This is especially true in the handling of the stalker. It is difficult to make thrillers work on stage—audiences tend to get nervous and respond with laughter to things that are intended to be intense. While that does happen in The Bodyguard, the book takes advantage of the theatricality of the presentation to raise the stakes and make things frightening.

Much of this is done with projections that form the backdrop of the musical, giving the audience both the first inkling of Rachel’s fame and introducing them to the stalker in a way that is creepy and frightening. Jorge Panlagua plays the stalker so well that he gets boos when he comes out for his curtain call, he’s just that discomforting. He would fit into a horror film the way he moves, the expressions he makes and the way he talks.

Tim Hatley’s costume designs help make Rachel the star that she is. Cox has several quick costume changes into Hatley creations that take her from a casual mom to a Grammy-winning rock star.

The Bodyguard is a showcase for Whitney Houston’s music, but all of the songs make sense where they are in the musical. They never feel ramrodded into place as is sometimes the case with jukebox musicals. They help to tell the story, reveal the characters and foreshadow what is to come, all the things that music should do in a musical.

Under Thea Sharrock’s direction, The Bodyguard treats its characters with sensitivity. They grow and change and feel authentic. The stage musical also puts the spotlight on the female characters, giving Rachel and Nikki important roles that are never overshadowed by Frank.

The Bodyguard is an evening filled with outstanding music and dance, a compelling story and stagecraft that makes it thrilling and engaging.