I saw this on Broadway sometime during the original run. It was TERRIFYING seeing how fast and furious the skating was. You got the sense the performers would either crash into each other during every song or hurl themselves out into the audience. Part of me thinks everyone who agreed to perform in this was crazy. So much potential for injury. I always adored Andrea McArdle, and I heard she injured herself during the show and eventually had to drop out. At one point she injured her cheekbone and then had to skate on the Tony Awards and they filmed her from a distance to hide the bruise because makeup could only hide so much.
I saw a Tik tok about starlight express that intrigued me because anthropomorphic trains??? So I did some research and I’m absolutely heart broken that there are no recordings of the full Broadway or even original west end version. I also fell in love with Greg Mowry’s voice and am crushed he quit Broadway and there is nothing else of his I can listen to. Also, if I ever am met with the opportunity to see this show live I am sad that Belle was cut as her song is my favorite from the soundtrack. God I love the 80s
To this day, for the life of me, I still don't understand why they didn't record the original Broadway cast. Greg Mowry, Riva Rice, Ken Ard, and Jane Krakowski where all amazing. But instead we were left with a dull concept album featuring B list recording artists. I saw the Broadway version five times and the West End twice. I loved this show as a 21 year old who had just moved to New York. Thanks for posting this and letting me travel down memory lane!
Andrew Lloyd Webber has said he was very reluctant to bring Starlight Express to Broadway because he feared he would get backlash from the Broadway elite being a Brit having had success in it. He likely felt a Broadway original cast album would be a difficult sell in America. Given the musical’s fairly short Broadway run and dodgy reputation here, it likely was ultimately a smart move on Webber’s part.
This is amazing that you even have this. I saw this on Broadway in 1987 when I was 13. I used to be mesmerized by the TV commercial and my mother had told me that if I did well in school that year, she'd reward me with taking me to see it. I worked my ass off and she did! This is bringing me right back to 1987...wow... I can remember the actor's faces so clearly watching this. This really freaked me out, amazed me, made me nostalgic, and brought me to tears all at once. Thanks!
"Belle the Sleeping Car" was one of my favourite songs in the show, when I saw the original London production, with tracks running all through the theatre. The races were live, not on videotape. A few years later, I saw the show again, but all the heart had been ripped out of it, along with Belle, CB, and several other characters. ALW couldn't stop tinkering with it.
I love CB in the beginning just like off to the side away from everyone moving his arms with an energy of "I can't believe I have to hang out with these idiots, just keep smiling and it'll all be over soon."
Thank you SO much for sharing this! Beautiful footage of the Broadway cast (sadly there isn't all that much out there...that cast was full of talent!) Really enjoyed watching! :)
grace eddy Starlight Express won the Tony for Best Costume Design-about the only one that wasn’t taken by Les Mis that year. (But then, the two shows had the same director and the same design and lighting teams, so it’s not like they lost out.)
I like how in only you, rusty had his “starlight express” costume on, they took that costume change out three performances into previews. This costume was supposed to his transformation, and the trains were not supposed to recognize him, and when they asked who he was, he would say “the starlight express”. This costume change was taken out because it took too long to get into (given 3 minutes). The costume also looked too closely to the gang members.
Greg Mowry has such an incredible voice, but there's no other videos out there of him except the tony's bc he quit broadway after this, so it's wonderful to hear more of him...thank you thank you thank you!!!!
I’m so sad he quit broadway because that voice is unmatched. No one sings this show like him. But there are bootlegs of the closing night on RU-vid as well.
0:10 - Freight 0:56 - A Lotta Locomotion 2:11 - AC/DC 3:08 - Pumping Iron 3:52 - Memphis Belle 4:59 - Starlight Express 5:36 - Only You 6:50 - The Starlight Sequence (I Am the Starlight) 7:31 - Light At the End of the Tunnel 8:51 - Race: Downhill Final
Only for her song though, at least in the version I watched. She fell asleep again before she had a chance to race, but it was great to hear her song, it’s lovely
Andrea Mcardle is a standout. Who knew trains could be so sexy! I didn't get to see this on Broadway...but I caught it in the UK in 2000. It was a good time. 👍
i noticed that someone fell on stage at the very end of the race (last clip) and i felt really bad. it wasn't pearl it was a male i believe. aww i feel bad it was on the tracks next the audience
Rusty, you can't be serious You'll go in, for the race? You gotta be strong I am strong And belong You gotta have speed I have No you need it! What you need is a mixture of strength, of power and length If you're gonna have pull where it counts But Pearl, you said, you'd go with me But that was ages ago! I have to feel more We have to feel more We need to be certain, we need to be sure I have to feel more We have to feel more We need to be certain we need to be sure A lotta locomotion That's what we need From a locomotive who can take the lead From the eastern ocean To the western sea Locomotion's gonna carry me A lotta locomotion, that's what we need If we are ever gonna get up speed A lotta locomotion and the right approach For there are lots of different kinds of coach Like me, I'm Ashley, I'm the smoking car I've tried to kick the habit but my inside's used to tar I know if I don't give up I might choke or have a stroke That scares me And when I'm scared Boy, I need a smoke Buffy at your service, ever open wide My microwave is cooking to warm you from inside A lotta locomotion will do the trick Come and bite my burgers, I'm hot and cheap and quick My name is Dinah, I'm the dining car I'll cook for you and listen while you lean upon my bar I'll serve you with your dinner while the train goes loop the loop Gee, I'm sorry gentlemen, I hope you wanted soup A lotta locomotion That's what we need If we are ever gonna get up speed From the eastern ocean To the western sea Locomotion's gonna carry me My name's Pearl, I'm a brand new girl My springs still bounce, my fans still whirl Ain't gonna smoke, ain't gonna drink What are you gonna do? What do you think? A lotta locomotion Underneath the sun Gotta try them all until She finds the one From the eastern ocean To the coast out west Gotta test them all Until I find the best A lotta locomotion, that's what we need From a locomotive who can take the lead From the eastern ocean To the western sea Don't stop the pistons stroking Don't stop the firemen stoking Don't make me give up smoking Give up smoking? You gotta be joking Locomotion's gonna carry me
