STARLIGHT EXPRESS- Page 2

[Stexer1974]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 6:26pm

I knew there was someone else besides ALW but wasnt for sure.... On the vegasartscorner.com site (Carolyns site) it does give ALW credit also for rewriting some of the lyrics as well as Mr. Yazbek. Updated On: 10/24/04 at 06:26 PM

[QueenMuppet]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 6:57pm

The Hip Hoppers??? No! That's just wrong! Where's the connection to trains? Rockies was ok for what trains they re-presented but Hip Hoppers?

QM

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 7:07pm

I adored this show when I saw it in London.
I was apalled when I saw the recent tour.
I was impressed by the talent, especially Rusty and Poppa.
But the production...
I'm sorry, I completely understand that a proper movable set is next to impossible for this show, but the 3D movie did nothing for me.
First of all, 3D glasses give me motion sickness
Secondly, the video itself showed the trains going through actually train track obstacles. I think it would have been much more convincing if they made it look like they were racing through the Boy's room.
Lastly, I live 45 minutes from DisneyWorld and Universal. 3D isn't new or inovative to me and the whole show made me feel like I was seeing a theme park version of a Broadway show.

[CarolynW]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 7:13pm

Stexer1974, my site does not give credit to ALW for writing the lyrics...unless I missed something:)


Here are the credits from my website:

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe
Additional Lyrics by David Yazbek


Yours,

Carolyn

[Stexer1974]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 7:14pm

Rusty was played by Franklyn Warfield whom the press nicknamed "The Silver Throated Tenor" and got great reviews especially considering the fact he was fresh out of college and Dennis Legree played Poppa and also received great reviews but the show itself did not recieve very much praise, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I would however like to watch an actual live race. Updated On: 10/24/04 at 07:14 PM

[Stexer1974]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 7:19pm

Carolyn,

this is what it said

Lloyd Webber began by rewriting the music and lyrics and updating the book, collaborating with Tony Award nominated
composer David Yazbek, composer and lyricist of The Full Monty. "I think what we’ve done is taken the best elements of
it. I’ve completely rescored it and rewritten it for today..." says Lloyd Webber.

http://vegasartscorner.com/Aladdin/starlight-US-03-p3.html Updated On: 10/24/04 at 07:19 PM

[CarolynW]

Posted: 10/24/04 at 7:58pm

That verbage was from Troika's press kit. I think one has to realize that they were saying that ALW began rewriting mucis and collaborated with Yazbek in the rest. I know that ALW has some input in the show, but I do not think he worked on the lyrics. But he was the one who O.K.d the lyrics so I take it as morea collabaration than ALW writing the actual lyrics. Hope that makes sense.

Sometimes Pr firms can get information incorrect, but in the credits it states that ALW only composed the music. So what can I say Troika made a mistake in how they worded it. Sorry I did not catch that.


Yours,

Carolyn

[JJsugar]

Posted: 10/25/04 at 2:30pm

i also saw it in London a few years back, and it was the worse show i think i ever saw! a waste of money and time !

i saw River dance in London also and some people walked out of that one after a couple of dances of it you just want it to stop!

i did enjoy Miss Siagon very much, and i also saw that in London a few years back!

i normally like going to a show,but Star light express is just bad! i stayed clear of that show STomp oh that looked really bad !

i love Phantom of the Opera and Le Miserable and could see those again and again i just love them and Evita also!

[fiyeros_elphaba]

Posted: 10/25/04 at 3:08pm

Def. NO!
This show is one of the worst shows I've ever seen. The music is terrible, there's NO PLOT or any kind of depth at all, and it's not even funny. The only impressive thing about it is the Rollerskating,but..that's not what should make a musical worth seeing.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 10/25/04 at 4:44pm

I loved Starlight Express when I saw the first national tour in the 80s, but when I saw it in London in 1999, it was awful. The show itself is not bad, but the entire cast phoned in their performances and the audience talked throughout the entire show. The changes in the book and score were completely unecessary and I feel that, other than Crazy, weakened the show. Technically, it was an innovative show that brought many spectacular new elements to musical theatre. I would love to see it return in its original version.

As for STOMP, well, it is sheer brilliance if you have an appreciation for dance, ingenuity and rhythm. There have been numerous knock-offs since it first opened, so it may not have the same jaw-dropping affect it did then, but there is no denying the talent behind its performers and its creators.

PS - A hopper car on a train is a freight car with a floor sloping to one or more hinged doors for discharging bulk materials. That's why they are called "hip hoppers", which actually makes more sense than "rockies".

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 10/25/04 at 11:58pm

This is the best show in the history of theatre.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 12:14am

Maybe. Afterall, we have Mamma Mia. I like this show, it is fun, and very entertaining, but it personally don't think it is right for Broadway.

[alterego]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 2:23am

There was a Australia/Japan tour about 15 years ago which played arena venues.It worked well, but they couldn't fill 10,000 seats a night. The show had a 'double' cast, that is they had the usual principals who when the 'races' started would start, then disappear into a tunnel to be replaced by Japanese stunt skaters, dressed the same as who they represented.The principals came from Australia, Britain and the U.S.

A friend of mine was in the German production about 5 yrs ago, he played Red Caboose. They cast mainly from Britain and Australia. The production is performed in German with the cast taught the lyrics phonetically (sp?).During a holiday from the show I played him the album that was made of the aforementioned tour cast and he heard his song in English for the first time.Nobody had explained to the cast what they were singing about! The show had a huge fan club in Bochum and he was mobbed regularly on the way home each night.

[Stexer1974]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 2:35am

The Bochum, Germany show still has a huge fan base to this day. The show there even has an Open Door Day every summer that some fans plan vacations for. They dress up in costumes and even have competitions for best costume and best fan performances etc. as well as meet and greets and backstage tours. StEx is big business (economically) in Bochum. They built a theatre especially for the show just like London, and its still going strong. Updated On: 10/26/04 at 02:35 AM

[Sant]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 10:52am

"They built a theatre especially for the show just like London, and its still going strong. "


CORRECTION: The Apollo Victoria Theatre where STARLIGHT EXPRESS played in in London was NOT built for the show!!

The auditoriun was MODIFIED for the set (= approx. 1100 seats were removed), but the building was designed by W. Lewis in 1930 and it was a cinema at first. In 1979 it was transformed into a theatre.

[Sant]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 10:57am

Or did you mean they built it because they wanted to do the show EXACTLY like in London - exactly the same kind of set?

If that was the case it was a bit of gambling! Think about the costs! Lucky for them the show was a hit!

Later on they have built theatres especially for a musical production to house BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, SUNSET BOULEVARD and as far as I know the Dutch production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

[Stexer1974]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 2:42pm

they built it because they wanted to do the show EXACTLY like in London - exactly the same kind of set?

That is what I meant. The German Theatre is called the Starlight Hall if I remember correctly although I could be wrong (I am sure someone will correct me if I am). On the same note though no matter when or why the Apollo Vic was built if you ask the population of London what comes to mind when the Apollo Victoria is mentioned....well they will say StEx. Updated On: 10/26/04 at 02:42 PM

[Sant]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 4:51pm

"if you ask the population of London what comes to mind when the Apollo Victoria is mentioned....well they will say StEx."

yep, just like Winter Garden in NYC will always be "that CATS theatre".

[BlueEyedKate]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 8:11pm

Ugh...I saw this musical back in London during 1995 - and I couldn't stand it. It seemed like the whole point of it was focusing on the physical, technological feats of the roller skating cast as opposed to the music...or heaven forbid, the plot.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 10/26/04 at 9:46pm

I love it when theatres are actually build for the shows esspecially like in Las Vegas. ZUMANITY, MYSTERE, and O (also soon to be PHANTOM OOF THE OPERA) were all build for the shows and that's where they have every luxury possible cause the shape and size and where the audience is can all be decided as the show is being created. When you produce these kind of shows you're involved in real estate property and contruction as well which is where its different from producing a broadway show. that's your entertainment business lesson for today lol

[rockfenris2005]

Posted: 10/27/04 at 2:39am

MACKINTOSH DIDN'T PRODUCE STARLIGHT EXPRESS!!!

That's the nineteenth time this week I've seen this mistake made!!! (Particularly in a book that idolizes Jerry Orbach...)

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 10/27/04 at 11:45pm

Which one did Mackintosh do? Phantom, Cats, LesMiz, Saigon, . . .did he do Sunset?

[Electra]

Posted: 11/11/04 at 10:35am

Starlight Express is a great show. I saw it in London in 1988 and went watching it again last night in Manchester UK. I have to admit though that it was better in London when they raced around the audience. In Manchester the races were shown on a large screen in 3D format and although I really enjoyed it, it wasn't as good as watching the cast skate around the audience.
I enjoyed it that much I have just booked to go and watch it again on the final night in Manchester!...can't wait!

[scotty]

Posted: 11/11/04 at 11:18am

It came to Melbourne when I was very young. It was so exciting to watch as a kid. 'ACDC' scared me....

[clarky]

Posted: 11/11/04 at 2:25pm

I saw the show in London twice and one time in Bochum. I have to say I liked the Bochum version better, because it was build for the show, so they had a real place for the races. But in London the cast was vocally much better. Maybe the Bochum cast was as good, but it was hard to judge because they sang in German and it did NOT sound like german at all.