86 posts
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Post by abitoftap on Mar 5, 2021 18:56:45 GMT
Don't know if this has come up before, but apparently Harvey Goldsmith (longtime rock/music/event etc promoter/manager etc) has plans to build a theatre in Birmingham specifically for a new production of SE. Planned for last year, but obviously postponed. Mentions it in passing towards the end of an interview on the Bob Lefsetz podcast
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2021 19:07:18 GMT
This has indeed been rumoured for quite a while. I heard on the grapevine that it would be Birmingham.
Sadly I suspect the pandemic will have put this on hold for years rather than months. I would LOVE to see it happen however.
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Post by d'James on Mar 6, 2021 0:29:03 GMT
I hope they don’t have too much ‘I Got Me’ (if at all).
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Post by musicalmarge on Mar 6, 2021 5:11:27 GMT
I saw Starlight Express in the magnificent Bochum production in Germany when they made all the crazy changes two years ago.
They removed characters
Made Papa a Mama
Added awful songs
Cut good songs
Made the whole show woke
Destroyed Pearl
Added awful new costumes
Cut all the goosebump moments
Removed all the wonderful melodic in-between songs.
Added drones and a weird stomach laser to Starlight Sequence but the Mama/Rusty key and arrangement is now all over the place
Sadly Starlight Express like a botched surgery job has been played with so many times over the years ALW and Arlene Philips have destroyed it. Unless they bring the 2000 Bochum Caboose/There’s Me, Du Allein/Only You, LeibessExpress/Engine of Love, Lotta Locomotion version back in the Bochum setting in Birmingham. Ill be giving it a miss.
It was meant to be in Battersea for years in a huge arena type Bochum show but didn’t happen. I presume this won’t either.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2021 9:25:35 GMT
I saw Starlight Express in the magnificent Bochum production in Germany when they made all the crazy changes two years ago. They removed characters Made Papa a Mama Added awful songs Cut good songs Made the whole show woke Destroyed Pearl Added awful new costumes Cut all the goosebump moments Removed all the wonderful melodic in-between songs. Added drones and a weird stomach laser to Starlight Sequence but the Mama/Rusty key and arrangement is now all over the place Sadly Starlight Express like a botched surgery job has been played with so many times over the years ALW and Arlene Philips have destroyed it. Unless they bring the 2000 Bochum Caboose/There’s Me, Du Allein/Only You, LeibessExpress/Engine of Love, Lotta Locomotion version back in the Bochum setting in Birmingham. Ill be giving it a miss. It was meant to be in Battersea for years in a huge arena type Bochum show but didn’t happen. I presume this won’t either. You're right about pretty much all of this. Absolutely adore this show but they really tore the heart out of the Bochum production with the 30th version. (Remains my favourite musical but the pure unadulterated ethereal joy has been taken away). The ONLY change I am ok with is Mama. Delivered with passion by Starlight royalty Reva Rice, that does work for me. An epic voice and one of the few in that role who is also an epic skater. She leads the company brilliantly. Can't tell you how much I hope they will revisit some of these changes in the version that opens post Corona (rescheduled ad infinitum but currently aiming for October). As for a sit down UK version, I'd love to see it. I honestly don't see it happening any time soon, but I think there is more behind this rumour than the Battersea one. ALW himself has said he'd like to do it. Apparently the production company said to be involved are the same one that did Soldier of Orange. Not seen it but for Orange I think the auditorium moves (?!) to reveal different sets and scenes, but it relies heavily on projections. I really hope they don't use extensive projections for Starlight. In new Bochum I find it one of the problems - making it very very literally and definitely ABOUT TRAINS, rather than the fantasy piece it always was, again takes away from the experience. For me anyway. That said I hope this does come off as I would dearly love to have an English production back in the UK and would be fascinated to see what they do with it. |
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Post by ThereWillBeSun on Mar 6, 2021 11:24:24 GMT
I just remember seeing it on tour and the CGI was so cheap.
