3,426 posts
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Post by ceebee on Oct 21, 2024 10:40:30 GMT
offensive diesel dyke Greaseball Greaseball isn't offensive in this production. I thought the gender switch worked really well. Gender switch works fine for me and Greaseball is still as hot as f to hetero men as well as many women probably. Isn't the gender fluidity part of the charm? Or do we need to lock everything down to stereotypes and conform? (Not with THOSE costumes!) The camper the better, say I. |
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Post by amyja89 on Oct 21, 2024 10:47:50 GMT
As a lesbian, I didn't find Greaseball offensive in the slightest. As a completely new viewer to the show, I never even considered that the character should/could have been different. Though other opinions available, of course!
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1,379 posts
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Post by BVM on Oct 21, 2024 11:10:42 GMT
Greaseball isn't offensive in this production. I thought the gender switch worked really well. Gender switch works fine for me and Greaseball is still as hot as f to hetero men as well as many women probably. Isn't the gender fluidity part of the charm? Or do we need to lock everything down to stereotypes and conform? (Not with THOSE costumes!) The camper the better, say I. Indeed. Greaseball is literally not offensive. (Unless of course you are setting out to take offence). The gender fluidity (which has always been part of Starlight) is very much part of the charm! |
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Post by ladidah on Oct 21, 2024 11:10:56 GMT
I agree
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Post by fiyerorocher on Oct 21, 2024 11:12:20 GMT
There are SO FEW queer female characters in musicals that I honestly welcome any new additions. New musicals with queer female characters would of course also be excellent, but I'm definitely not going to complain about some adaptations to older shows that make space for these characters.
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4,171 posts
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 21, 2024 11:23:07 GMT
Wasn't Greaseball supposed to originally be an imitation of Elvis? Ad instantly recognisable to an audience member as such? Much like the Pharaoh in Joseph.
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3,325 posts
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Post by Dr Tom on Oct 21, 2024 13:22:40 GMT
I really don't think there are any characters in SE that should cause offence to anyone in the modern world. I never got to see the original version, but if I understand correctly, this had the men as the engines and the women in rather less even roles, so I'd have thought that would be more offensive today. Everything I see related to SE is modern and inclusive. There's even the occasional straight male actor in the cast (joke).]
For production values, this must be in contention to win awards for sound design, lighting, and costumes (they may not be the originals, but they look so impressive).
My recent visits haven't managed to quite equal the excitement of becoming intimately acquainted with Stephen Mulhern (the space to take your seat in the upper level is tight). I did have a nice chat with his mum (at least I hope she was his mum, otherwise the conversation was a little odd). Stephen also came across as a very pleasant chap. Very impressed with how quickly Jeevan can get up the ramp, and I also saw him recover nicely from a spot of hysterics. I also saw some Scott shows as Rusty and he was very keen to high five me along with a very pleasant smile. Thankfully, he wears gloves, so he's quite safe.
Weekend Rush tickets are rather hard to get now as this is selling rather well, so I did resort to Locomotive Row Q. I wasn't too sure how well the show would work from that section, but the view is clear (if from slightly further back than I'd like) and you do really get the benefit of seeing the full presentation and the excellent sound. I also got to see Sam Gallacher make his Porter debut, apparently his eighth track, which is quite impressive. But weekdays are the way to go right now if you want ticket deals.
There are extra performances this week and next week, which I think matches half term weeks. I'm largely away, so I will have a little break until at least next Sunday, but this remains a real feelgood show for me.