when it first toured Japan and Australia in 87 it played in Arenas so the set was just as big if not bigger really,but was played in the centre of the Arena with the audience watching it from all different angles a bit like it is in Germany. The difference was there was a cast of about 70/80 as they doubled the national engines and had stunt racers who doubled up as principle characters and did the races only. It was an amazing version of the show,a real spectacle and featured quite a lot of stunts and tricks in the show that were'nt in either the London or Broadway versions of the show. They also had performers who were'nt on skates,but were there as marshals on the track doing acrobatic stunts too. They revived that tour again in 89 and there was a plan to tour the new version of the show world wide using the japan/Asustralian set in the mid 90s,but the set and costumes were lost in a fire at Andrew Lloyd Webbers storage wherhouse down in Brighton alongside the london Sunset Boulevard set and other costumes and sets too. All other tours in both the UK & USA have always been significantly scaled down set wise and cast wise in recent years, with film footage/3d footage being used for the races, the last UK tour was dubbed the "no-set set" by fans of the show as it was played on a flat stage with no levels or track.
When the show opened in Vegas, they had didn't have enough space for track to race on, so they filmed the races in 3d. It then became the standard for tours, with a circular stage protruding over the orchestra pit and two small, moveable ramps for stunts. Because it was the Vegas version that got filmed, the less tasteful "Vegas showgirl"-style costumes had to be used on the tours. I was lucky enough to see the new version of Starlight Express for 2018 in a workshop production in London last month, with an introductory presentation by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Arlene Phillips. The rest of the creative team was there as well, and I got to meet Michal Fraley who started training the skaters for the Broadway production and is still training all new cast members. If you love Starlight, you need to read his book "Skating the Starlight Express". At the workshop, we had a great cast of familiar West-Enders, and we had Mica Paris as Momma instead of Poppa, and she was fantastic. If you saw the recent versions of the show, the dreadful "Whole Lotta Locomotion" has been replaced by a great new song. Fingers crossed we get a new production in the West End with a purpose-built auditorium like the one in Bochum.
@@robwarner9371 the filmed races they used for vegas were the ones filmed for the previous US tour, not the 3D ones that came later. They did race partially on the set then would zoom offstage and the film would take over at various points throughout the race. The vegas version was based on the "NEW LONDON "1992 version , but because they were using the old US tour film that had Red Caboose on it they had to insert him back into the show, although He did'nt sing either of his featured songs, just One rock n Roll too many with GB & Electra. Happy We've got it back as a full production now here in London , I can't wait to see it live after seeing clips and hearing some of the songs with the new arrangements and characters.
@@ladyjennyanytime5195 hey - thanks for the update! I was going by Michal Fraley’s memoir (R.I.P.) so it looks like I misread the chapter on filming the 3D races. There have been so many changes to this show that it gets difficult keeping up with them all, so I appreciate the input. I’d be interested if someone wrote an illustrated book on all the different versions and what changed each time. Enjoy the new London production. It’s a highly entertaining evening with some impressive special effects, but the basics have been neglected. The skate camp clearly wasn’t long enough for those who hadn’t skated before and getting rid of Arlene’s choreography was a big mistake, but most of the new cast don’t look like they could’ve handled it. I just hope they don’t replace the Bochum production with this new version so we have the option to see both versions.
I saw it at East End in London in 1996. Even the CD was not available in Korea, but I learned all the lyrics of the numbers by heart. When I became a mom and had a boy, I wished I could share this wonder with him, but even the East End show is gone now.
Video of the closing night performance exists but the first 15 minutes were lost unfortunately. There is, however, a soundboard with the entire show most of the original Broadway cast available! It's unlisted here on RU-vid!
Starlight Express was one of my first Webber shows I saw at ‘The Apollo Theatre’ across the pond in London sometime in December 1990 with my twin celebrating our 18th. We lived in Belgium at the time. It was a very memorable show! The singing for the Broadway production seemed a bit forced and rushed. I was getting the whole 80’s vibe! I did not care for the actor playing Rusty. What was he doing trying to sing in a style that didn’t suit him? It was awful. That’s the fault of the musical director.
I love ALW’s music, but this show looks incredibly boring once the roller skating gimmick loses its novelty. Nice to see Jackie from Kimmy Schmidt at the beginning, though.
When I saw this in London, the cast skated 360 degrees around the audience. On Broadway, they had to nix that idea. Nonetheless the show both on the West End and on Broadway was boring piece of drek.
