Bernie Blanks as Rusty, Germany 2004
Rusty is the main protagonist of Starlight Express.
Profile
"Rusty is the steam train delegated to the sidings. His only friends are Dustin, Flat-Top and, occasionally, the Rockies. His dream is to win the championship race and win the heart of an observation car named Pearl. But the diesel and the electric say he doesn't have what it takes. So he relies on Poppa, the old steamer, and the midnight train, the Starlight Express to win."
Character Interpretation
Rusty is a sweet, timid, and innocent steam train. He is also easily provoked, which is shown when Pearl rejects him and he refuses to race without her. His only friends in the trainyard are Flat-Top the Brick Truck and Dustin the Big Hopper. He has big ideas of who he is and who he wants to be, but he is left heart-brokened when everyone, especially Pearl, ridicules him.
Sometimes, 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 he lacks the self-confidence. The original London production saw him as a much more angrier character, as shown in "Call Me Rusty (If You Dare)". However, subsequent productions portray as a more optimistic, cheerful character, as shown in "Engine of Love" and "Crazy".
Music 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 - 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 (Love train (Engine of love)) - with the coaches
- Endlich kommt für mich die Zeit (Finally the time comes for me (Call Me Rusty)) - with the coaches
- Fracht Reprise (Freight Reprise (Coda of Freight))- Chorus, in which he takes lead solo
- Crazy - with the coaches (2002 onwards)
- Starlight Express - Solo
- Starlight Sequenz - with the Starlight
- Allein im licht der Sterne (Alone in the starlight (Next time you fall in love)) (2002 onwards) or Du Allein (You alone (Only You)) (until 2002) - with Pearl.
Revised Bochum
- Fracht Reprise (Freight Reprise (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 - (Only With Him (Only He)) - With Pearl
- Für Immer - (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.
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.
Costume
In the original London production, Rusty's costume was based on a stoker's dungarees and hat, with an open boiler on his chest and a coal tender on his back. He has pressure gauges on both doors, and his overalls are striped behind a decoration of black and brown.
Originally, he had a round hat with a chinstrap, but this was removed for a cap during the 1992 revamp. He also has wheels on his kneeguards as well as on his thighs and wrists.
When the musical went to Broadway, Rusty's costume was significantly redesigned. This time, he was red and black with riveted patches rather than striped overalls. The hat came off in favor of a sweatband, and his kneeguards were emblazened with the numbers 0503. The dungarees became bigger and railings were placed at the ends. He also had knitted warmers on his wrists. Since Broadway, this costume has been used in all subsequent productions.
Interestingly, during the first half of the musical's Broadway run, Rusty not only had his Broadway costume, but after the Starlight Sequence, he had another costume that was of himself no longer rusty. It was pretty much the same design, but only all black and silver, making him unrecognizable with anyone at the trainyard.
The shortlived Starlight On Ice production saw a complete redesign of Rusty's costume. He wore yellow and blue striped overalls over a red shirt. He had a large metal circle at front to represent a boiler, and he also wore a baseball backwards. This costume made him resemble that of the Haribo Kid.
Make-Up
Rusty's make-up is generally very simple. Usually it consists of brown shadow under the eyebrows, and brown eyeliner on his eyes. He also has two crosses on his cheeks, and five painted rivets along his chin, with a single rivet on his nose. Recent productions gave him neon orange lipgloss for his lips and glittery orange powder on his cheeks.
Actors
London (1984-2002)
- Ray Shell (Original Rusty)
- Kofi Missah
- Bobby Collins
- Gary Cordice
- Michael Cahill
- Greg Ellis
- Paul Baker
- James Gillian
- Neil Couperthwaite
- Adrian Hansel
- Mark McGee
Broadway (1987)
- Greg Mowry
Japan/Australia Tour (1987-1988)
- Bobby Collins
Bochum (1988-ongoing)
- Uwe Kroger
- Steven Michael Skeels
- Bernie Blanks
- Colin Munro
- Mark Daye
- Ernest Marchain
- George Alex Livings
- Paul Whitaker
- Neil Couperthwaite
- Rommel Singson
- Jamie Golding
- Kevin Kohler
- Marcel Brauneis
US Tours (1989-1991, 2003-2004)
- Sean McDermott (1st Tour)
- Franklyn Warfield (2nd Tour)
Japan Tour (1990)
- Bobby Collins
Las Vegas (1993-1997)
- Steven Michael Skeels
UK Tours (2004-2008, 2012-2013)
- James Gillian
- Oliver Rhoe Thornton
- Kristopher Harding
New Zealand Tour (2009)
- Jamie Golding
Asian Tour (2013)
- Kristopher Harding
Controversy
When the original London production opened to the public, mant critics claimed that there was racism within the musical, since Greaseball, one of Rusty's tormentors, was white, whilst Ray Shell, who played Rusty at the time, was black. However, these claims were quickly put to rest as the actor who played Electra was also black.