Not a fan. 🤢
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2021 11:30:31 GMT
Is there really the demand for a purpose built venue to house this show in the Midlands?
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Post by FairyGodmother on Mar 6, 2021 12:30:51 GMT
I actually don't think Birmingham's a bad idea. It's more driveable from the north (if they had a cheap/free car park). I'd go, I'd be curious to see it.
If you had limitless money to throw at it, I think the best way to do it would be to have big venue, where it was split off so the front was the theatre and the back was a skate school and birthday party venue. So it would be a bit like an ice rink, but with an attached theatre. You'd have two or three casts, and during the day you'd have a birthday party where they had a skate lesson/hour at a roller disco, then watched a shortened version of Starlight Express. Then in the evenings (and some matinees) you'd have full performances. You'd also run lessons after school or at the weekends, and let people hire practice space. Having a skate school and rehearsal venue on site would mean that you could actually cast people straight from that into the show. I'm imagining a site with a car park, but you could have some sort of deal to bring people from other cities (Starlight National Express coaches maybe, that would be painted to look like trains so you'd advertise while on the motorway).
But like I say, that would need very deep pockets!
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Post by danb on Mar 6, 2021 14:39:35 GMT
The NEC has so many buildings & exhibition halls that there must be one that could house this. The problem (for us at least) will be which bastardised version they use. To me the late 90’s update is the definitive version. The tours have all been disappointing, and it sounds like Bochum has had the spark removed from it too. Some customer research would be a good idea before someone shells out for it. Learn lessons from Jeff Waynes WOTW, which does not seem to skimp on anything on it’s endless tour.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Mar 6, 2021 16:51:25 GMT
Seems like an odd idea to put it in Birmingham. Domestically it might be easy to reach, but tourists aren’t going to leave London for it. There are many millions of people living within an hour of Birmingham. Tourists do venture outside of the capital. Stratford-upon-Avon does attract a fair few as do places like Oxford, Cambridge, the Peaks, the Lakes and many more. And whilst Starlight isn't Shakespeare, it is a spectacle and not all tourists are culture vultures. |
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Post by hitmewithurbethshot on Mar 6, 2021 17:01:02 GMT
Bochum is a pretty unremarkable German city but Starlight there has done roaring success, I’m sure Birmingham will find an audience
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2021 21:25:43 GMT
As a Brummie, I'm interested and excited to see this.
I think they should definitely add a new character based on the HS2 (although they'd probably have the shortest amount of stage time).
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Post by Deleted on Mar 7, 2021 11:07:48 GMT
Seems like an odd idea to put it in Birmingham. Domestically it might be easy to reach, but tourists aren’t going to leave London for it. It's an hour on the train from Euston, just as quick as people from the suburbs getting in to London and easily accessible for anyone from London for a matinee. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 7, 2021 11:17:07 GMT
Rail access to Birmingham is terrible from the North. 105 minutes from Manchester. The line is sooooo slow. It’s only ten more minutes to London.
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Post by TallPaul on Mar 7, 2021 11:46:39 GMT
Bit late with your train times this morning, BurlyBeaR. Did you have a lie in, or summat? |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Mar 7, 2021 11:52:04 GMT
Bit late with your train times this morning, BurlyBeaR . Did you have a lie in, or summat? No, my train was late 🙂 |
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Post by danb on Mar 7, 2021 13:02:07 GMT
It’s just a nice excuse to stay over when I can’t get back from Birmingham. I’ve had some great deals for really nice hotels, and even the Travelodge at the airport is a nice one. I think my fave was getting a room at Jurys down the road from the Arena (not nec) for less than £50! I think those days may be long gone.
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Post by dontdreamit on Mar 7, 2021 13:06:54 GMT
I’ll often pop up to Birmingham from London for a matinee, the cheaper than west end prices along with train tickets booked in advance often make it a better option than just going into town.
