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The Musicals/Stage Productions Topic!!!

Went to the Playhouse in Liverpool this afternoon for Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein The Musical.

Were Viktors grandson Frederick inherits not only his castle but the want to raise the dead back to Life.

Really funny and with some catchy songs I really enjoyed this.

Its on in Liverpool til early January.
 
Been to see Starlight Express, at what I would call Fountain Studios, Wembley.

I'm honestly torn.

I was well aware that this was not the same show I remember from the Victoria Apollo. But it was a lot more different than I expected.
..... And none of that is "bad", per se.

It seems that almost the entire cast bar Rusty, Pearl, and Dina (and Electra*) has been gender-swapped. Not a bad thing, makes zero difference to the story, don't care.
The addition of "Control" as a child actor rather than a pre recorded voice over was strange, but worked. It helped explain the premise.... Let's be honest, if you hadn't been told it was a kid playing with their trainset, would you have known‽ (Our "Control" was a girl -clearly varies. Bonus points for the whole "girls can be geeks too" thing).

Unfortunately the whole show fell flat for me because it was .... too flat. Gone is the triple layered multi-story mayhem, in favour of a small, flat circuit. They clearly looked to the German production for inspiration. And that would be great if they were down the road in Wembley Arena. But this all happens in a small ex-TV studio. It comes across less as a "west end" production, more like a really good am dram show.
The old show was basically all held up by that epic bridge set, is what I guess I'm saying.

Another oddity was that I remember all the characters singing in that generic American accent everyone sings in by default. Now suddenly everyone (Bar Momma) is singing in a thick East London MLE "innit bruv" accent.
Not negative, just strange to my ear.

And there definitely wasn't that much rap in the original!

*Electra is still "fabulous". Sadly they are overshadowed by the new edition of "Hydrogen". Which makes no sense. Because that would also end up in electricity. But that's a whole other debate...........
 
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Uh oh! The lurking Starlight Express fan is here!
DiogoJ42 said:
Unfortunately the whole show fell flat for me because it was .... too flat. Gone is the triple layered multi-story mayhem, in favour of a small, flat circuit. They clearly looked to the German production for inspiration. And that would be great if they were down the road in Wembley Arena. But this all happens in a small ex-TV studio. It comes across less as a "west end" production, more like a really good am dram show.
The old show was basically all held up by that epic bridge set, is what I guess I'm saying.
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When you say 'looking to the German production for inspiration' on stage design, you only have a point when it comes to the race tracks, the bowl and the projection mapping effects. And that's it on resemblance. Otherwise the German production has had all the triple layered multi-story mayhem bells and whistles of the original West End production in the purpose built Starlight Express Theater since 1988 with 1,650 seats in comparison to the Apollo Victoria's 1,500 seats. You can see the scope of this giant arena with its own incredibly cool bridge, balconies and levels in the below videos. I cannot express how amazing it was being in that building both times I saw it a few years ago.





And, whilst I do agree the Troubador Wembley feels cramped for a show of this scale with 1,017 seats, I also want to point out that it's not the first time Starlight Express has been reduced in stage design and or production material for a production, whether permanent or touring. The more comparable productions to the current London production would be the Las Vegas Hilton ('93-'97), which had two looped race tracks and multiple levels on the oval stage and likely removed some of the 1,607 seats, and the First US Tour ('89-'91), which only had one small loop of race track for touring regional theatres.

Except in those productions and all Tours (excluding the Japan/Australia and Scandinavia arena tours), due to space restrictions and the race tracks being a source of profit contention for theatres, the races were filmed and projected on a lowered screen and, from 2003 onwards, these filmed races were redone in 3D as part of the 'Third Dimension' subtitle. The only outlier production I can name that did have the live races would be the Japan/Australia Tour, since that had a 'theatre in the round' experience and the stage was massive, video: Skip to 25m 20s, and perhaps the 2013 South African production. And, had the pandemic not happened, we may well have seen a 2021 revival at the Birmingham NEC which may have fitted the arena experience bill quite nicely.

Anyway, as small a venue the Troubador Wembley feels for Starlight Express, it's a blessing that audiences can see the races in real time as per the original Apollo Victoria run with the live race screens. And, since the current London production is the version most likely to be the 2027 world tour, there's a chance this stage design will stay or even be upscaled for bigger and more versatile venues than the proscenium arch theatres the Tours would typically go on and therefore mean no-one has to watch the filmed races.
DiogoJ42 said:
Another oddity was that I remember all the characters singing in that generic American accent everyone sings in by default. Now suddenly everyone (Bar Momma) is singing in a thick East London MLE "innit bruv" accent.
Not negative, just strange to my ear.
And there definitely wasn't that much rap in the original!
Click to expand...

The show began as an ode to American music genres, hence why most characters spoke in American accents. Granted, the American music genre ode doesn't make sense in the current London production's context since Control and Mum are both British and therefore most characters are now British.