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Post by blamerobots on Oct 21, 2024 15:28:49 GMT
Think the line "AC/DC it's OK by me" and "I can switch and change my frequency" is impossible to hand-wave away as Stilgoe nonsense
And Greaseball in this even had my mixed gender group all swooning which... if that isn't a testament to how great in the role and character Al Knott is lol
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Post by blamerobots on Oct 21, 2024 15:34:52 GMT
Wasn't Greaseball supposed to originally be an imitation of Elvis? Ad instantly recognisable to an audience member as such? Much like the Pharaoh in Joseph. They're meant to be like a 50's greaser but on the cast recordings it is very easy to see the Elvis inspirations. I'd have to check the vocal score or libretto for the character descriptions. |
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Post by d'James on Oct 21, 2024 16:27:41 GMT
I really don't think there are any characters in SE that should cause offence to anyone in the modern world. I never got to see the original version, but if I understand correctly, this had the men as the engines and the women in rather less even roles, so I'd have thought that would be more offensive today. Everything I see related to SE is modern and inclusive. There's even the occasional straight male actor in the cast (joke).] For production values, this must be in contention to win awards for sound design, lighting, and costumes (they may not be the originals, but they look so impressive). My recent visits haven't managed to quite equal the excitement of becoming intimately acquainted with Stephen Mulhern (the space to take your seat in the upper level is tight). I did have a nice chat with his mum (at least I hope she was his mum, otherwise the conversation was a little odd). Stephen also came across as a very pleasant chap. Very impressed with how quickly Jeevan can get up the ramp, and I also saw him recover nicely from a spot of hysterics. I also saw some Scott shows as Rusty and he was very keen to high five me along with a very pleasant smile. Thankfully, he wears gloves, so he's quite safe. Weekend Rush tickets are rather hard to get now as this is selling rather well, so I did resort to Locomotive Row Q. I wasn't too sure how well the show would work from that section, but the view is clear (if from slightly further back than I'd like) and you do really get the benefit of seeing the full presentation and the excellent sound. I also got to see Sam Gallacher make his Porter debut, apparently his eighth track, which is quite impressive. But weekdays are the way to go right now if you want ticket deals. There are extra performances this week and next week, which I think matches half term weeks. I'm largely away, so I will have a little break until at least next Sunday, but this remains a real feelgood show for me. I think the gender swaps for the characters are fine, I just find that the singing can sometimes not sound as impressive when it's all mixed. The costumes are very shiny but very lazy. The components, engines and freight all just look like copy and paste jobs and then change the colour (as I said above); or with the components (and Electra) with changes made after the original criticism to give them some individuality. As I've also said before, I think in future, all characters should be able to be played by any actor of any gender, but understand why it would be more difficult. |
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7,050 posts
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Post by Jon on Oct 21, 2024 17:33:00 GMT
I saw it two weeks ago and the whole show has been stirring in my mind. I loved Hydra, loved control as a child even - but i JUST couldn't think of why I didn't love it. It finally came to me!! This show doesn't look like a train set (it's too sci fi - with random planets?), NONE of the costumes look like trains (more like space transformers) and with the quest to make this show woke - this removed the toxic Alpha masculinity Rusty needed to face (and conquer), the show lacked femininity (an offensive diesel dyke Greaseball and robot looking bulky carriages no longer count). The whole production is no longer sexy and NO longer brings back the feel of that train travel nostalgia of yesteryear. Choo choo has been replaced by planets and robots on wheels. As for the skating - the set wasn't built for skaters in mind, the races were a mess (sorry but true), and it all looked very one level and cheap in comparison to the several immersive and multiple levels the original production, Bochum, Broadway, Vegas etc all had/have. NO Bridge, no see saw, no bowls, no tunnels, no countries competing against each others (who cares about colours) the new songs are bad and they have the worst orchestrations I've heard in years - I didn't have one goosebump. They removed all the magic of a show i loved so much. Starlight ever being described as "sexy" is hilarious. I don't get how Starlight Express can be woke either, it's talking trains that race. |
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Post by danb on Oct 21, 2024 18:01:25 GMT
I don’t think it is woke per se, just in the scramble to appear ‘now’, uses too many modern tropes and ‘hot’ names to ride on the coat tails of shows that have had recent success (three years ago).
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Post by csc74csc on Oct 21, 2024 19:42:58 GMT
I messaged the company over instagram who are advertising the CD and vinyl. I wanted to know if the full show was coming to CD. This might please some people here. 😊
the CD will be the full show now. The highlights version is just the standard LP.