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Post by Dawnstar on Mar 7, 2021 21:41:47 GMT
Seems like an odd idea to put it in Birmingham. Domestically it might be easy to reach, but tourists aren’t going to leave London for it. It's an hour on the train from Euston, just as quick as people from the suburbs getting in to London and easily accessible for anyone from London for a matinee. Which is a perfect illustration of how ridiculously London-centric the UK train system is. Cambridge to Birmingham takes nearly 3 hours, despite Cambridge being nearer to Birmingham than London is. While there is a direct train, I have on a couple of occasions actually gone from Cambridge to Birmingham via London when it's been cheaper as it takes about the same amount of time. All this money spent on HS2 to cut 20 mins or so from an already fast journey from London northwards when it's the east-west rail links in this country that really need speeding up. |
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Post by Phantom of London on Mar 7, 2021 22:39:59 GMT
Richard Stilgoe’s original version for me is the best.
Even though Birmingham is the country’s bullseye, it is still not the place which is synonymous with long running theatre, where London is. If it didn’t run do you blame the show or location?
I was at the Other Palace production where Andrew Lloyd Webber took to the stage and vowed that a new production will open next year and he had found his Pearl.
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Post by MrBraithwaite on Mar 8, 2021 10:24:09 GMT
So, I will discover Birmingham at some point.  |
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Post by Someone in a tree on Mar 8, 2021 10:53:52 GMT
Richard Stilgoe’s original version for me is the best. Even though Birmingham is the country’s bullseye, it is still not the place which is synonymous with long running theatre, where London is. If it didn’t run do you blame the show or location? I was at the Other Palace production where Andrew Lloyd Webber took to the stage and vowed that a new production will open next year and he had found his Pearl. Exactly its too close to London for long runners. I guess that's why Manchester is successful? |
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Post by stevej678 on Mar 8, 2021 11:01:38 GMT
I was at the Other Palace production where Andrew Lloyd Webber took to the stage and vowed that a new production will open next year and he had found his Pearl. Carrie will be busy with Cinderella for a while though won't she? |
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Post by viserys on Mar 8, 2021 11:26:36 GMT
Here's a guess from a foreigner who knows the German production inside-out and backwards and forwards. Mind you, it's only a guess.
Theatre in the UK, from what I've observed, is still very "city-centric", i.e. people drive into the city for an evening out or even full day out with shopping, a meal and a show in the evening or just go straight from the office after work with friends/colleagues before going home late.
The German production of Starlight Express opened outside the city directly beside a motorway exit way back in 1988 - there wasn't (and still isn't) anything in the near environment for dining out or anything. Even the next public transport stop is ten minutes walk away and it's about 30 minutes to walk into the city - not that Bochum is a place that conjures up visions of a big shopping spree or fine dining the way London might. While I don't have actual statistics, I think it's safe to say that about 80-90% of all people visiting the show come by car and use the big car park right beside the theatre. They may buy a snack at the theatre or bring a packed sandwich along to eat before the show. Basically Starlight Express is more like a tourist attraction these days - you drive there, do your sightseeing (see a performance), buy a snack and a drink perhaps and drive off again - and not like a classic "evening out in the city".
So I think this may be the inspiration for the production in Birmingham. Forget about dinner and shopping, but you can reach it easily by car within 60-90 mins from large parts of England. And since Britain isn't quite as car-obsessed as Germany, you even get a train station right in front of the building for those preferring the train. But frankly, I think if this happened, it will be more along the lines of the German version as a tourist attraction.
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Post by Oleanna on Mar 8, 2021 12:26:12 GMT
Bochum is the German version of Newport.
Never understood why the theatre is such a challenge to get to from the train station. It’s a show about trains? Why not a train between the main station and the Starlight Theatre before and after shows? An onsite train station would be great.
In any event, I guess it hasn’t hurt it all these years...
Hot dogs are nice in the foyer...
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