With the rapping, there wasn't much in the original 1984 and 1992 West End versions, no. But from the Second US Tour onwards in 2003, the Rockies were replaced by... -beleagured groan-... the Hip Hoppers who carried the rap/hip hop torch and were used throughout most productions. Thankfully, the 2018 Bochum production reinstated the Rockies and the current London production nixed them alongside Dustin, Flat Top and Caboose ( :cry: ) for the Fuel Trucks. And since ALW has written all sort of new songs for this version, it's not that much of a surprise that he's added in more rap to keep the show updated.
DiogoJ42 said:
*Electra is still "fabulous". Sadly they are overshadowed by the new edition of "Hydrogen". Which makes no sense. Because that would also end up in electricity. But that's a whole other debate...........
Click to expand...

Honestly, there's a lot in Starlight Express that never made sense in the first place, such as:
  • Electra being introduced as the 'Electric Engine of the Future' when at least 3 of the National Engines at the time of the 1984 production, namely the French (TGV Sud-Est), Italian (Settebello) and Japanese (Shinkansen) Engines, were already high-speed locomotives that run on... uh, electricity. Of course, the German Engine would eventually be an ICE once they were officially inaugurated in 1991.
  • Cabooses were a requirement for all freight trains by US and Canadian law up to the '80s as a means of crew safety and shelter, as well as observing potential issues e.g. overheating axles and load shifting. Ironically, CB aka Red Caboose pretends to be nice and helpful but in fact does the opposite of what he's supposed to be doing by crashing the Engines he pairs with in the races.
  • The ending of every production having a song about how diesel/electricity/solar/nuclear energy are bad and that 'steam is the best' for being under 'their own control' when that's not necessarily the case. This adage gets funnier with the inclusion of the renewable electricity produced green hydrogen.
I'm sure there's a whole lot more that can be pointed out by the railway geeks. Still, it's all very simply hand waved away by the fact that this silly show is about an imaginative child who loves their toy trains but who clearly hasn't reached the specialist interest level (yet) and written by a guy who just wanted to make a Thomas the Tank Engine animated TV series with Rev W. Awdry but Granada TV said 'nah, ta'.

Anyway, I know I could say a lot, lot, lot more but I think that's enough Starlight Express-ing from me and glad you at least had a time. Damn this silly megamusical about trains derailing most of my day.
 
The Britishness of the new cast has grown on me a lot over the last two days. I've also had that "chug chug" pre-show music loop stuck in my head for two days.
Send help.
 
Double post, sue me.

Saturday night was a workmates outing to a "drag wrestling" event called Fist Club. How can you say no to an invite like that‽
Sadly I can't go in to detail without falling foul of the OSA. But my personal highlight would be the drag king commentator's burlesque routine... that involved a staple gun. o_O
Needless to say, it was an interesting night.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
Double post, sue me.

Saturday night was a workmates outing to a "drag wrestling" event called Fist Club. How can you say no to an invite like that‽
Sadly I can't go in to detail without falling foul of the OSA. But my personal highlight would be the drag king commentator's burlesque routine... that involved a staple gun. o_O
Needless to say, it was an interesting night.
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I fear you have fundamentally misunderstood the legislative scope of the OSA.

The Act places a statutory duty of care upon service providers to implement systems and processes to mitigate the risk of illegal harm and protect children. It does not criminalise the recounting of a niche cabaret performance involving a staple gun, unless said performance constituted a terrorism offence, encouraged suicide, or involved child sexual exploitation material.

You are confusing a complex piece of regulatory framework designed to hold Big Tech accountable with the TowersStreet Community Guidelines.

Ofcom is not going to kick down your door for describing a drag night. The moderators, however, might have a word if you get too graphic.
 
So help me, I've spent the last few days delving deep into the rabbit hole of Starlight lore. Watched more bootleg videos of different productions than I want to admit to.
Fair to say the new "reboot" has grown on me massively. To the point that I now want to see it again before it ends.

I just have one question: Why the smeg does the Bochum production start every race with an air raid siren‽ Seems like that might be an rather unfortunate trigger for older Germans.

... And one gripe. Sorry, no. Hydrogen [as a combustion fuel source] is not the future. FFS, just mention "fuel cells" once and all would be good!
[awaits @Rowe's rant]
 
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DiogoJ42 said:
So help me, I've spent the last few days delving deep into the rabbit hole of Starlight lore.
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sickos-sicko.gif


DiogoJ42 said:
I just have one question: Why the smeg does the Bochum production start every race with an air raid siren‽ Seems like that might be an rather unfortunate trigger for older Germans.
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🤷‍♀️ Dunno, because they can, I guess.

DiogoJ42 said:
... And one gripe. Sorry, no. Hydrogen [as a combustion fuel source] is not the future. FFS, just mention "fuel cells" once and all would be good!
[awaits @Rowe's rant]
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Yes, true. But 'fuel cells' haven't much of a ring, as the rhyming win, called 'hydrogen'.
 
