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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[]

Costume design

Gallery[]

Photo gallery

Role[]

  • Male. Legit Character High Baritone Ability to sound as an Italian tenor desirable. Range: B2 – G4.
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

1988 - 1989 Frido Ruth
1989 - 1990 Preston Simpson / Noah Jordan
1990 - 1991 Noah Jordan / Stuart Cross
1991 - 1992 Stuart Cross / Michael Petersson
1992 - 1993 Ole Solomon Junge / Ricky Mujica
1993 - 1995 Ricky Mujica
1995 - 1996 David Reynolds
1996 - 1998 Philip Lee Clark
1998 - 1999 Marco Heinrich
1999 - 2000 Paul Craig
2000 - 2001 Martyn Andrews
2001 - 2002 Gianni Salvucci
2002 - 2004 Joshua Feldschuh
2004 - 2005 David Pellerin
2005 - 2006 Joshua Feldschuh
2006 - 2007 Adam Floyd
2007 - 2008 Nathan Sloan
2008 - 2009 Gareth Bailey
2009 - 2010 Adam Sheffield
2010 - 2011 Nic Ineson
2011 - 2012 Michael Eborall
2012 - 2013 Graham Harvey
2013 - 2014 James Jacob-Lomas
2014 - 2015 Adam Bailey
2015 - 2016 Jason Gray
2016 - 2017 Joseph Connor
2017 - 2018 Darius James
2018 - 2019 Anthony Hughes
2019 - 2020 Terence Uphoff
2020 - 2021 Brian O'Muiri (Cancelled due to Covid)
2021 - 2022 Gary Sheridan
05/2022 - 08/2022 Kristian Jacobs
09/2022 - 2023 Terence Uphoff
2023 - 2024 Nathan Daly
2024 - 2025 Bradley Trevethan

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)

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