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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[]

Costume design

Gallery[]

Photo 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.

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