The Starlight Sequence ("I Am The Starlight") is the emotional pinnacle of the show, where Rusty, beaten, down, hopeless; discovers that The Starlight Express is there within him, and with some self confidence, Rusty can achieve anything.
Staging[]
The staging of the Starlight Sequence varies according to production, but always starts with Rusty alone, dejected after the Rockies' hard life lessons on "Right Place, Right Time", on a darkened stage. As the music builds, the star lights around him glow. As in the image right, in the London production, The Starlight Express appears behind Rusty onstage and makes physical contact with him. (the light levels have been greatly increased for this scene in photos however) In other productions, The Starlight Express sings from the wings and remains unseen. In the UK Tour, as Rusty finds his confidence, he actually flies and hovers several feet above the stage, with the help of cables that are pulled upwards.
The original London production used a hovering star-field that was lowered in to fill the stage, the original version of which was lights picking out the form of a train. In 1993 when the show was revised and the logo replaced, the orange/yellow "stars in the shape of a star" (as seen above) replaced the original train.
Music[]
The Starlight Sequence combines the melodies of "Starlight Express", the act 1 closing number that represents hope and magic, with the melody of "Only He", which represents self discovery and fulfilment. It also provides the culmination of the Overture, which we initially heard only as an interrupted motif at the beginning of the show. As with the overture, we initially hear the "Starlight Express" melody played unaccompanied, and it modulates and repeats, growing and getting louder. Rusty, using his last bit of hope, calls out "Starlight Express?" and at the peak of the music, he is answered as The Starlight Express tells him "Only You have the Power within You".
Lyrics[]
Rusty Alone[]
The Starlight Sequence begins with a short section of music that the score refers to as 'Rusty Alone'. The Rockies leave Rusty alone onstage to reflect on how bad his situation is. The melody of 'Rusty Alone' recalls the Coaches' section of "Call Me Rusty", a melody that represents futility/worry.
| RUSTY: | Guess they're right, |
| They cheated me when I tried playing fair. | |
| I complained and they treated me | |
| Like I wasn't there | |
| Left me with nothing, | |
| Not even doubt | |
| No-one to turn to, | |
| I'm down and I'm out. |
Original London Lyrics[]
| RUSTY: | Starlight Express? | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS! | |||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Only you have the power within you. | ||
| Just believe in yourself - | |||
| The sea will part before you, | |||
| Stop the rain, turn the tide. | |||
| If only you use the power within you | |||
| Needn't beg the world | |||
| To turn around and help you | |||
| If you draw on what you have within you | |||
| Somewhere deep inside- | |||
| RUSTY: | Starlight Express - you must confess, | ||
| Are you real, yes or no? | |||
| Starlight Express - answer me yes. | |||
| I don't want you to go. | |||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Rusty - you're blind - look in your mind - | ||
| I'm there - Nothing's new | |||
| The Starlight Express is no more or less | |||
| Than you, Rusty. I am you. | |||
| I'm you, and | |||
| Only you | |||
| RUSTY: | I am the Starlight. | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Have the power within you | ||
| RUSTY: | I can achieve | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Just believe in yourself | ||
| RUSTY: | Anything! | THE STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | The sea will part before you |
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Stop the rain and turn the tide | ||
| RUSTY: | All the things I didn't believe. | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | If only you | ||
| RUSTY: | I am the Starlight. | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Use the power within you | ||
| RUSTY: | I can see it through | ||
| RUSTY: | Needn't beg the world to turn around to help you | STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Needn't beg the world to turn around to help you |
| If you draw on what is deep inside. | If you draw on what is deep inside. | ||
| RUSTY: | I won't let you down. |
1987 Broadway Concept Album Lyrics[]
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Only you have the power within you. | ||
| Just believe in yourself - | |||
| The sea will part before you, | |||
| Stop the rain, turn the tide. | |||
| If only you use the power within you | |||
| Needn't beg the world | |||
| To turn around and help you | |||
| If you draw on what you have within you | |||
| Somewhere deep inside- | |||
| RUSTY: | Starlight Express - you must confess, | ||
| Are you real, yes or no? | |||
| Starlight Express - please answer me yes. | |||
| I don't want you to go. | |||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Rusty - you're blind - look in your mind - | ||
| I'm there - Nothing's new | |||
| The Starlight Express is no more or less | |||
| Than you, Rusty. I am you. | |||
| I'm you, and | |||
| Only you | |||
| RUSTY: | I am the Starlight. | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Have the power within you | ||
| RUSTY: | I can achieve | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Just believe in yourself | ||
