My ideal production of Starlight Express.
I suppose I'll just get right into it. First the list of characters, then the songs (excluding little bits/non-songs like Taunting Rusty and the races), then the rest.
Belle, the Sleeping Car (called Memphis Belle)
Volta, Joule, Wrench, Purse, and Krupp
The original National Engines
Setlist (* = will be addressed below):
A Lotta Locomotion ('83 Workshop version, but with Buffy added.)
He Whistled At Me (Minus the Rusty/Pearl conversation.)
Freight (With the girls bullying the boys.)
Pumping Iron ("Trying to build my body, trying to lose my mind" and "Stretching my bullworker, heaving on my weights" switch spots because I feel that it'd sound better that way.)
Hitching and Switching (probably original)
*That was Unfair (extended)
That's Me/There's Me (duet)
Belle's Song (Combo of OG & Broadway โ especially "sniffing the coke.")
Wide Smile (Mostly the Broadway version, except he says the OG "...C.B." in the chorus instead of Broadway's "...the Red Caboose," until the ending after Electra & co leave.)
*Dinah's Disco (extended)
I Do and/or Only You (I really want "I Do," and it feels redundant to do both in a row, but I feel like "Only You" is important?)
*GreaseDinah reunion (extended)
Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Starlight Express Megamix (of course)
This is about 60% the 1984 original, so keep that in mind.
We're leaning hard into the '80s here! None of that trying to modernize StEx they've been doing since the 90's. It doesn't work, and the hyper-80's...ness is one of the best things about StEx!
Dinah & Greaseball look most like the original Dinah and Greaseball. (Though Dinah's hair looks like this. I'll get to her costumes below.) Greaseball looks completely like Jeff Shankley's GB.
Most of the costumes look like the Broadway versions.
However, Pearl gets 3 costumes: Her pants outfit from the '84 previews (but with white pants), followed by her sleek Broadway dress outfit (w/ Electra), and then the fluffy dress outfit (w/ GB).
Dinah has 2 costumes. The first is more Broadway (but I dislike the leggings, so different ones), and then, when she pairs with Electra, she changes to an outfit that is similar to her OG outfit.
C.B.'s look is very similar to the original, except his pants are black, and he has his later hat.
I want some of the choreography from the '83 workshop. ( x x x x )
Dinah & Greaseball banter a bit because "Incapable of feeding yourself, Greaseball?" Ohhh *chef's kiss* 2017 London Workshop did something right!
*Dinah & Greaseball get a couple's duet. It's a fun, cute, rock/80's pop mix song that touches on their love for each other and how they don't care about others' bullshit. ("Our Lips Are Sealed" kind of vibes, I suppose.)
Ashley and Duvay are sisters.
Greaseball pulls the girls during "Freight," like he originally did.
*Dinah gets a solo after "Pumping Iron" after the Sleepers talk their bullshit. It'd be about 3ยฝ minutes long. If you've read my Dinah rants, you can get an idea of what it's about.
Greaseball, Bobo, and Espresso are part of the choreography during "Crazy" toward the end, racing around with Dinah, Ashley, and Buffy. (I promise this is FIRE in my head. Have faith. ๐ฅบ)
*Grease & Dinah have a longer argument before their breakup, incorporating the melody of their breakup from the '83 workshop.
Dinah and C.B. have a duet. It's the Broadway version of There's Me combined with That's Me. (Dinah sings her solo part first.)
*Pearl sings "Make Up My Heart" about Rusty, Electra, and Greaseball. (Explanation here.)
*"U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D." is slower, sadder, and has more lyrics, like it was in the '83 workshop.
Buffy & Ashley are finally canon. It's Complicatedโข๏ธ, but they get it together by the end.
*"Dinah's Disco" is a bit longer, as is *Dinah & Greaseball's reunion/makeup.
Pearl is absolutely like original Pearl in this: A selfish bitch (who learns and gets better by the end); she is not "naive." ("Further from my vision" over "Sadder but no wiser.")
We actually acknowledge that Pearl is an asshole. But, like Greaseball, she learns and is working on herself by the end! ๐๐ฝ
Pearl apologizes to Dinah at the end. FINALLY. (During a break in LATEOTT.)
Control loves the engines/coaches/freight, and they love him. He's just a bossy little kid, but they're also actin' up. (I'm open to Control being a girl.)
Electra and the Components do come back.
There is no implication if turning Greaseball or Electra into steam trains, and the opening of LATEOTT would be a bit different because of this.
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