Starlight Express review

Starlight Express Review - Broadway musical

Re-considered Cinderella’s story found an unusual expression in the form of locomotives and mowing railway vehicles. In the plot, a fairy godmother has been replaced by God of Trains – Starlight Express. In the rock musical, all the actors implemented act on the roller skates. Before begin to study their parts, each participant had to undergo four-month training on roller skates. For the first performance, they had to completely rebuild the London theater. On the Apollo Victoria Theatre’s stage has been equipped a real roller skating race track in several tiers – they even arranged the skate roads in the beholder’s hall. Those who managed to pass a casting on vocals, supposed to dance confidently on roller skates.

Slogans of rock show were ‘Extreme to the fullest’ and ‘The fastest musical in the universe’ that totally justifies the essence of what is happening on the stage. Additions over time to the script only brought entertainment to project, simplifying the complicated plot twists and giving more logic to everything what was going on. Due to the presence of characters onstage in the form of trains from different countries, specially rearranged scaffolding for skaters, allusions to active performers to famous rock idols – Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, AC/DC – and their recognition from the scene, a beautiful work of decorators, designers and costumers – the project has gained world fame and love. Each hero had his remarkable style of dance and a special set of movements. This ensured recognizability to everyone and everything.

Since Andrew Lloyd Webber was the original generator of ideas about the show of electric locomotives, he made easily any changes o libretto. Writer initially overcame a possible similarity with his other projects, for example, ‘Cats’. In addition to that, it was not the only show where the characters ride on roller skates. In the Broadway version of ‘The Little Mermaid’, residents also moved on them, revealing the depths of the sea. However, they didn’t have built rollerdromes, neither specially erected buildings for their spectacle. The greatest recognition in Germany can be attributed to a special personal touch to the staging. After all, this rock musical has its own building in Bochum, where performance still lives. Choreographer Arlene Phillips from London productions even created for fans of the show a special school dance on roller skates.
Last Update:July, 13th 2016

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