14. A song from the musical I haven't listened to (or seen) in a while.
In the 1980s, I lived in Washington, D. C. and frequently hopped aboard the Amtrak to New York City so I could hit the open auditions for Broadway musicals. I must have done this a hundred times. Many times, I got a brusque “thank you,” which actually meant “no thank you, you can crawl off to die now.” On many other occasions, however, I got a callback, when they asked me to return another time to sing or dance again for them. Whenever that happened, I dared to hope that this might be show that would finally get me to Broadway (I’m practicing my jazz hands even as I write this).
When I didn’t get a job, I wouldn’t get mopey. I’d just steel up my nerve, firm up my resolve and gird my loins (dance belts, don’t ya know?) for the next audition. It was always particularly frustrating when I could see no logic in their casting decisions. I always felt confident enough as a singer that if producers and casting directors could just hear my big tenor voice then I’d at least make it to the next round of consideration. I was well-trained as a dancer too, so I could manage whatever moves a choreographer or dance captain threw at me. It also didn’t hurt that I was a fairly nice-looking twenty-something, a natural blond, and in great shape. Imagine my frustration then when I was cut from an audition because of my roller-skating abilities.
After Evita and then Cats had both won the Tony Awards for Best Musical, every Andrew Lloyd Webber musical coming to Broadway was the Holy Grail for auditioning musical theatre actors. I was excited to read in 1986 the casting notice for Starlight Express and intrigued by the specific request for all actors to come to the audition with their roller skates. I had a pair; I skated all the time in D.C.; I even went to the roller disco with friends regularly. I thought that this would be a breeze. Imagine my frustration when I got that curt “thank you,” signaling that my roller boogie Broadway dreams had just crashed into the firewall. They didn’t even ask me to sing a note.
What does that tell you about a show that is first and foremost about your ability to not die on roller skates than your actual musical theatre abilities? I saw the show in summer of 1987 and finally understood. This musical about trains (the actors are the various train cars) is all flash and dazzle with little substance. Some of the songs had pretty melodies and the Tony-winning costumes were impressive, but beyond that I was bored out of my mind within the first 20 minutes. The actors simply go around and around and around the track for close to three hours. I’ve never wanted to see the show again and I don’t think I’ve listened to the cast album in 20 years. Since the show makes absolutely no sense and has nothing to say, why not listen to the closing song in German???
- by Jonathan Lewis
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Day 14 Musical Theatre Song Challenge: “Ein Licht Ganz Am Ende Des Tunnels”
14. A song from the musical I haven't listened to (or seen) in a while.
In the 1980s, I lived in Washington, D. C. and frequently hopped aboard the Amtrak to New York City so I could hit the open auditions for Broadway musicals. I must have done this a hundred times. Many times, I got a brusque “thank you,” which actually meant “no thank you, you can crawl off to die now.” On many other occasions, however, I got a callback, when they asked me to return another time to sing or dance again for them. Whenever that happened, I dared to hope that this might be show that would finally get me to Broadway (I’m practicing my jazz hands even as I write this).
When I didn’t get a job, I wouldn’t get mopey. I’d just steel up my nerve, firm up my resolve and gird my loins (dance belts, don’t ya know?) for the next audition. It was always particularly frustrating when I could see no logic in their casting decisions. I always felt confident enough as a singer that if producers and casting directors could just hear my big tenor voice then I’d at least make it to the next round of consideration. I was well-trained as a dancer too, so I could manage whatever moves a choreographer or dance captain threw at me. It also didn’t hurt that I was a fairly nice-looking twenty-something, a natural blond, and in great shape. Imagine my frustration then when I was cut from an audition because of my roller-skating abilities.
After Evita and then Cats had both won the Tony Awards for Best Musical, every Andrew Lloyd Webber musical coming to Broadway was the Holy Grail for auditioning musical theatre actors. I was excited to read in 1986 the casting notice for Starlight Express and intrigued by the specific request for all actors to come to the audition with their roller skates. I had a pair; I skated all the time in D.C.; I even went to the roller disco with friends regularly. I thought that this would be a breeze. Imagine my frustration when I got that curt “thank you,” signaling that my roller boogie Broadway dreams had just crashed into the firewall. They didn’t even ask me to sing a note.
What does that tell you about a show that is first and foremost about your ability to not die on roller skates than your actual musical theatre abilities? I saw the show in summer of 1987 and finally understood. This musical about trains (the actors are the various train cars) is all flash and dazzle with little substance. Some of the songs had pretty melodies and the Tony-winning costumes were impressive, but beyond that I was bored out of my mind within the first 20 minutes. The actors simply go around and around and around the track for close to three hours. I’ve never wanted to see the show again and I don’t think I’ve listened to the cast album in 20 years. Since the show makes absolutely no sense and has nothing to say, why not listen to the closing song in German???
- by Jonathan Lewis
2 comments:
Feel free to comment. However, please understand that this is my personal blog site so I am entitled to my own opinion. I do not wish to argue every little point with which you may disagree. Just as I have my opinion, you have yours and I respect that two people may never agree on the same point. So please keep it clean and cordial. Thank you.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
A very underrated musical. Like you, I saw it in DC at the Kennedy Center and can only imagine what it would have been like in London with much more track space. It is so complex and expensive that it would take a major investment to put on this show again, which is a real shame. I think the only recording is the London cast (which I have) so even hearing it is tough. I think the title song "Starlight Express" is quite lovely and full of finding personal strength over perceived weakness. (And I am not a huge ALW fan....Aspects of Love is, perhaps, the worst musical of all time.)
ReplyDeleteHearing it in German makes me sooooo glad that the Allies won the war so we don't have to hear songs sung in that language. Wow...talk about harsh!
Brent, I agree that it is probably underrated, but the Broadway production left me cold so I can understand the general disregard. All these years later, I remember being so disappointed in almost everything about it. Some of the songs are pretty though.
ReplyDelete