Interestingly, the biggest change of all is the one you missed out. The ditching of Arlene Phillips’ iconic choreography. The new choreography was designed, it appears, by someone with no real idea about dancing on roller skates or, indeed, how to roller skate properly. Instead of Greaseball dancing a full-on jive with Dinah during Pumping Iron, with all the traditional jive movements incorporated (which is the thing that really cements their relationship in act 1) Greaseball rolls forward a bit, then backwards a bit, punching the air and waving her arms. During Make Up My Heart, Pearl rolls slowly around the stage with just a single, half-hearted arabesque during the instrumental bridge. No turns, spins, grace. In the big group numbers - step left, step right, wave arms, then stand completely still while the stage revolves. Another key element that is now missing - Arlene gave each engine and carriage their signature moves. When the characters were dressing the stage, or rolling into place for a race, you’d see Ashley having a puff on her cigarette and tap the ash into the ashtray on her costume. Buffy would do an elaborate gesture raising her arm as though carrying a tray single-handed. Now, they are just people on stage wearing a costume that barely tells us who/what they are meant to be. The first footage I saw of the Troubadour production on RU-vid was the megamix, and I knew that the new choreography was going to be dubious as soon as the cast rolled forward after the Pumping Iron section. When you start skating from a standing start, you stand upright, bend your knees and push off. The choreography they were given (lean forward, punch hands down right then down left) ruins that aesthetic and makes even a good skater like Hydra look clumsy. I reckon Michal Fraley is spinning in his grave seeing the poor skating technique. Watch the Troubadour megamix, then watch the Bochum megamix. Absolutely no comparison.
@robwarner9371 agreed that the choreo of this new one pales in comparison. I will say I saw it in previews and the cast did look a tad unsure of themselves. The space is also a lot smaller so I wonder if it's been really drawn back choreo wise to suit the space and nerves of the performers? Even though I do agree that without the great choreo it feels a tad flat
Best show I ever saw in my life back in 1986! I've seen it several times since, and while some have been good, others have been just AWFUL (specifically the extremely dumbed down London version which basically an enormous kick in the balls to a kid that begged, pleaded and anxiously waited 7 years to see the 'REAL' StEx in the proper venue he saw 7 years prior. The three American edits were enjoyable but starting to tilt to hokey and a feel more reminiscent of a mediocre Disney cartoon, rather than the kinda creepy macabre fantasy vs technology feel on the original that felt like a blend of Tron, labyrinth, back to the future, neverending story, the quest & solar babies! The versions since that mid 90s Trainwreck that was primarily the result of a caboose (or rather the idea of removing the show's most interesting and rather neo realistic character) was some sort of positive improvement. Regardless, if you had the kick ass original version, you would know that Rusty does NOT need Dustin (nor should need Hydra to win!!! The original version of the show highlighted that the only thing keeping Rusty from victory earlier in the show, was himself and his lack of confidence!
As a major fan of Caboose, I was kinda bummed he got the axe with this revamp. But then Slick completely won me over. Definitely a worthy successor to everyone’s favorite rail-riding psychopath.
All I have to say is, there's a reason why StEx has been around for 40 years, consistently. It's one of the greatest musicals by ALW and it is so incredibly timeless. A bit of adaption left and right, scratch some songs write some new ones. Switch up some characters and boom same thing just updated. I think what does the trick for this musical specifically is that it's not set to play in a specific decade or century & that it isn't linked to any historically relevant facts. It is this beautiful dreamworld created by Control, which even adults can relate to as for the time in the theatre, the inner child comes crawling out. Now I really don't know how to feel about them actually making Control visible, as to me that voice gave us the possibility to imagine whatever we wanted but I do think it has a nice touch.
