Whitney Houston’s smash hit single “I Will Always Love You” was everywhere in the nineties. It was the musical centerpiece of the 1992 Oscar-nominated romantic thriller “The Bodyguard,” starring Houston and Kevin Costner. In a way, the Grammy Award-winning soundtrack was as big as the movie.

Now, a musical version of “The Bodyguard” has been created for the stage, and the songs are front and center. It recently opened at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey – not far from Whitney Houston’s hometown, Newark. Christopher Benincasa spoke with Paper Mill’s Producing Artistic Director Mark Hoebee about what it takes to pull off a musical based on a blockbuster and some of the most iconic pop songs of an era. “The Bodyguard” runs through January 1 at Paper Mill Playhouse.