| RUSTY: | Anything! | STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | The sea will part before you |
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Stop the rain and turn the tide | ||
| RUSTY: | All the things I didn't believe I could do. | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | If only you | ||
| RUSTY: | I am the Starlight. | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Use the power within you | ||
| RUSTY: | I can see it through | ||
| RUSTY: | Needn't beg the world to turn around to help you | STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Needn't beg the world to turn around to help you |
| If you draw on what is deep inside. | If you draw on what is deep inside. |
1997 Mexico + Translation[]
| FERRO (Spanish): | Expreso astral ¡¡Expreso astral!! | RUSTY (English): | Starlight Express, Starlight Express!! |
| Expreso Astral | Starlight Express | ||
| Di que eres real | Say you are real | ||
| EXPRESO ASTRAL: | Solo tu llevas dentro la fuerza | STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Only you carry the power within you |
| Si confías en ti | If you believe in yourself | ||
| Podrás mover montañas | You can move mountains | ||
| Y abrir el mar aquí | And open up the sea | ||
| Si solo tu Usas toda tu fuerza | If only you use all of your power | ||
| Nunca pedirás a nadie que te ayude | You never need to ask anyone to help you | ||
| Si tu sacas tu poder interno | If you use your internal power | ||
| Lo que hay en ti | That you have inside | ||
| FERRO: | Expreso astral, tren celestial | RUSTY: | Starlight Express, celestial train |
| Por favor, ¿dónde estás? | Please, where are you? | ||
| Di si o no, di que eres real | Say yes or no, say you are real | ||
| Y no te vayas más | And don't go anymore | ||
| EXPRESO ASTRAL: | Yo estoy en ti Yo voy en ti | STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | I am in you, I come to you |
| Y soy, cómo tu El expreso astral | And, like you, the Starlight Express | ||
| Es alguien igual A ti, mira, yo soy tu | Is equal to you, look, I am you | ||
| Soy tu y Solo tu | I'm you and only you | ||
| (FERRO) & EXPRESO ASTRAL: | (Yo soy mi fuerza) llevas dentro la fuerza | (RUSTY) & STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | (I am my power) Carry the power inside |
| (Soy luz astral) Si confías en ti podrás mover montañas | (I am the Starlight) if you believe you can move mountains | ||
| (Soy capaz) | I am able | ||
| Y abrir el mar aquí | And open up the sea | ||
| (Puedo más de lo que soñé) | (I can do more then I dreamed) | ||
| Si solo tu | If only you | ||
| (Yo soy mi fuerza) | (I am my power) | ||
| Usas toda tu fuerza | Use all of your power | ||
| (Y soy luz astral) | And I am the Starlight | ||
| Nunca pedirás a nadie que te ayude | You never need to ask anyone to help you | ||
| Si tu sacas lo que hay en ti | If you use what you have inside | ||
| FERRO: | Expreso astral! Tren celestial | RUSTY: | Starlight Express! Celestial train |
| No te fallaré | I won't fail you |
Rusty Allein[]
Rusty's left alone by the Rockies/Hoppers at the start of the scene.
| HIP HOPPER 3: | Rusty, mal verliert man, |
| HIP HOPPER 2: | Mal gewinnen die anderen. |
| HIP HOPPER 1: | Sieh es ein Rusty, für dich ist es aus. |
| RUSTY: | Ja, das stimmt, es war Betrug, |
| Dabei spielte ich fair. | |
| Es ist wahr, er bremste mich, ich hab' mich beschwert. | |
| Keiner hält zu mir, ich bin allein'. | |
| Ich weiß nicht weiter, weiß nicht aus, noch ein. |
German Lyrics[]
| RUSTY: | Starlight Express? | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS! | |||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Du allein hast die Kraft tief in dir. | ||
| Und wenn du an dich glaubst, | |||
| Dann kann alles geschehen. | |||
| Selbst das Meer teilt sich vor dir. | |||
| Wenn du diese Kraft einst findest, | |||
| Brauchst du nicht die Welt zu bitten, dir zu helfen. | |||
| Was du erreichen willst, schaffst du mit der Kraft in dir. | |||
| RUSTY: | Starlight Express, sage mir jetzt: | ||
| Wo bist du? Zeig' dich mir! | |||
| Starlight Express, ich brauche dich jetzt, | |||
| Ich bitt' dich komm' zu mir. | |||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Rusty, glaub mir, ich bin in dir, | ||
| Du selbst hast in dir den Starlight Express. | |||
| Er ist ganz gewiss in dir Rusty, | |||
| Ich bin du, | |||
| Bin du, | |||
| Denn du allein | |||
| RUSTY: | Ich selbst bin Starlight | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Hast die Kraft tief in dir | ||
| RUSTY: | Ich weiß ich kann | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Und wenn du an mich glaubst, dann | ||
| RUSTY: | Alles gut | STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Kann alles geschehen |
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Selbst das Meer teilt sich vor dir. | ||
| RUSTY: | Was ich nie zuvor geglaubt. | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Wenn du in dir | ||
| RUSTY: | Ich selbst bin Starlight | ||
| STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Diese Kraft einst findest, | ||
| RUSTY: | Und ich weiß genau | ||
| RUSTY: | Ich brauch' nicht die Welt | STARLIGHT EXPRESS: | Brauchst du nicht die Welt |
| Zu bitten, dir zu helfen. | Zu bitten mir zu helfen. | ||
| Denn ich schaff' es | Denn du schaffst es | ||
| Mit der Kraft in mir! | Mit der Kraft in dir! | ||
| RUSTY: | Ich enttäusch' dich nicht! |
Gallery[]
Starlight Sequence - Greg Mowry Steve Fowler Tony Awards Broadway 1987
Greg Mowry as Rusty, Steve Fowler as Poppa, 1987 Tony Awards
