ARTICLE
Starlight Express Races Straight Into a Child’s Heart!
By InCinemas / 18 Nov 2013 (Monday)
One of the longest-running musicals, Starlight Express brings the
excitement and joy about a futuristic tale about love, rivalry and hope
in the face of adversity.
Besides catchy tunes and memorable songs by
Andrew Lloyd Webber, what makes Starlight Express stand out among the
other shows is that all 28 cast members perform on roller skates,
showcasing amazing twirls, jumps and even daredevil stunts you won’t
expect to see on stage.
Starlight Express
Date: 13 - 24 November 2013
Time:
- Tues - Fri: 7.30pm
- Sat - Sun: 2pm, 7.30pm
Ticket Pricing: $65 - $195
Venue: MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands
Running for a limited time at the Marina Bay Sands MasterCard Theatres, Starlight Express tells the story of a child’s dream, in which toy trains come to life and compete to become the fastest engine in the world, while also competing for the affections of the glamorous coaches with whom they must ‘team-up’ with.
Starlight Express is visually enchanting with its bright LED backdrops, colourful costumes and even a 3D viewing experience (No kid, we were given 3D paper ‘goggles’, to be used at certain parts in the show), it is one that the kids would enjoy. While the 3D aspect was weaved in pretty smoothly into the show, such as calling the paper glasses as ‘safety goggles’ and the precise time given for audiences to put on their ‘goggles’, I thought it took out the experience of live theatre show the very moment the video starts to play. Moreover, I was expecting at least a much higher-quality video clip, but it gave the feel of a 1990s Godzilla showdown.
Personally, I was ready for Starlight Express to bring out the inner child in me, even if it was rooting for Rusty to win the race. Unfortunately, I have to say that I was a tad disappointed at the first act of the show; but was these downers slowly fades as the 2nd act started. Cast harmonisation were tighter, story gets more interesting and even the songs were much more memorable!
In terms of characters, notable leads are Rusty, the steam engine who longs to enter the race, Greaseball, the macho diesel locomotive and reigning champion, Electra, the new extravagant ‘Engine of the Future’, and Pearl, the 1st class observation coach.
Perhaps of the exaggerated costumes for Electra, he easily stands out among the rest. Also, who could have missed that grand entrance he makes in ‘ACDC’.
During the media call, we interviewed Mykal Rand who plays Electra. He describes Electra as ‘the rock star, pop star’, and that ‘everybody should bow down to him’.
When asked about the joys of playing Electra, Mykal said he it’s fun for his opening number as he gets to be like a real popstar. “He can be erratic but he is still kind of a comedy character,” he added.
Who can forget Poppa, the retired champion steamer who steals the show whenever he starts to sing. The smooth, polished baritone vocals, belting out blues and jazz numbers was such a joy to watch. I would say whenever Poppa comes on, he holds the stage like a pro. Amazing vocals and definitely a good enough reason for you to catch the show.
Overall, Starlight Express is a light-hearted musical for the younger audiences, with good song numbers and a visually attracting set. One that will leave kids screaming for more and perhaps bugging their parents into learning roller-skating thereafter.