WHEN former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer is hired to protect superstar singer Rachel Marron from a stalker, each of them expects to be in charge. What they don’t expect is to fall in love...
Smash hit romantic thriller The Bodyguard returns to the Alhambra next month, starring Grammy-nominated Melody Thornton of US girl group the Pussycat Dolls as Rachel.
Joining her is Emmerdale and Hollyoaks star Ayden Callaghan as Frank.
The slick musical, at the Alhambra from February 7-11, features Whitney Houston classics including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Run to You and, of course, that mega hit, I Will Always Love You.
Based on the 1992 Oscar-nominated movie starring Whitney and Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard had its world premiere in London’s West End and was nominated for four
Olivier Awards.
* BRADFORD’S Trapezium Gallery gets the new year underway with two very different exhibitions.
Line of Beauty by Andrew Heathcote features paintings depicting the landscape of Yorkshire. He captures the natural beauty of moors, hills and tree lines near where he lives.
Says Ken Woods of Trapezium Gallery: “Andrew’s landscapes appeal to us because they take a unique view of a very traditional subject. His bleak moorland landscapes with tempestuous skies evoke a remote world at the edge of reality, while his graphic images of trees and fungi highlight botanical precision.
“From a distance, we see nature pared back to its essential lines; if we step closer, we see microscopic detail. In both we see a fine understanding of composition and colour, which results in a strong sense of beauty.”
In contrast, Change the Subject! by Pauline Cooke is an exhibition of paintings, prints and textiles, exploring perceptions of the human body, when undergoing a period of change. The aim is to reveal how the body is internally felt and understood, with particular reference to the menopause.
Pauline explains: “The main creative idea is to take the representation of women’s bodies in medical diagrams and relate this to the felt experience of inhabiting a body in which changes are taking place. The menopause, in particular, effects every part of a women’s body and can provoke a complete change in lifestyle and personality. But it is also a subject regarded as distasteful, which women are expected to experience quietly and without fuss. I wanted to explore the physical and mental health changes experienced by women and to create a body of work which raises awareness and challenges accepted norms and taboo.”
Line of Beauty and Change the Subject! are at Trapezium Gallery on Kirkgate, Bradford city centre, from January 28 to February 18. Opening times are Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, 11am-3pm. Meet the artists at the launch event on Saturday, January 28 from 12-2pm.
Visit trapeziumarts.com
* THIS summer sees the first Settle Down Festival - a three-day line-up of folk-punk legends.
Headliners Ferocious Dog will be playing three of their albums in full across the weekend: their Red album on the Friday, Fake News on Saturday and Propaganda on Sunday, latest album The Hope.
Other acts include As December Falls, The Bar Stool Preachers, The Men They Couldn’t Hang and Popes of Chillitown.
Other festival attractions include indoor and outdoor bars and acoustic sets by acts including singer/songwriter Jess Silk. There will be camping facilities in a nearby field.
The festival takes place at Settle Victoria Hall from June 30 to July 2. Early bird tickets are on sale until February 28. Visit settlevictoriahall.org.uk
* THERE’S family Fun a-plenty at St George’s Hall this spring. From the producers of Sing-a-Long-a Frozen, comes Sing-along-a Encanto, an interactive show about the Family Madigral with lyrics on screen. As the film is shown, audiences are invited to sing their hearts out, and the host will be teaching some dance moves and showing how to use the free props bag. Fancy dress is strongly encouraged.
Circus Spectacular is Big Top variety show featuring international circus acts, culminating in a ‘slosh’ style finale.
Northern Ballet’s popular Ugly Duckling, suitable for ages three-plus, is a colourful re-telling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale and perfect for youngsters to enjoy live ballet, music and theatre for the first time.
Interactive stage show Dinosaur Adventure Live roars onto the stage, with intrepid rangers on a quest to recover data crystal, restore power to the island and save the dinosaurs!
The Jurassic experience sees young audiences introduced to incredible species and finding out incredible dino-facts.
* FROM animatronic dinosaurs to a Strictly hunk, there’s pretty much something for everyone in the new season at Halifax’s Victoria Theatre.
On Thursday, former Strictly Come Dancing champ Giovanni Pernice will be taking audiences back to his homeland in his new solo show, Made in Italy.
February kicks off with Bee Gees tribute Jive Talkin and, continuing the disco theme, Lost in Music gets into the groove of dancefloors of the 70s.
One of the most moving operas of all, Madama Butterfly, heads for the Victoria in February, performed by the Ukrainian National Opera. Sung in Italian, with English surtitles, it has a lavish set and an orchestra of over 30 musicians.
March brings comedy from Frankie Boyle and the stage tour of BBC Radio 4’s much-loved panel show I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, starring Jack Dee, Rory Bremner, Pippa Evans, Miles Jupp and Marcus Brigstocke.
Interactive family show Jurassic Earth, coming in April, features “astounding animatronic and excitingly real dinosaurs” and there’s more fun for families in an Easter pantomime, Rapunzel.
There’s music from Britain’s oldest ‘buoy’ band, Fisherman’s Friends, and folk-rock pioneers Lindisfarne, and acts paying tribute to Johnny Cash, Tina Turner, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, the Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra and Diana Ross. Visit victoriatheatre.co.uk
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