Rusty is a young steam engine and the main protagonist of Starlight Express. He has big dreams of winning the championship railroad race and the heart of the beautiful Pearl.
Rusty is a steam shunter engine; His job on the railway is to move the rolling stock and assemble trains, but he is not designed for high speeds or long distances.
Personality[]
Rusty is kind and ambitious, but he is also naive and stubborn, which is apparent when Pearl rejects him and he refuses to race without her. The freight trucks and coaches are fond of him, but don't believe he is capable of winning the race. He has big ideas of who he is and who he wants to be, but he is left heart-broken when everyone, especially Pearl, ridicules him.
In some productions, he is portrayed as a hopeless dreamer, far inferior to his more advanced competitors. Other actors portray him as having the potential to become champion, but lacking the self-confidence. In the original London production, he was portrayed angrier and more jaded, as shown in "Call Me Rusty (If You Dare)". Subsequent productions portray him as a more optimistic, cheerful character, as shown in "Engine of Love" and "Crazy".
Role[]
Rusty is first seen leading the coaches onstage, where he is greeted by Greaseball and his Gang. They proceed to make fun of him, which leads him into "Call Me Rusty." Uninterested, Greaseball and the Gang depart, and Rusty is left behind with the coaches. They urge him not to race, in the interest of his own safety ("A Lotta Locomotion"), despite Pearl having previously agreed to race with him. Rusty appears again during "Freight", when he leads the freight trucks onstage.
The next time Rusty appears is during "Coda of Freight", where he asserts that he is going to enter the race and win. He then tries to convince the coaches of his abilities ("Crazy") in hopes of getting a partner.
In the original West End production, Pearl is left without a partner after "AC/DC". Rusty once again offers himself as her partner, but she refuses, stating that he can't whistle like the engine in her dreams.
Later, Rusty approaches Poppa ("Rusty, Why You Looking Sad"), who urges him to race, but Rusty insists that he won't race without Pearl. In the original West End production, Poppa eventually convinces Rusty to race with Belle in the second heat. Subsequent productions have Poppa racing with Dustin, and Rusty agreeing to take Poppa's place after he gets worn out. Rusty then prays to the Starlight Express to help him ("Starlight Express"), ending the first act.
At the beginning of act two ("The Rap") Rusty confirms his intention to race, complaining that Pearl would be his girlfriend if he won the championship, and the Red Caboose agrees to race with him.
Despite his assurances that he will help Rusty, Caboose betrays him during the uphill final by not taking off the breaks, causing Rusty to go slow. When the race is canceled, Rusty is unsure if he is going to race in the rerun. He is then visited by the Starlight Express itself, who explains that Rusty has had the power of the Starlight inside him all along ("Starlight Sequence").
In the end, Rusty decides to race with Dustin against Greaseball with Pearl and Electra with Caboose. During the race, Greaseball uncouples Pearl at high speed, sending her careening off the edge of the track. Rusty allows himself to fall behind to save her. Luckily for Rusty, Caboose causes Greaseball and Electra to crash, allowing Rusty to take the lead and win the championship. Despite Control's insistence that he take a lap of honor, Rusty disappears, insisting that he must find Pearl.
Rusty finds Pearl, who now regrets abandoning him at the beginning of the races ("Only You", "Next Time You Fall In Love", or "I Do."). The two make up and share a kiss before they are surrounded by the rest of the cast for the end of the show ("The Light At the End of the Tunnel", "Megamix").
As of 2018 in Bochum, while the overall story remains mostly the same, it is established after Rolling Stock that this is when he meets Pearl. This becomes their first meeting, due to Pearl's status as the "new girl". They get on very well. Pearl's difficulties with choosing Rusty to race later add up to lack of familiarity with anyone or what is expected of her, leading to the bumbling mess of her choices throughout the show.
Songs[]
As the protagonist of the show, Rusty's role is always large. However, over the years and in different productions, he has featured in a range of numbers.
Original London
- Call Me Rusty - with the Coaches
- Coda of Freight - Chorus, in which he takes lead solo
- Starlight Express - Solo
- I Am the Starlight (Starlight Sequence) - with The Starlight
- Only You - with Pearl.
Revised London
- Call Me Rusty - shortened version with the Coaches
- Coda of Freight - Chorus, in which he takes lead solo
- Crazy - with the Coaches
- Starlight Express - Solo
- Starlight Sequence - with the Starlight
- Next Time You Fall In Love - with Pearl.
Bochum
- Liebesexpress (German translation of Engine of Love) - with the Coaches
- Endlich kommt für mich die Zeit (German translation of Call Me Rusty) - with the Coaches
- Fracht Reprise (German translation of Coda of Freight)- Chorus, in which he takes lead solo
- Crazy - with the Coaches (2002 onward)
- Starlight Express - Solo
- Starlight Sequenz (German translation of Starlight Sequence) - with the Starlight
- Allein im licht der Sterne (German translation of Next Time You Fall In Love) (2002 onward) or Du Allein (German translation of Only You) (until 2002) - with Pearl.