totally agree with all of this. I feel the same way about control as I like the VO effect of making you are part of the imaginary world, but it also worked quite well in showing us the joy a child was clearly getting by playing with the trains
"if it isnt broken, don't try to fix it!" AKA the common sense philosophy that continually gets disregarded and keeps detailing Starlight Express &/or switching it onto the wrong track! The very first version I saw (circa late 85- early 1986 - before any unnecessary, cheesy &/or desperate rewrites/revisions) was "out of this world!" I've seen the show at least 15-20 times since (prolly closer to 30). Some were REALLY WELL DONE (two of them were actually officially licensed 'amateur' productions! The incredibly cutting edge, creative wardrobe of the 2024 production is neither original (most of the costumes are blatant copy cat "reinterpretations" or rather discreetly disguised forgeries of ideas that were dreamt up by actual artists capable of dreaming up works that weren't not only well received to a certain degree, they were worthy of enough positive reception that they were worthy of copying!!!! For instance, Electra's 2024 costume design seems to have an uncanny amount of similarities to the outfit that Elecman is seen wearing in the original 1986 Capcom video game called "Mega Man!". Call me a sour puss if you like, but you said it best when mentioning that the show is based around the events of id what a TRAIN loving child dreams about! And how silly wou
As a person who saw it wherever I could since Broadway, you have done a great job boiling it down! The cast was great. If we’re going deep, odd changes… As a lifelong Starlight person. Greaseball is the character that used to be a pompous male ass***. The kind of person you’d think is a wannabe or a joke. They have now changed her into a really cool Engine that you want to like instead of thinking is an idiot. That’s what made Greaseball so fun. He was the dumb jock to laugh at when Dinah told him to “go away you B A S T A * #..” Not sure when this happened Bottom line? The music still carries the show and it was great. These are still classic ALW tunes written between Cats and Phantom. YES, they removed “Lotta Locomotion” (for Crazy!??) and I miss the Red Caboose and “There’s Me”, but they’re not coming back. All the hits are still in the show. Loud, in your face, beautiful, everywhere. Call me Rusty is back and Momma sings a great Momma’s Blues. I was on my feet! Thank you for the post and your deep dive into the show.
Starlight Express was the first show I saw as a kid two decades ago, and my mum's loved it longer, having seen the 1992 revival - and honestly, we both thought this was the best version we've ever seen. It's funny to see people invoke ALW in their hate when he's the one who's made the changes; he was so displeased with how Bochum had evolved over the years that he threatened to shut it down a decade or so ago, but then made changes there that've then found there way over to this production as well. As you say, it's a show that goes through a lot of change as part-&-parcel of its history. I guess I'm just surprised to see so much hate when it brought me SO much joy. Al as Greaseball was a delight! Different, sure, but a change that I fully embraced. I'll confess, the choreography doesn't set the stage alight at times, & the races are less compelling in a smaller arena, but they're improving with each show. The whole atmosphere of the theatre makes up for it imo.
I saw this product at Wembley last night. I thought the cast and music were great and Momma had a deep soulful amazing voice. Was disappointed that there was no ceiling track as for me, this was the main USP of the show. Everyone who talked about the original production mentioned the ceiling race and I was disappointed that this wasn’t in the new version.
@ludobrien9586 totally valid. I mentioned this in my review I just posted that the set and racing are quite underwhelming compared to other productions
5:00 Belle actually started out as a sleeping car, got removed, got brought back in the 90s, then got brought back at some point with the Bochum production as the bar car to replace Ashley. Now she’s here as the sleeping car once more. Also, Purse and Krupp got cut back in 2018 and got replaced with Killerwatt, who is still here. I have no clue why Purse was cut, but Krupp was cut due to controversies with his name and inspiration. Also, on the topic of characters being cut or changed to have the show be more equal gender-wise (in 2018 specifically) it did not work out as well as they thought it would. Carrie and Belle both had whatever lines they had done away with, Volta was genderbent to be male, and they made certain roles (Wrench, The Rockies, Greaseball’s Gang) open to all genders. This might just be me having rose-tinted glasses, but I vastly prefer the show before 2024 and before 2018. The old costumes actually looked like trains, the characters had more dimension to them, for example, Rusty wasn’t just “the nice boy” and still had a bit of bite to him, and Pearl wasn’t just “the naive love interest”. And the Red Caboose, I barely expected him of all people as the villain, for Slick and especially Brake Van, they were just predictable, boring villains. And finally, the costume designs. 2018 took away most of the color, especially with Electra and the components, but now they don’t even look like train cars. Initially, I couldn’t even remember which fuel truck was which because they had no unique silhouettes or details to make them stand out against each other. This aspect is a glaring mistake with the 2024 components, because I don’t think anyone can tell them apart, compared to the unique designs of the past components, this just falls flat. The old shows definitely had issues, which were definitely fixed over the years, but I feel that they went too far in that direction, and ended up making the show feel flat and sanitized, with nothing beneath the surface. But that’s just my opinion.