Speaking of Starlight lore, the original musical is actually very dark and very questionable to label it as a family musical as the orginal 1984 West End production includes hate-motivated beatings, a serial killer villain called CB who is honestly low key one of musical theatre's scariest villains. There is also domestic abuse with Greaseball and Dinah, marital infidelity, a young woman singing a solo about her favourite sexual experience, a retired prostitute (Belle the Sleeping Car for the hardcore fans), a character who maintains an equal-opportunity harem being Electra, an ocean's worth of sexual innuendo in general, and references to smoking, alcohol, and drugs all set in Crapstack World that would stand along the universe of One Foot In The Grave AND let's not forget all of this in the mind a child...WHAT. 😳

Yeah, how is this for kids again? No wonder they've greatly toned down the show over the decades. Also, found this rare video of Starlight in its original Workshop look of the original version of One Rock and Roll Too Many which here is called Three Heads and from what I see here, CB bloody well dies being ripped in two by Electra and Greaseball! Christ almighty what was ALW thinking making it this dark, never mind having it be a show about trains.

So yeah, the fuzzy sound and piano track makes the whole scene far more creepier than it should be. Also, wasn't the German train in the original show doing um, a certain salute which I swear I saw a video of that somewhat either of that or the 1983 Workshop version.
 
Yep. Absolutely. All that, the history and the countless different alterations/omissions with every single version that has existed are what make Starlight Express so fascinating to me. On top of, you know, ALW deciding to have his performers pretend to be toy railway stock on roller skates.

And speaking of C.B. aka Red Caboose, that freak is my favourite character in the whole lore. He passes himself off as a harmless sweetheart, who cheers Dinah up and offers to help Rusty but reveals himself to be a scarlet hellion, with an evil laugh nearly every performer has done a rendition of, who can and will destroy locomotives because and we'll never know what grotesque horrors made him the way he is. It's a shame C.B. was cut from the 1992 London revision since he's a solid villain, and I'm not quite keen on his 2018 Bochum revision or his 2024 Revival replacement Slick. Still, it's fantastic he remained in nearly every production and that he's such a fan favourite, hence that evil laugh compilation and a few 'Wide Smile'/'Mein Spiel' playlists floating about.

I have the Workshop version on right now and, yes, you are right about the German Engine and that certain salute. Yikes.
 
Rowe said:
Yep. Absolutely. All that, the history and the countless different alterations/omissions with every single version that has existed are what make Starlight Express so fascinating to me. On top of, you know, ALW deciding to have his performers pretend to be toy railway stock on roller skates.

And speaking of C.B. aka Red Caboose, that freak is my favourite character in the whole lore. He passes himself off as a harmless sweetheart, who cheers Dinah up and offers to help Rusty but reveals himself to be a scarlet hellion, with an evil laugh nearly every performer has done a rendition of, who can and will destroy locomotives because and we'll never know what grotesque horrors made him the way he is. It's a shame C.B. was cut from the 1992 London revision since he's a solid villain, and I'm not quite keen on his 2018 Bochum revision or his 2024 Revival replacement Slick. Still, it's fantastic he remained in nearly every production and that he's such a fan favourite, hence that evil laugh compilation and a few 'Wide Smile'/'Mein Spiel' playlists floating about.

I have the Workshop version on right now and, yes, you are right about the German Engine and that certain salute. Yikes.
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Regarding CB and him not being in the recent show, sad to lose him despite Slick taking his character although I feel that it would have been an idea to have CB be the leader with the trucks as his minions with Hydra being the odd one out. Also, losing There's Me is an utterly tragedy for Starlight as it is beautiful though No Comeback is another big loss which is such an epic villainous breakdown moment for Electra.

Now regarding the International engines in the original West End show and how they all look rather samey...it just occurred to me that being this is a kid's trainset that they were same engines yet all painted different colours to tell them apart. Also, I'm baffled in the recent show regarding the looks of the costumes in which the train geek in me loves all the little railway details like Greaseball's Union Pacific nods which now there seems none of that for whatever reason.

Also, while I have no trouble with Electra's design for the 2024 version - admittedly his high tech look is so rooted in the 80s - I just which they kept the eye catching red and blue colour for Electra and not that black and silver look and why they gave Dinah Electra's colours.

I'm probably just nick picking here though I'm pleased how the new version does actually improve on some things like Control playing a part in the show as an actual child actor that helps the audience to remind you that this is in the mind of a child which admittedly previous shows do seem to forget about. Also Control is actually nicer to Rusty being as he/she is his Dad's old toy which a nice touch...better than being such a little crapshoot in many productions who hates Rusty and is a cantankerous dictator to all the trains.
 
I must admit, I was rather disappointed to see the national trains had been replaced with generic Iron Man rip offs. The only way to tell them apart is by the colour of their "arc rector".
Mind you, they seem to have even less of a roll, and indeed, character, than the nationals did.
 
[Basil Faulty voice]
Right! OK, OK! That's it!
I've found the definitive (bootleg- watch or don't, but don't judge) version of Starlight. Of course it's German.
(Though the updated Bochum Electra with the fibre optic mohawk wins ON. ALL. GROUNDS.)


From: https://youtu.be/G9B81SqvBhE


We're giving serious thought to a traintrip to Bochum via Koln / Phannyland.
 
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