Revised Bochum
- Fracht Reprise (German translation of Coda of Freight) - Chorus, in which he takes lead solo
- Crazy - with the Coaches (2002 onwards)
- Starlight Express - Solo
- Starlight Sequenz - with the Starlight
- Nur Mit Ihm - (German translation of Only He) - With Pearl
- Für Immer - (German translation of I Do) - With Pearl
UK/US tour
- Coda of Freight - Chorus, in which he takes lead solo
- Crazy - with the Coaches
- Starlight Express - Solo
- Starlight Sequence - with the Starlight
- Next Time You Fall In Love (US and the early UK) or Only He (UK) - with Pearl.
- I Do - with Pearl
Japan/Australia tour
- Engine of Love - with the Coaches
- Coda of Freight - Chorus, in which he takes lead solo
- Starlight Express - Solo
- Starlight Sequence - with the Starlight
- Only You - with Pearl.
Appearance[]
Gallery[]
Cast[]
London
| 1984 - 1986 | Ray Shell |
| 1986 - 1988 | Koffi Missah |
| 1988 - 1989 | Bobby Collins |
| 1989 - 1991 | Gary Cordice |
| 1991 - 1992 | Michael Cahill |
| 1992 - 1994 | Greg Ellis |
| 1994 - 1997 | Paul Baker |
| 1997 - 1998 | James Gillan |
| 1998 - 1999 | Neil Couperthwaite |
| 1999 - 2001 | Adrian Hansel |
| 2001 - 2002 | Mark McGee |
Broadway
| 1987 - 1989 | Greg Mowry |
Japan / Australia Tours
| 1987 | Bobby Collins |
| 1990 | Bobby Collins |
Bochum, Germany
| 1988 - 1989 | Steven Michael Skeels |
| 1989 - 1990 | Bernie Blanks |
| 1990 - 1991 | Kapa Kitchen |
| 1991 - 1992 | Colin Munro |
| 1992 - 1995 | Mark Daye |
| 1995 - 1996 | Ernest Marchain |
| 1996 - 1997 | George Alex Livings |
| 1997 - 1999 | Paul Whitaker |
| 1999 - 2000 | Neil Couperthwaite |
| 2000 - 2002 | Rommel Singson |
| 2002 - 2004 | Jamie Golding |
| 2004 - 2005 | Bernie Blanks / Greg Castiglioni |
| 2005 - 2008 | Jamie Golding |
| 2008 - 2009 | Kevin Kohler / Jamie Golding |
| 2009 - 2011 | Kevin Kohler |
| 2011 - 2014 | Marcel Brauneis |
| 2014 - 2016 | Kevin Kohler |
| 2016 - 2017 | Jeffrey Socia |
| 2017 - 2018 | Michael Pickering |
| 2018 - 2019 | Blake Patrick Anderson |
| 2019 - 2020 | Markus Fetter |
| 2020 - 2021 | Max Rizzo (Cancelled due to Covid) |
| 2021 - 2023 | Max Rizzo |
| 2023 - 2025 | Max Luca Maus |
US Tour 1989 - 1991
| 1989 - 1991 | Sean McDermott |
Las Vegas 1993 - 1997
| 1993 - 1994 | Steven Michael Skeels |
| 1994 - 1995 | Freddie T |
| 1995 - 1996 | Greg Ellis |
| 1996 - 1997 | Ernest Marchain |
US Tour 2003 - 2004
| 2003 - 2004 | Franklyn Warfield |
UK Tours 2004 - 2008
| 2004 - 2005 | James Gillan |
| 2006 - 2007 | Oliver Rhoe Thornton |
| 2007 - 2008 | Kristofer Harding |
NZ Tour 2009
| 2009 | Jamie Golding |
UK Tour 2012-2013
| 2012 - 2013 | Kristofer Harding |
| Asia 2013 | Kristofer Harding |
Wembley, London 2024
| 2024 - 2025 | Jeevan Braich |
Trivia[]
Among the many notorious changes that the production of the musical had for its adaptation in Latin America known as "Expreso Astral" in Mexico, in the mid-1990s, there is the song "Call Me Rusty" whose lyrics were modified and later named "Soy Mexicano, y que?" ("I am Mexican, so what?" In Spanish) Where Rusty is given with the nationality of that country and how proud he is about it. This being his motivation to win the race and demonstrate his courage to the whole world. This is the only time among all the adaptations worldwide, where this detail of the character is mentioned.
Fan Theories[]
See Here for Fan theories about Rusty.