This document provides a song order and context for the musical "Starlight Express." It summarizes that the musical is about a race between steam, electric, and diesel trains across America that is won by the underdog steam engine Rusty. The document lists all the songs in order for both Acts of the musical and provides brief descriptions of many of the songs, explaining what happens in them and how they advance the plot. It also provides background information on the composers, directors, typical settings, and origins of the story.

1. Production Arts-Starlight express
Song order
Act I
 (Overture)
 Rolling Stock – Greaseball and the Gang
 Taunting Rusty – Rusty, Greaseball, Gang
 Call Me Rusty – Rusty, Pearl, Dinah, Buffy and Ashley
 Rusty, You Can't Be Serious – Rusty, Pearl, Dinah, Buffy and Ashley
 A Lotta Locomotion – Dinah, Ashley, Buffy and Pearl
 Pumping Iron – Greaseball, Pearl, Ashley, Dinah, Buffy
 Freight – Pearl, Ashley, Dinah, Buffy, Rocky I, Rocky II, Rocky III, C.B, Dustin, Flat-Top
 Entry of the National Trains – National Engines and Marshals
 AC/DC – Electra, Krupp, Wrench, Purse, Joule, Volta and Company
 Hitching and Switching – The Company
 Pearl, You've Been Honoured – Purse, Pearl, Rusty
 He Whistled at Me – Pearl
 Race: Heat One – Greaseball and Dinah, Espresso and Buffy, Hashamoto and C.B.
 That was Unfair – Dinah, Greaseball, C.B.
 There's Me – C.B.
 Poppa's Blues – Poppa, Rocky I, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rusty
 Belle the Sleeping Car –Poppa
 Starlight Express Introduction – Poppa, Rusty, Belle
 Race: Heat Two – Electra and Pearl, Weltschaft and Joule, Rusty and Belle
 Boy, Boy, Boy – Poppa, Rusty, Belle, Trucks
 Race: Heat Three – Poppa and Dustin, Turnov and Wrench, Bobo and Ashley
 Laughing Stock – The Company
 Starlight Express – Rusty
Act II
 The Rap – The Company
 Pearl Twirl – Greaseball, Pearl, Dinah, Buffy, Ashley
 U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D. – Dinah
 Rolling Stock (Reprise) – Dinah, Belle, Ashley and Buffy
 C.B. (Caboose) – C.B, Electra, Krupp, Wrench, Purse, Joule, Volta
 Race: Uphill Final – Electra and Dinah, Rusty and C.B., Greaseball and Pearl
 I Was Robbed – C.B., Rusty, Greaseball, Electra, Pearl, Trucks

2.  Right Place, Right Time – Rocky I, Rocky II, Rocky III
 I Am The Starlight – Rusty, Starlight Express, Dustin
 He Whistled at Me (Reprise) – Dinah, Electra, Krupp, Wrench, Purse, Volta, Joule,
C.B.
 Race: Downhill Final – Rusty and Dustin, Electra and C.B, Greaseball and Pearl
 No Comeback – Electra, Krupp, Wrench, Purse, Joule, Volta
 One Rock & Roll Too Many – Greaseball, C.B.
 Only He (Has The Power to Move Me) – Pearl, (Rusty)
 Only You – Pearl, Rusty
 Light at the End of the Tunnel – The Company
 Light at the End of the Tunnel (Reprise)
 (Next time you fall in love)-Pearl, Rusty
Main characters
Rusty Male Lead
Pearl Female Lead
Greaseball Male Supporting
Poppa Male Supporting
Electra Male Supporting
Bobo Male Featured
Espresso Male Featured
Rhurgold Male Featured
Nintendo Male Featured
The Prince Male Featured
Dina Female Featured
Ashley Female Featured
Buffy Male Featured
Context of the show
Synopsis
"Starlight Express" is a nine year old boy's dream. In his dream, his toy trains come to life for
a race across America. The competition between steam, electric, and diesel engines is fast
and fierce with entries from France, Italy, Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Japan and the
U.S.A. In the end, the underdog Rusty, a small steam engine with a heart of gold, wins the
race.
Composers/Lyricists/choreographer
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Alistair Lloyd Webber and David Yazbek are all composers of the
musical. They also were the lyricists along with Don Black, Nick Coler and Richard Stilgoe.
Arlene Phillips was the Choreographer for Starlight express. They all assisted to produce this
rock musical.

