Espresso the Italian Engine as his name suggests is hot, bitter, and sweet, and ready to race in the World Championship.
Personality[]
Flamboyantly Italian, Espresso can be played similar to Bobo in style, as a confident, romantic European.
Espresso tends to be very flirty, even to the point of finding young ladies in the audience to flirt with. Espresso and Bobo are often played as direct rivals.
Tickovers: Espresso is seen doing stereotypical Italian hand gestures and sometimes kissing his hands.
Story[]
In the original London production he raced with Buffy in Heat 1 and loses, and that's pretty much his only spotlight. In other productions, he races with Ashley in Heat 2. He and Bobo spend so much of the race fighting, that Poppa gets past to win comfortably. In addition, Espresso gets ran out of the race/86'd, resulting in Ashley getting really upset hitting him and getting really "smoking". She proceeds to break the fourth wall and yell "You bet I am!" and hit Espresso for his loss.
In the Japan/Australia tour he was known as Esspresso, with his twin named "Pendelino". Espresso raced with Buffy in Heat 1 and Heat 3, and Pendelino in heat 2 with Rocky 2. Caboose interferes with Esspresso in Heat 3, causing him and Buffy to not return for the Re-Run of the Final Race.
He is cut from the 2003 US and 2004 UK tours, as he was not included in the reduced race structure used for the 3D Race films.
In the 2017 Workshop Espresso races Heat 2 with Tassita the Quiet coach, who didn't make it past the workshop.
As of 2018 in Bochum, the Italian Engine is partnered with Volta, Espresso's first coupling with a Component.
History[]
While initially installed as the Italian Rome - Milan Express engine. Since the Bochum update in 2018, Espresso is now comically refered to as the "Pizza Express", saturating the Italian Engine with more stereotypes. The name "Pizza Express" references a British Restaurant chain also present in Germany known for its Italian styled cuisine.
Appearance[]
Gallery[]
Role[]
|
Audition Notices |
Cast[]
London
1984 - 1985 | Ruel George Campbell |
1985 - 1986 | Maynard Williams |
1986 - 1987 | Bob Lee Dysinger |
1987 - 1988 | Robert Northwood |
1988 - 1989 | ? |
1989 - 1990 | ? |
1990 - 1991 | Peter David |
1991 - 1992 | Robert Northwood |
1992 - 1994 | Craig Cameron |
1994 - 1996 | Robert Northwood |
1996 - 1997 | Andrew Spillett |
1997 - 1998 | Richard Twyman |
1998 - 1999 | Todd Talbot |
1999 - 2000 | Chris Bennett |
2000 - 2001 | Craig Scott |
2001 - 2002 | Jamie Capewell |
Broadway
1987 - 1989 | Philip Clayton |
Japan / Australia Tours
1987 | Espresso | Anthony Marciona |
Pendelino | Bob Lee Dysinger | |
1990 | Espresso | Yuuki Saito |
Pendelino | Hideki Tachibana |
Bochum, Germany
US Tour 1989 - 1991
1989 - 1991 | Steven Cates |
Las Vegas 1993 - 1997
1993 - 1994 | C. C. Brown |
1994 - 1995 | Eric Jordan Young |
1995 - 1996 | ? |
1996 - 1997 | Ron McKay |
1997 - close | Tony Cordell |
US Tour 2003 - 2004 (cut)
UK Tours 2004 - 2008 (cut)
NZ Tour 2009 (cut)
UK Tour 2012-2013 (cut)