The Tuacahn production of Lloyd Webber's 1984 musical spectacle Starlight Express, which famously utilized actors on rollerskates to portray trains, marks the first regional mounting of the train-themed musical in the U.S. It will continue through Oct. 24.
Louanne Madorma, who was the associate director-choreographer on a Las Vegas production of Starlight Express, stages the Tuacahn production.
Starlight Express has a score by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Lyrics for "Next Time You Fall In Love" are by Don Black.
The cast features Dubail as Greaseball, Dubreuil as Electra, Bennett as Dinah, McGurk as Turnov, Payton Kemp as Control, Jennifer Evans as Mom, Steven M. Goldsmith as Rusty, C. Mingo Long as The Starlight Express/Poppa, Eric Badique as Nintendo, James Blashaw as Ruhrgold, Troy McGee as Purse, Talese Hunt as Wrench, Veronica Yeager as Joule, Jayme Wappel as Volta, Eymard Cabling as Hopper 1, Clinton Sherwood as Hopper 2, Ben Tucker as Hopper 3, Derek Brazeau as Dustin, John Preator as Flat Top, Daniel Gutierrez as Caboose, Delaney Westfall as Pearl, Kate Scott as Buffy, Erica Bryce as Duvay, and James Berkley and Ben Tucker as Trax.
Starlight Express premiered on Broadway in 1987, where it ran for 761 performances at the Gershwin Theatre. Among the actors in the original Broadway production were Jane Krakowski and Andrea McArdle. It later toured the U.S., played a sit-down Las Vegas engagement, and was also adapted for a U.S. ice arena tour. The original West End and Broadway productions boasted an expansive set, which propelled actors throughout the audience on a series of ramps and tracks. R&H licenses the 1993 revised version of the musical – presented at Tuacahn – that includes such songs as "A Lotta Locomotion," "AC/DC," "Make Up My Heart," "U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D," "I Am the Starlight," "Next Time You Fall In Love" "Light at the End of the Tunnel" and the title song.
This summer, Tuacahn is also presenting Mary Poppins, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Disney's Mulan and later this year, Elf, The Musical.
Visit tuacahn.org.
Here's a look at the show:
