STARLIGHT EXPRESS
US Tour 2003-2004
Stops in Las Vegas

Starlight Express has something for everyone and it is a show the whole family can enjoy...plus it is performed on roller
skates!

I first saw Starlight Express in Las Vegas in 1995 or 1996 and fell in love with the music and show.

What is the Starlight Express you ask? Well, it is a train...not just any train, but a special train.

The show...The show was created when Andrew Lloyd Webber, who always loved music and trains as a child, decided to
write a train musical to entertain his son, Nicholas and daughter, Imogen.  Webber's fascination with trains continued
into adulthood and he decided in 1976 to write some songs for a proposed cartoon feature about animated trains.  The
cartoon was never produced, but the idea stayed alive.  Webber put a variety of music (e.g., country, blues, rap, rock and
roll) together in the early 1980's to make the show.  Along with lyricist Richard Stilgoe the"Starlight Express was born.  

Webber once said he never thought the Starlight Express would become such a big hit.  It was just a little show about
trains.  The show played for 18 years in London, and 4 years in Las Vegas.  The show is now in its 14th year in Germany.  
 Now a new tour with updated music and special 3-D effects has made its way on tour in the US.

"We are all proud that Starlight not only became the second longest-running musical in London theatre history, but also
has spawned a new generation of artists and theatre-goers who perhaps never considered going to the theatre before." --
Andrew Lloyd Webber

They have made some changes to the show besides the music, but the basic story is still there...a nine year-old playing
with his toy train set. His mother tells him to go to bed. Reluctantly, he slides the transformer throttle and the trains
glide to a stop.  As the child drifts off to sleep, the trains come to life in his dreams. Each locomotive has its own
personality and desires.

Soon, rivalries develop and, before the night is through, the trains are streaking along the tracks, competing in a series
of cross-country races. The three main characters are "Rusty" a shy steam engine, "Greaseball," a flashy (Elvis type)
diesel and "Electra" a sleek electric engine.

The show is a very positive story about believing in yourself and that you can achieve anything.

The song Starlight Express I think is the one song that shows the theme of the musical. Rusty thinks he has lost his
confidence, he drops to his knees, then looks up into the light. A blue light shines on his face and behind him a green
laser spreads across the stage. Rusty starts to sing Starlight Express and looks up into the blue light as if looking for
something. Rusty then realizes that the "Starlight" is inside him (where it has been all the time, just waiting to come
out). Then Rusty raises his voice and you can see in his face that he has found the "Starlight" within him his
self-confidence has returned and he is ready to finish the race. This scene is one of the most dramatic of the show and
you can feel the emotion within yourself, as you look for the "Starlight" inside yourself.

A Family Affair
Creative Team and Cast Listing for the US Tour 2003
Changes to the Show
Miscellaneous Information
Musical Numbers
Review
Show Itinerary

Starlight Express is a fun ride...so when it comes your way hop on board!