A sweet and affectionate dining car who is best friends with Pearl. Her love interest in the show is Greaseball, the reigning champion.
Personality[]
Dinah is a sweet, lovable, Southern dining car who is a hopeless romantic. She has a good moral compass, which while not always appreciated, is firm in her beliefs and tries to help in every way she can, her emotions and beliefs sometimes being tested and getting the best of her.
In 2018, the Bochum production underwent significant revisions for the show's 30th Anniversary. These updates gave Dinah's character a different angle - she is now sassy and confident through Act 1, to suddenly distraught in Act 2 when she sings "UNCOUPLED". Girls' Rolling Stock has now been cut from the production.
Story[]
Dinah begins the show in an established relationship with Greaseball, friends with the other coaches as well as occasionally Caboose, a member of the freight train. After the first race, she objects to Greaseball and Caboose working together to wipe out the competition, leading to Greaseball dumping her. Caboose, depending on then production, then sings "There's Me" to remind her she has a friend.
Heart-broken Dinah starts Act 2 still very emotional about being dumped, objecting to being passed around in "The Rap" but her objections are ignored as everyone tells her "Shut it, Dinah!". When Pearl takes up with Greaseball right in front of her, she breaks down, telling the other coaches Ashley, Buffy and Belle how she's been "UNCOUPLED". Her friends advise her to fight back, echoing Greaseball's initial entrance in "Girls' Rolling Stock". Purse then invites Dinah to race with Electra, and she agrees to go, "Unless Greaseball changes his mind!" Electra and Dinah make an unhappy race pair, neither wanting to be with the other, and after the Uphill Final, Dinah decides she'd rather be on her own than race with Electra and dumps him in "Dinah's Disco". While Electra scrambles for another partner, Dinah waits for Greaseball. When he seems quite content with Pearl, Dinah flees in tears again. Finally, Greaseball is wrecked after his schemes backfire leading to a crash with Caboose and Electra, causing them all to lose, but Dinah still in love with him, races to his side and accepts his apology even though he can't spell "S.O.R.R....R.Y".
In the original production, it was suggested that Dinah's relationship with Greaseball was abusive, in a scene between Greaseball, Dinah, and the Sleepers, immediately following "Pumping Iron":
| DINAH: | A lotta locomotion, I got already |
| I got Greaseball, and I'm going Steady! | |
| SLEEPERS: | But he beats you all the time, he gives you hell |
| He two-times you and he likes to kiss and tell | |
| GREASEBALL: | Find an engine, find a place, up against us to race |
| GREASEBALL & DINAH: | And you'll find that, sister, we'll beat you as well! |
This short dialogue starts to the tune of A Lotta Locomotion, and from the Sleepers chiming in onwards it's to the tune of U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D., foreshadowing the events later to come.
In the 2024 Wembley production, Greaseball is switched to female and Dinah is now lesbian.
Appearance[]
Gallery[]
Role[]
Bochum, 1998
| Dinah | Early 20´s strong dancer with a dramatic country/western style with a chest belt up to at least an E flat, though preferably up to an F sharp. A young Southern Belle dining train who is dedicated to her man. |
Bochum, 2019
| Dinah | female, playing age early 20s. Warm Texan girl who can sing pop country and western that has excellent comedic timing. Dining car. MUST have a strong Country sound with Contemporary Pop Belt with Mezzo Soprano/Soprano Must be able to mix. Range: Mix/Belt – G#3 – G5 (Head Voice to A5) |
Cast[]
London
| 1984 - 1985 | Frances Ruffelle |
| 1985 - 1986 | Beverley Kay |
| 1986 - 1987 | Debbie Wake |
| 1987 - 1988 | Beverley Kay |
| 1988 - 1989 | Debbie Wake |
| 1989 - 1990 | Beverley Braybon |
| 1990 - 1992 | Sally Taylor |
| 1992 - 1995 | Caron Cardelle |
| 1995 - 1996 | Deborah Leanne Spellman |
| 1996 - 1997 | Anna Jane Casey |
| 1997 - 1998 | Natalie Powers |
| 1998 - 1999 | Gail Easdale |
| 1999 - 2000 | Irene Warren |
| 2000 - 2001 | Leyla Pellegrini |
| 2001 - 2002 | Helen Latham |
Broadway
| 1987 - 1989 | Jane Krakowski |
Japan / Australia Tours
| 1987 | Debbie Wake |
| 1990 | Debbie Wake |
Bochum, Germany
| 1988 - 1989 | Natalie Howard |
| 1989 - 1990 | Laurie Sheppard |
| 1990 - 1991 | Darlene Casanova |
| 1991 - 1992 | Darlene Casanova / Tracey Heyworth |
| 1992 - 1994 | Sara Durkin |
| 1994 - 1995 | Beverley Braybon |
| 1995 - 1996 | Julie McKenna |
| 1996 - 1997 | Nina Pressing |
| 1997 - 1998 | Rachel Slater |
| 1998 - 1999 | Clarissa Quinlan |
| 1999 - 2000 | Tia Marie Zorne |
| 2000 - 2002 | Rachael Wooding |
| 2002 - 2004 | Kelly O'Brien |
| 2004 - 2005 | Suzy Bastone |
| 2005 - 2006 | Amanda Coutts |
| 2006 - 2007 | Katie Stewart |
| 2007 - 2008 | Leanne Garretty |
| 2008 - 2009 | Katy Hards |
| 2009 - 2010 | Katy Hards |
| 2010 - 2011 | Georgina Hagen |
| 2011 - 2012 | Rachel Grundy |
| 2012 - 2014 | Abigail Dever |
| 2014 - 2015 | Lucie Downer / Emma Prosser |
| 2015 - 2016 | Emma Prosser |
| 2016 - 2018 | Abigail Dever |
| 2018 - 2023 | Rose Ouellette |
| 2023 - 2025 | Rosalia Morales |
US Tour 1989 - 1991
| 1989 - 1991 | Dawn Marie Church |
Las Vegas 1993 - 1997
| 1993 - 1995 | Dawn Marie Church |
| 1995 - 1996 | ? |
| 1996 - 1997 | Jennifer Bizik |
| 1997 - close | Kelly Love |
US Tour 2003 - 2004
| 2003 - 2004 | Katie O'Toole |
UK Tours 2004 - 2008
| 2004 - 2005 | Tanya Robb |
| 2006 - 2008 | Lucy-Jane Adcock |
NZ Tour 2009
| 2009 | Torum Heng |
UK Tour 2012-2013
| 2012 - 2013 | Ruthie Stephens |
| Asia 2013 | Ruthie Stephens |
Wembley, London 2024
| 2024 - 2025 | Eve Humphrey |
Fan Theories[]
See Here for Fan theories about Dinah.