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1,578 posts
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Post by anita on Oct 22, 2024 9:54:52 GMT
I messaged the company over instagram who are advertising the CD and vinyl. I wanted to know if the full show was coming to CD. This might please some people here. 😊 the CD will be the full show now. The highlights version is just the standard LP. When I messaged them they said they could only sell what given.That was rather obvious I thought. |
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1,578 posts
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Post by anita on Oct 22, 2024 10:09:12 GMT
It still says only highlights for the CD.
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Post by csc74csc on Oct 22, 2024 18:41:30 GMT
It still says only highlights for the CD. Yes it does but thats the word from them. When they responded they said they said theyd check with the relevant team and then a few hours later they said what i quoted. That gives me hope its not just someone instantly replying with the incorrect information . I have suggested they update the adverts and the webpage to the correct information. |
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Post by loonz on Oct 23, 2024 21:20:01 GMT
How many songs are there in total? And how many for the 'highlights'?
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1,379 posts
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Post by BVM on Oct 24, 2024 6:30:00 GMT
So the record company hasn’t helped with the way it describes things but in reality all versions are highlights.
The “deluxe” double vinyl misses Call Me Rusty, Laughing Stock, Act 1 races, The Rap and pre Race 4. And it omits all recitative/linking sections. Judging by the song lengths released, many songs have been shortened. It’s 65 mins in total so about half the show.
This is also the streaming and download version.
The CD is shorter and cuts a few of these.
The single vinyl much shorter and cuts a lot more.
I think naming the double vinyl deluxe and not highlights is a bit disingenuous. But rather suspect I’m being an MT geek pedant. It’ll work as marketing for the public who will probs see it as #deluxe.
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Post by 141920grm on Oct 24, 2024 9:39:26 GMT
extended to Oct 2025!
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Post by d'James on Oct 24, 2024 11:49:59 GMT
I really wanted Laughing Stock. However, preferably without ‘I Got Me’ shoehorned in.
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Post by benj on Oct 24, 2024 16:05:22 GMT
I really wanted Laughing Stock. However, preferably without ‘I Got Me’ shoehorned in. I hate ‘I Got Me’ - terrible song and the lyrics are cringey! Why didn’t they just write new lyrics for ‘A Lotta Locomotion’? Glad to see it’s extended though! |
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Post by thecursedexpress on Oct 25, 2024 0:15:00 GMT
I really wanted Laughing Stock. However, preferably without ‘I Got Me’ shoehorned in. I hate ‘I Got Me’ - terrible song and the lyrics are cringey! Why didn’t they just write new lyrics for ‘A Lotta Locomotion’? Glad to see it’s extended though! Yeah I'm on the same boat with I Got Me (German) and I Am Me. It feels out of place especially in Starlight and considering the lyrics aren't Richard Stillgoe and written by someone else kind of shows. The thing is I wouldn't of minded if it was an Act 2 song to replace Girls Rolling Stock as its not a bad song. I was definitely on the camp of you can update "A Lotta Locomotion" and I wish they did that. |
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Post by ladidah on Oct 25, 2024 10:29:00 GMT
I prefer Lotta Locomotion, it's just more fun and catchy. Update the lyrics!
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Post by jaybird89 on Oct 25, 2024 10:40:01 GMT
I have to agree I don't mind I am me, but it feels more like a girls rolling stock and would actually fit nicely there I think. I didn't hate a whole lotta locomotion (although on re listen as an adult with probably better taste now it's not that great) but the original song always strikes for me it's catchy up beat fun and silly and I'm sure you could re work the lyrics.
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Post by d'James on Oct 25, 2024 12:23:03 GMT
A Lotta Locomotion (Concept Album) has very progressive lyrics.
Unfortunately, I think I’m buying tickets out of obligation, not because I want them. I’ve seen this production ‘and that’s all I need.’
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