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Post by d'James on Jun 29, 2016 12:17:57 GMT
I just did a search and only found topics on travelling to Bochum or how to buy tickets, so I hope it's OK to set up a new topic actually about the show there; to share experiences and opinions (if there is a thread I missed, please merge this with that). I'll talk about my previous experiences soon, but came on to share some news.
Interestingly and unfortunately the actress who was cast to play Pearl this year (Rachel Cumino) has been let go from the production as her skating wasn't up to scratch. I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often actually. I know when they did the TV casting for it in Germany, the actress who was picked to play Pearl eventually had to drop out for the same reasons. Does it happen more often and we just don't hear about it?
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 30, 2016 14:10:47 GMT
I'm more surprised that they actually released the reason for her being dropped. That's put paid to Rachel appearing in any other skating themed shows! Such as Xanadu aaaaaaaaand........... *tumbleweed*.........errrrrrm..........
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Post by d'James on Jun 30, 2016 14:14:55 GMT
As far as I know, she released the info herself. I guess to stop any other speculation. She missed the first night with the rest of the new cast, so they obviously gave her a bit of leniency.
When I've seen it recently, it's often been the previous year's Dinah who gets promoted to first cast Pearl.
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Post by viserys on Jun 30, 2016 15:03:22 GMT
I seem to recall it happened before though my Starlight Express fandom days are now -gulp- about 20 years ago. I think there's no shame in admitting that your roller skating skills weren't good enough, if anything it shows some common sense to rather step back than risk injury. The skating is crazy fast after all.
The girl who "won" the casting show on TV (Anna Maria Schmidt) didn't just drop out because of the skating demands. She had been an amateur (she studied sports and mathematics at university at the time!) who simply couldn't cope with the demands of a professional musical production.
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Post by westendwendy on Jul 8, 2016 12:52:45 GMT
Starlight Express in Bochum is the best show I have ever seen in my life. Period. The scale and speed and spectacle is like nothing else. It's Cirque Du Soleil on wheels!
I believe that each year 20 are recast (40 odd in the show with all the swings) and each year 3 or 4 drop out due to the extreme skating, stunts, heavy costumes, crazy races around the terrifying rollercoaster track. If you are scared of heights forget it.
The emotional, physical and mental strain on those performers is unlike anything else on stage - they have to go from musical actors, dancers and singers to full on Olympic standard speed and trick skaters in 4 months!!
There were rumours years ago of Andrew Lloyd Webber wanting to bring the German production to Battersea Power station. That will not happen now but wow... what a show it is!!! I wish they did one or two shows in English sometime!
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Post by d'James on Jul 8, 2016 12:58:34 GMT
Starlight Express in Bochum is the best show I have ever seen in my life. Period. The scale and speed and spectacle is like nothing else. It's Cirque Du Soleil on wheels!
I believe that each year 20 are recast (40 odd in the show with all the swings) and each year 3 or 4 drop out due to the extreme skating, stunts, heavy costumes, crazy races around the terrifying rollercoaster track. If you are scared of heights forget it.
The emotional, physical and mental strain on those performers is unlike anything else on stage - they have to go from musical actors, dancers and singers to full on Olympic standard speed and trick skaters in 4 months!!
There were rumours years ago of Andrew Lloyd Webber wanting to bring the German production to Battersea Power station. That will not happen now but wow... what a show it is!!! I wish they did one or two shows in English sometime!
I wish the Battersea thing had happened. They could still build a permanent home somewhere like Wembley but I doubt they want to invest that much. |
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Post by d'James on Nov 8, 2016 18:03:58 GMT
Apparently they're going to do a performance in English in March next year. No idea why or the exact date. Am so tempted to go.
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Post by Michael on Nov 8, 2016 18:15:35 GMT
Apparently they're going to do a performance in English in March next year. No idea why or the exact date. Am so tempted to go. Oh me too. If you find out an exact date, I'd really appreciate it if you posted it here. |
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Post by d'James on Nov 8, 2016 18:24:29 GMT
Of course I will. :-)
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Post by daniel on Nov 8, 2016 22:51:19 GMT
Apparently they're going to do a performance in English in March next year. No idea why or the exact date. Am so tempted to go. I think I'd be very tempted too! Where did you hear about it? Is it a reliable source or should we not get too excited? |
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Post by d'James on Nov 8, 2016 22:54:09 GMT
This is the tweet, from what I think is the official Twitter account:
I've just realised March would be thirty years of it opening on Broadway. Maybe that's the reason.