I preferred the original but still thoroughly enjoyed this new production. Much cheaper option than going to Germany! I can "forgive" all changes, but was sooo disappointed that Caboose was cut (again). Slick was fine, but Caboose will always be my favourite
As someone who knew nothing about starlight express, didn’t grow up with it never saw it live never even listened to the soundtrack, I loved it. And I think all these people who complain about the new production are comparing it to the original that they grew up with and loved. And maybe the new one isn’t nearly as good as the original, maybe some key characters were cut I don’t know, all I know is I love it, many other people my age and older loved it, and kids are still loving it. And that’s the same for so many other shows. Many people hate Hamilton cast changes because they’re used to the cast they saw and got to know, and this is the exact same. But it seems that the older starlight fans are all very bitter that they didn’t get to see something they loved again. To that I say just go and see the German one and leave the 2024 revival to all the new fans. This will probably annoy loads of people but, due to me knowing the 2024 revival before anything else, and that being the cast and production I’m used to, I’m not the biggest fan of the German production, or the older London and broadway ones. Yeah there’s some costume choices I prefer from the other versions, I really wish we had something more similar to Dinahs blue and white outfit, but overall I prefer these new ones. Like sorry Electras other outfits are outrageous but that’s just me. I also prefer a lot of these new changes. I personally love female greaseball and would probably lose some enjoyment of the character if I were to see a male version. But once again, that’s just me, because that’s the version I’m used to now. And I can appreciate that people don’t like change especially for something they love and grew up with, but this adaptation clearly isn’t meant for the old fans, and if you don’t like this new version of singing trains on rollerskates, just don’t watch it. When it inevitably is changed again in the future, I know that I probably won’t like it as much as this production, but I can understand that changes are made to appeal to a variety of fans. At the end of the day, this is a show for kids, and if the changes are going to make kids enjoy it more then I think that’s fine. I know if I was a kid seeing the 2024 production, I’m like 80% sure I would’ve preferred this production to any others (only 80% because I haven’t seen the others, and I’m not a kid, I can’t speak for 7 year old me) It pains me to see older fans drag this new one and the people who like it, claiming that we need to go and see the German one, when it’s clearly them that does if they’re so worked up about this. Also I hate seeing people slander the actors when they are all phenomenal when I saw them live.
I think you need the national trains to get the characters to match their identities, relationships and songs. For example Greaseball and dinah pair from the USA and his rock and roll songs with her country style for Uncoupled. Which for me is why Greaseball is a male character. The actress who plays her does a great job but in my opinion it's a male character. We did like having the controller on stage though. The change around of the songs positions (such as crazy) confuses the story and takes away from building the character relationships for the audience. There is a couple of story consistency issues as well. For example Dinah sings uncoupled about being ditched by Greaseball but the controller literally said 30 seconds before that all engines need to change partners for the final race.
I don't want to miss it, and regret it......but I really am reluctant to see it owing to the changes. Mostly the new costumes, but also I see in your comments down below that you referred to Greaseball being like Gaston in that he was a bit of a misogynist with an over inflated self worth and I just cant see how this works with a female playing the role. From the snippets that I have heard from the sneaked theatre audio the sons haven't been shifted to suit the performers voice which lets them down.
4:39 I'd like to clear somethings up relating to Belle. From what I can tell, there have been three characters named Belle in Starlight Express's history, all of which are unrelated to each other. The original Belle was Belle the Sleeping Car in 1984. In London she was removed in 1992, whereas other productions, such as Bochum, already removed years prior. Belle the Bar Car, was introduced in Bochum in 2018. There's also another Belle the Sleeping Car, introduced in the 2017 Workshop, who has more in common with Belle the Bar Car then Belle the Sleeping Car from 1984. I believe Belle the Sleeping Car from 2017 is the Belle in Starlight Express 2024.
Haven't seen it yet, heading down in Feb for my 40th. Thanks for this video, would love to see the bochum version one day but it's few and far between that they do an English performance. For me, the change is simple. In the 80s, you still had class 67 locomotives pulling 10 car consists cross country, alot of local commuter trains were flat faced, boxed diesel sprinters. Ie, the 80s version was boxy. Nowadays, cross country trains are your sleek Hitachi 800 style (LNER Azuma, Lumo, trans pennine, GWR) and the local commuters tend to be the turbostar model, sleek, aerodynamic, tilted fronts. This new production with slicker, smoother, more aerodynamic costumes reflect this. For what little my opinion is worth, that's the way I look at it.
Belle was originally a sleeping car, cut in the early 90s, then 2017- present the bar car in Bochum, with Wembley going back to sleeping car. Duvay was only in the UK tours 2004-2012 (or 13?) As for gender equality we've lost so many female characters that on balance we only have about two more... Not to mention the ones cut were the more cool and confident, which is so bizarre when the reasoning was "empowerment".
