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Starlight Express is one of the lesser known (In the United States, where I am from) musicals from Andrew Lloyd Webber of Cats and Phantom of the Opera fame.
It's billed as the fastest show on Earth, with good reason.
The musical is fast, loud, brightly colored with a fairly simple plot. In a Cinderella-esque style, the underdog hero defeats his rivals and wins the girl of his dreams with the aid of some outside help that reminds him to just believe in himself. It's the typical romantic comedy style plot really.
The primary attraction of Starlight Express is not the plot, or the music (Although it does have some fabulous songs). No, Starlight's selling point is the very unique way it is performed.
The characters are all trains, engines, coaches, freight cars, etc and the point of contention is a race to find the Fastest Locomotive On Earth (capitals intended), and perhaps even true love.
As all of the actors play trains, what better way to convey that then to put them on wheels? The entire show is performed with the full cast on roller skates. Gotta admit, that's a new one. (Unless you're familiar with the show already, in which case you're just reading this to humor me.)
The show opened in London in 1984 where it continued to run until 2002, although there was a slight pause in 1992 when the show was revamped.
In 2004 a production started touring the UK, and that continues until at least 2008
The show ran on Broadway from 1987 - 1989. The show toured the US in 1990 and 2003-04, as well as an On Ice Show in 1997. It also ran in Las Vegas from 1993 to 1997.
Starlight opened in Bochum in 1988 and continues to run to the present.
There were two rather elaborate tours of Japan and Australia in 1987 and 1990 and a production in Mexico in 1997.
As far as available media goes, there are two London CD releases, the Original London Cast recording from 1984 which is a double CD and the New London CD.
There are four German recordings, the original German cast, the full show from 1989, the highlights CD from 1991 and the maxi CD, which has five songs, including a really fun version of Starlight Express.
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