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Post by daniel on Nov 8, 2016 23:09:52 GMT
That's great, thanks!
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Post by Steffi on Nov 12, 2016 17:09:05 GMT
The English performance is scheduled for 28th March.
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Post by Michael on Nov 13, 2016 0:32:50 GMT
The English performance is scheduled for 28th March. The Tuesday right after the last Jersey Boys. I'd have hoped for a weekend show, but let's see if I can make it. |
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Post by Phantom of London on Nov 13, 2016 4:54:20 GMT
How do you get to Bochum?
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Post by d'James on Nov 13, 2016 5:32:31 GMT
Look on a map and hope for the best.
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Post by viserys on Nov 13, 2016 7:56:08 GMT
How do you get to Bochum? Coming from the UK, hop on any plane to Düsseldorf and take one of the many trains that run directly between the airport station and Bochum central station. Takes about half an hour, less than the tube to Heathrow  Could also fly to Cologne if that's more convenient for you. Will require a change of trains in Cologne, so the train journey will take longer, but not that much. I wonder if this is a "test" to see how well it will sell in English. They're tweaked the show beyond recognition to "keep it fresh" and doing one show in English per week might be another novelty that will sell tickets. The fans know the show by heart anyway and will be interested in hearing it in English and it may attract more foreigners living in the area and tourists. Germans are notoriously averse to anything not dubbed into German oblivion, but it's slowly changing and the appetite for original versions is growing, so who knows. Personally I hope they will go full circle some day and start all over with the 1984 original version that includes Belle the Sleeping Car, There's Me and Only He... |
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Post by d'James on Nov 13, 2016 14:56:49 GMT
Double ditto for Belle and Only He.
I just hope they're not building up to closing it for the 30th.
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Post by viserys on Nov 13, 2016 15:10:44 GMT
I doubt it. Not least because of the chatter here and my own feelings of nostalgia I wanted to buy a bunch of tickets for christmas gifts and I was surprised to find it a struggle to buy the tickets I wanted for a date early next year because it was selling well.
This might well have turned into a perpetuum mobile like Phantom and Les Miz in London - people returning with their own kids to introduce them to musical theatre the way St Ex was their own intro many years ago (I myself dragged my young nephew along a few years ago) or just returning for nostalgia's sake or to introduce new friends, partners, etc. to the show.
Compared to the obnoxious pricing of Stage Entertainment shows St Ex is surprisingly well-priced with only a few premium seats (those naff 3D-armchairs) and decent seats available that don't break the bank, plus good discounts for groups like kids and even pensioners that are +67 yrs (which I only just discovered as one of my party is older). I'm also sure it attracts oodles of school groups. So for a fun musical theatre night out in the most populous Bundesland in Germany, St Ex is still fairly unbeatable.
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Post by d'James on Nov 13, 2016 15:42:08 GMT
Is 67 the retirement age in Germany?
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Post by viserys on Nov 13, 2016 15:48:30 GMT
Yea, it was introduced in 2012. I didn't even twig the connection, duh. Makes sense. But then my mom and aunt retired earlier and my dad retired off the face of the earth before he got there. By the time I reach retirement age, it'll probably be 70 or 72.
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Post by d'James on Nov 13, 2016 15:51:08 GMT
Interesting. Thanks.
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Post by daniel on Nov 14, 2016 11:34:14 GMT
The English performance is scheduled for 28th March. Do you know when tickets are being released? Would love to see it! |
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Post by Steffi on Nov 14, 2016 13:31:17 GMT
The English performance is scheduled for 28th March. Do you know when tickets are being released? Would love to see it! Afraid not. The official website only says tickets will be on sale soon. |
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Post by Michael on Nov 14, 2016 16:36:28 GMT
According to Google Maps it's a 270km drive from my apartment - or 3h by train (and a hotel).
But I'd love to see this again and am not willing to sit through the German version, so I'm pretty sure I'll go (if I can manage to get tickets).
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