3. Directors at different theatres
 Trevor Nunn – (London, Broadway)
 Arlene Phillips – (Las Vegas, US and UK Tours)
 Dion McHugh – (Bochum, Japan, Australia, associate director London)
 Mykal Rand – (UK tour, New Zealand Tour)
 Bobby Love (Mexico City)
 Robin Cousins (Starlight on Ice)
 Janice Honeyman - (South Africa)
 Sean Cutler - (Fort Lauderdale Children's Theatre)
Where, when, why?
Where
Starlight express isn’t necessary set in a specific location; however it has been performed in
a variety of situations; Las Vegas, New York, London etc.
When
Starlight express first opened on March the 27th, 1984. The original London production was
during 1984 and cost £2.25million to put on.
Why
It is written based on the imaginative novel ‘A Prisoner in Fairyland’ by Algernon Blackwood,
with songs and incidental music written by the English composer Sir Edward Elgar in 1915.
Context/what happens in the songs
Overture
Introducing the race.
Rolling stock
It is a song sung by the trains saying they are the best and fastest trains and they won’t stop,
won’t give up and will go all night. Greaseball is different and doesn’t have any wheels,
suggesting he is different to the others.
Call me Rusty
This song is basically about Rusty introducing himself to all the other trains.
Lotta Locomotion

4. This song is where the female (Pearl) trains are advising Rusty not to do the race as he isn’t
ready/strong enough. They say that they need locomotion to get up speed.
Pumping Iron
Song sung by Greaseball who is a Diesel engine train, saying he is the strongest train and
that he is going to win the race.
Freight
The song is talking about carrying Cargo and merchandise being great and better than
having to carry passengers, (Rusty is an aggregate train) (rocky 1 2 &3 are brick carriers) (CB)
AC/DC
This song is mostly sung by Electra, talking about himself and electricity as he is an electric
train.
He whistled at me
Rusty and Pearl singing about being steam engines and Pearl singing about how a steam
train whistled at her.
Heat one
The race heats 1
That was unfair
Tells about Greaseball cheating
There’s me
C.B. singing about being there for Dinah
Poppa’s blues
Poppa’s singing about making lyrics to the blues
Belle, the sleeping car
Belle is singing about who she is, being not the best train, but not the worst either.
Starlight express
Heats 2
The rap

5. This song starts off Act 2, this song involves the whole cast arguing over the validity of
Rusty’s claimto Poppa’s place.
U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D
It is performed by Dinah after being dumped by her macho boyfriend, Greaseball.
C.B
This song is about Caboose deciding to sabotage Rusty in the race.
Right place right time
Rockies singing about being in the race in the final if they were in the right place at the right time
and had the right chances.
I am the starlight
Rusty trying to see if the starlight express is real, and him realising that it is actually himself.
Saying that onlyyouhave the powerwithinyou andRustygains beliefinhimself,andgoesonto
race inthe final.
The race: Downhill final
The downhill Final was called to order when Greaseball and Electra had won the previous race in
a dead heat. During the race, Greaseball and Electra fight each other, and Electra accidentally
injures Pearl, who brakes to save her life. However Greaseball uncouples her and leaves her on
a runway course towards the edge, Rusty manages to catch her in time before resuming the
race.
Rusty ends up winning the race
No comeback
Electra has to leave because he didn’t win the race.
One rock and roll too many
Saying they didn’t do enough in order to win the race
Only he
Pearl has realised she has fallen in love with Rusty and realisesthatonlyhe actuallycaresfor
her,the otherengineslefthertodie.
Only you (Pearl & Rusty)
He wants to declare his love openly to her, but first he must find her. Meanwhile, Pearl,
injured and alone far from the finish line, realises how she has been blind to her own love
for the little Steam Train who would do anything for her. The song is used for the moment
when Pearl realises that Rusty is her true love, and when Rusty reiterates for the time his
love for her.

6. Light at the end of the tunnel
Singing about losing resources e.g oil and what they can use if it were to happen. Possibly a
metaphor for there is always an answer.
Next time you fall in love
The song is an 11th hour duet between Rusty and Pearl.