I would disagree. I have watched reginal productions that used the original as their base and the show was far more sexist imo with the 2024 production giving the women more autonomy. They may have cut the more edgy characters but in doing so they have reworked the passenger cars into being more than just 'the girls', because there's more dimensions to women than being either 'cool' or 'girly', but to each their own.
@@Flower.Theatre Yes, women are certainly more than just that, but that's also why I'm disappointed by change in the characters. I can't speak for the Wembley production but based on Bochum and the UK tours I feel like they went from separate individuals (which, yes, in broad strokes was very "cool" or "girly") to just "sassy". Pearl is supposedly shy, but that lasts for about two seconds.
@@LadyDragonbanethe 2024 production keeps all the carriages very distinct. Pearl stays shy and unsure of herself for the majority of the show, only rally coming out of Her shell with Rusty. Tassita and Belle are perhaps the least distinct but both have unique quirks and then Dinah is confident and loud and obsessed with GB😅
I have been a fan of Starlight Express for decades and seen multiple versions over the years and I saw the new version a few weeks ago in London. I differ to agree with quite a few of your points and some of your facts in your review are incorrect . Every single cast member gave it 110% effort and I applaud them for that. I got the sense that the actors could have been a lot more daring with their stunts and choreography and skated at a lot faster speed but were not allowed to for health and safety reasons . The track was far too small for them to show what was possible. They were on the bowl/ ramp far far less than all the other shows I have seen. They had a lot of energy and vibrancy but this felt held back, they had a whole lot more to give. The special effects and set were diluted compared to previously. There was no hydraulic bridge which was a true jaw dropping spectacle and iconic to the whole show and so dynamic. It was like another character who has now been lost. There were far less exits and entrances,fewer track levels and less pop up scenery which detracted the drama and didn't help stretch the audience's imagination as much. Some things were great and worked brilliantly and needed to change, Hydra being the main one and Rusty's conversion to hydrogen. Mamma worked better than Poppa. Pearl and Rusty were younger, more naïve, more innocent and much sweeter and more cute and more romantic. The Starlight Express arrival was the best I have ever seen and made me cry my eyes out. I expected change and did not expect a replication of my experience of the original version in the Apollo but it has gone too far which has alienated fans of the original and Bochum version and lost so much of its identity hence a lot of harsh reviews and loss of cash potential from repeat attenders who were hardcore fans. It felt so politically correct it was cringeworthy and sanitised and felt like some changes were made just to tick a box without being properly thought through, which was confusing. In the process of this a lot of themes, plotline comedy and characterisation were lost, which made it feel less fun and less witty. It felt it was entirely revamped for children and young people and did not consider it's loyal fan base enough. Other ALW musicals haven't changed this much? If Phantom of the Opera was revised would we have a male Christine and a female Phantom? Would the next Joseph be a girl? If they are going to do this the musical score should be changed appropriately to match the vocal abilities of the gender shift and characterisation would need remodeling. It's still a unique, quirky and fun show but very very different, there is still magic there but less. More complexity and spectacle could be added, maybe this will happen as the actors grow in confidence and changes can be woven in. A bit of revision could make all the difference. Go and see it if you are a Starlight Express fan don't be put off by some of the awful reviews that are very cruel but expect a big big difference.
@@sarahgoulding4579I don't know if you've been to Bochum since the revamp, but the bridge doesn't go as high as it used to if it even still gets used. When I went last year, Tom Nihill was my Electra and he didn't even come sliding down the bridge like they used to (may have been personal preference or they just don't anymore)
I saw it last week and thought it was dreadful in compaired to the original. The costumes looked more like Transformers. The casting of Greaseball as a women is just ridiculous it really doesn't work .The whole production doesn't flow as it did and is a mixed up mess .It over lit ,taking away the atmosphere .The races are very dull and slow incompaired.to the original production. Rusty singing crazy as his first song is just that crazy . The changes have completely spoilt what was an incredible show .Now its a really bad imitation. The story doesn't work like it used to .Their are just to many changes .With most of the original songs gone and the show being cut by twenty minutes just makes it worse. If you haventvseen the original listen to the soundtrack and your here the difference and how bad this new version is .
I have listened to the soundtrack since I was a kid and have seen a number of regional productions that followed the original casting and costumes (though not the sfx of course lol) and I still loved this production. It is perhaps and accquired taste and something that fans of old productions will struggle to adapt to, but I think ALW and the production team was smart to target new audiences as opposed to relying on older fans to maintain ticket sales. but to each their own
@@Flower.TheatreI’m glad you liked it, but the problem I have with this production is, they relied on the older fans to finance the thing without being transparent about the sheer volume of planned changes and the fact that they were aiming it at a different audience. It was marketed as a return of the legendary show, not a reimagining. This is thoroughly dishonest marketing and a real slap into the face to fans who’d waited patiently for YEARS to see another London production, and had kept supporting it through tours and going to Bochum. They exploited the nostalgia of long-term fans and then delivered something that barely resembled any previous production. It’s like ordering a Big Mac and being given a bucket of day-old KFC…it’s not what you paid for. The hate that older fans have received if they complain about the amount of changes has been despicable. These people have no idea what Starlight has meant to some of us, and now we are just sneered at. The costumes were terrible. Gabriela Slade just repurposed her designs from Six - that was just lazy. Greaseball’s costume was the only one that stood out. And the choreography, skating and performances were well below the quality we’re used to and not good enough for amount of money being charged for tickets. I am beyond disgusted with what they’ve done with this production and after 32 years, I am done with Starlight. This isn’t Starlight, this is bull 💩, and they have a damn cheek to even call it Starlight with so many changes.
I agree with @Flower.Theatre. The idea that you can see Starlight Express live again is something I never expected to happen ever. I mean they still have Freight is Great. Amazing to hear this music live again even if I don't love every change.
I wonder if the lack of skating to the original is down to capability…prob health and safety too …(no joke) and a smaller venue. But I agree it seemed more generic in choreo movement, this was less stylised per character and the actual fact they’re trains, and they were slower on the wheels all round. It was a shame only the kids on scooters got to fly up the back part…the joy of the 80s was watching them fly over the back! But again a smaller space. Also the impression was given that without hydrogen Rusty wouldn’t have won….but the whole point is that it’s Starlight Express that gives him the self belief and ability to win.
I personally think the new production of this show absolutely smashes the older versions, the music is brilliant and we definitely need a cast recording on CD 💿
Saw the original in 94 at the Apollo. Next to Joseph and Phantom....the Apollo version was the best musical I had ever seen..then and since. I even saw the Ice version....why of why do you castrate the original characters??? The original show was WAAAAAAY ahead of it s time with a diverse cast WITHOUT knocking you over the head to remind you how "diverse" and proper it was. Admit it.....99% of straight females would fall for Greaseball. If you disagree...you are lying. And if you say its speaking to a new audience...please define WHAT that new audience is? I will wait..........
a new audience- as it a younger generation of theatre fans who are looking for different things from shows- such as diversity and representation. The sfx of the original production were out of this world, and yes they new production pales in comparison in that respect yet. also Idk what 99% of straight females you are talking about but i've always read greaseball as a gaston like character who is very driven by the male gaze (and as someone who is friends with more than 1 bochum greaseball I can confirm that the cross casting with gaston is very much a thing). Yes, he is supposed to be played by a good looing man, but his character is smarmy and well- forgive the pun- greasy imo. Updating characters to appeal to new audiences is far from a crime. Totally fair if you don't like the updates though
@@Flower.Theatre First...loved the video! I have to disagree about younger audiences looking for "diversity and representation" because I guarantee you that most "younger audiences" in the states and England already see themselves represented in shows. I am all for updating songs, but most young audiences are going to shows like Starlight because most older and middle ages theater goers want to share the show that they saw with their "younger audience" I am one of those and could not wait to show my son this production....but after seeing and hearing what it is....he is not seeing the artists original intention and to put it bluntly...this production looks like a Jerry Lewis telethon. It's as if Andrew Lloyd Webber is now anti white male and last i checked....most theatergoers are not exactly diverse. I could be wrong....but next time you are in a theater....take a look around. Keep up the good work!
@@butterbookthe thing is, there have been some new style shows in London that are full of those aspects you say young people aren't bothered by, but those shows had huge following by younger audiences. So it's no wonder that other shows want to do something similar to capture that part of the market. I don't blame them. Obviously not everyone likes that, my point is really there's a lot of ticket sale data that finds that shows with that kind of diversity positivity attract a lot of the under 30 crowd who don't want to watch more traditional theatre shows.
@@butterbook ones immediately that come to mind in London are Ursula, Mulan Rouge (which was at the vaults before the venue closed), and A Strange Loop. Many of these tend to be at smaller venues on the fringes and were surprise hits attracting a lot of younger audiences. I guess the mainstream shows want to capture some of that.
@morgandenoia3138 score and soundtrack whilst different yes, can both still be used for musicals in my opinion. A score is technically correct for something like Starlight, however I tend to use them interchangeably as being pedantic about these sorts of things can make the videos less accessible to ppl who maybe aren't as "in the know" about certain terminology
