Greaseball the Diesel
Encyclopedia
Rock musical
A rock musical is a musical theatre work with rock music. The genre of rock musical may overlap somewhat with album musicals, concept albums and song cycles, as they sometimes tell a story through the rock music, and some album musicals and concept albums become rock musicals...
Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
. He is the alpha male of the train yard. He's self confident, suave and a heartbreaker. All the ladies loves him but Dinah is his main squeeze. He and his gang put Rusty down, breaking his spirits. He trips Rusty
Rusty the Steam Engine
Rusty is a fictional character from the musical Starlight Express. He is the protagonist of the musical. Rusty is a steam engine, relegated to the sidings, who dreams of winning the Championship Engine of the World races. He is roundly mocked for this ambition, as steam is old fashioned, and...
during one of the races and Dinah
Dinah the Dining Car
Dinah is the sweet, Southern and lovable dining car from Starlight Express. She is hopelessly in love with Greaseball and her best friend is Pearl the observation car. She races with Greaseball during the 1st Heat but when she complains about his cheating afterwards, he uncouples her and races...
confronts him for it. Afterwards, he leaves her for Pearl
Pearl the Observation Car
Pearl is the "new girl" character and female lead in the West End musical Starlight Express. She is a railway observation carriage, although in Germany she is referred to as the "first class car"...
. In the end, he ends up crashing with Electra
Electra the Electric Train
Electra the Electric Engine is a fictional character from the rock musical Starlight Express.Electra is the newest train to enter the yard and, therefore, Control's newest toy. He comes with his own line of components that are loyal to him. He's rich, self-centered and sexy. His eyes are set on...
and CB
CB the Red Caboose
CB is a character from the musical Starlight Express. He's a crowd favourite but was removed from the New London and On Ice productions. He seems to have a split personality. Since he is the Caboose, he is willing to help the other trains with their work. Later on, he gets tired of helping them...
. Humbly, he returns to Dinah, telling her that he is "S.O.R.R.R.Y", asking for her to take him back again.
Greaseball's first entrance is dramatic, interrupting the overture with crashing electric guitar riffs. He rises out of the smoke, surrounded by his anonymous, helmeted Gang. He poses for a while before singing Rolling Stock, a hymn to his own glory and the might of the Diesel engine. Later he sings Pumping Iron, originally just to show off, but in later productions as a direct challenge to newcomer Electra
Electra the Electric Train
Electra the Electric Engine is a fictional character from the rock musical Starlight Express.Electra is the newest train to enter the yard and, therefore, Control's newest toy. He comes with his own line of components that are loyal to him. He's rich, self-centered and sexy. His eyes are set on...
.
In the Mexican production "Expreso Astral", Greaseball was re-named Turbo.
Character
He leads a gang of anonymous and mostly faceless diesel thugs, who wear large helmets for their opening number Rolling Stock and double up as the race marshalls before, during and after the races. Together they menace and intimidate Rusty
Rusty the Steam Engine
Rusty is a fictional character from the musical Starlight Express. He is the protagonist of the musical. Rusty is a steam engine, relegated to the sidings, who dreams of winning the Championship Engine of the World races. He is roundly mocked for this ambition, as steam is old fashioned, and...
and the Freight.
He is Control's
Control (Starlight Express)
Control is a character from the rock musical Starlight Express. Although it is never stated one way or the other, it is often assumed that Control is a boy. He narrates the show, and commentates on the races. Some sources claim that he is a child of nine years, although there is nothing to confirm...
favourite engine, with rule-breaking and foul play blithely ignored.
Originally Greaseball was a far darker character than he is often portrayed today, a champion who cheats, bullies and maims his way to the finish line, beats up his girlfriend Dinah
Dinah the Dining Car
Dinah is the sweet, Southern and lovable dining car from Starlight Express. She is hopelessly in love with Greaseball and her best friend is Pearl the observation car. She races with Greaseball during the 1st Heat but when she complains about his cheating afterwards, he uncouples her and races...
, ditches her when she complains about his behavior, and humiliates her by saying over her head to Caboose
CB the Red Caboose
CB is a character from the musical Starlight Express. He's a crowd favourite but was removed from the New London and On Ice productions. He seems to have a split personality. Since he is the Caboose, he is willing to help the other trains with their work. Later on, he gets tired of helping them...
that she is no longer his carriage. Understandably, now that Starlight Express
Starlight Express
Starlight Express is a rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber , Richard Stilgoe and Arlene Phillips , with later revisions by Don Black and David Yazbek . The story follows a child's dream in which his toy train set comes to life; famously the actors perform wearing roller skates...
is largely considered to be a family show, much of this is toned down.
Inspiration
Greaseball was based on ElvisElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. He is also, along with Electra, the Ugly Stepsister stereotype.
Musical numbers
- Rolling Stock
- Pumping Iron
- One Rock and Roll too many
He also has solo lines in
- Taunting Rusty
- Coda of Freight
- Post-Race 1 - intro to "There's Me"
- Laughing Stock
- The Rap (all three versions)
- Pearl Twirl
- Pre-Race 4
- U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D reprise(known to fans as 'Dinah Splat', after the staging),
- Wide Smile
- Light at the End of the Tunnel
Costume
Greaseball's costume was heavily influcenced by both ElvisElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and motorcycle leathers. He is based on a Union Pacific diesel engine. The colours are mainly black and yellow with accents in red and orange. His jacket is made to show his muscle frame and in the some of the productions, he is given a racing pack and ankle rockets to increase his bulk during the races. Broadway was the first time he had the words 'Union Pacific' on his costume, and he has had them since. In London he had an embroidered eagle across his back, this detail seems to be absent elsewhere. In 2006, The German production introduced Pyrotechnics into the show, Greaseball having rockets literally shooting sparks from his skates as he enters for "Pumping Iron".
Greaseball's outfit made a huge change for the 6 month long 1997 tour Starlight on Ice. He wore a latex Elvis wig along with facial hair. He had a jacket that covers his outfit. Under the jacket was a dark blue jumpsuit with a star in the middle. The color scheme changed as well. Instead of yellow and black (colours given to Electra) it became blue, red, and silver.
Actors
Several actors(particularly Nigel Casey and Drue Williams) have returned to this role multiple times in one production, resulting in the list appearing to be short.London
- Jeff Shankley
- Drue Williams
- Nigel Casey
- John Francis Davies
- Mark Walker
- Maynard Williams
- Tony Rouse *
- Simon Marlow
- Lez Dwight
- Dustin Dubreuil
Broadway
- Robert Torti
- John Schiappa
Japan/Australia
- Troy A Burgess
Bochum
- Paul Kribbe
- Nigel Casey
- Danny Metcalfe
- Drue Williams
- Kent Sheridan
- Ernest Marchain
- Lez Dwight (injured on his first performance)
- Matthew Cutts
- Chris Barron
- Andreas Wolfram
First US Tour
- Ron DeVito
Japan Tour
- Danny Metcalfe
Las Vegas
- Rod Weber
On Ice
- Fabrice Garattoni
Mexico
- Carlos Gastelum
Second US Tour
- Drue Williams
UK Tour
- Tom Kanavan
- Jamie Capewell
New Zealand Tour
- Matthew Cutts
- Graham Harvey
- Tony Rouse was married to Claudia Bradley who was Pearl at the time.