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Starlight Express

Cover to vocal selection album

A musical in 2 acts: Based on an idea by Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics by Richard Stilgoe; music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Apollo Victoria Theatre, London - 19 March, 1984
Gershwin Theatre, New York - 15 March, 1987 (761 perfs)


Story:

When the children are asleep, their toys play, especially the engines and carriages of the train set. They race across the set in a series of contests. There's the macho Pacific Daylight (better known as Greaseball), the fastest diesel, in contrast to Rusty, the little steam engine who merely works in the sidings. From France there's Bobo (Sudest), Italy offers Espresso (Settobello), and then there are the APT and entries from Russia, Japan and, at the last minute, the electrically powered super engine, Electra (AC/DC). They vie for superiority along with the best cars, trucks and cabooses. Rusty pulls the three boxcars, Rocky I, II and III. No chance for Rusty, it seems, with the smoking car, Ashley, Buffy the restaurant car, or the brand-new Pearl. Just to make his job more difficult, there's a two-timing guard's van called CB, who does all he can to sabotage Rusty and leave the way clear for Electra and Greaseball.

One by one the bigger, more powerful, locos come to grief. Rusty's Poppa wins an eliminator, but Rusty, with the help of the Starlight Express (his guiding star in the sky), must take over. He defeats Electra, and finally Pearl realises that Rusty is her engine. Greaseball may have a future - converted to steam and with Dinah in tow! There's a light at the end of the tunnel, and old-fashioned steam has beaten the new technologies.

Cast

Flat Top
Gook
Weltschaft
Tank
Bobo
Lube
Greaseball
Rusty
Ashley

Buffy
Dinah
Pearl
Joule/2nd Class Sleeper
Volta/3rd Class Sleeper
Rocky I
Rocky II
Rocky III
Dustin

C.B
Expresso
Turnov
City of Milton Keynes
Hashamoto
Krupp
Wrench
Purse
Electra
Belle

Musical Numbers

  1. AC/DC
  2. Belle
  3. Call Me Rusty
  4. The Chase
  5. Crazy
  6. Engine of Love
  7. Final Selection
  8. First Final
  9. Freight
  10. He Whistled at Me
  1. I Am the Starlight
  2. Laughing Stock
  3. Light at the End of the Tunnel
  4. A Lotta Locomotion
  5. Make Up My Heart
  6. Next Time You Fall In Love
  7. One Rock and Roll Too Many
  8. Only You
  9. Poppa's Blues
  10. Pumping Iron
  1. Race One
  2. The Rap
  3. Right Place, Right Time
  4. Rolling Stock
  5. Silver Dollar
  6. Starlight Express
  7. There's Me
  8. U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D.
  9. Wide Smile, High Style
  10. That's Me (C.B.)

 

 

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