Editing Starlight Express (section)

==Background==
''Starlight Express'' has its roots in three abandoned projects: an animated TV series based on ''[[The Railway Series]]'' (the book series that introduced [[Thomas the Tank Engine]]), a novelty pop single, and an animated film based on [[Cinderella]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lloyd Webber |first=Andrew |title=Unmasked |pages=Chapter 16: Syd}}</ref>

In 1974, Lloyd Webber approached author [[Reverend W. Awdry]] about adapting Awdry's Thomas the Tank Engine stories as an animated TV series. Following the meeting, Lloyd Webber started composing, with actor and children's TV writer Peter Reeves contributing lyrics, alongside artist [[Brian Cosgrove]] animating for it. They pitched their material to [[ITV Granada|Granada TV]], who commissioned a [[Television pilot|pilot episode]]. The episode was completed in early 1976, but Granada ultimately decided not to produce a full series as they feared that Awdry's stories were not then popular enough outside the UK to justify investing the time and money needed to make the series<ref>{{Cite book|title=Unmasked|last=Lloyd Webber|first=Andrew|pages=Chapter 20: The Song That Cleared the Dance Floors}}</ref> (ironically, the ''[[Thomas & Friends]]'' series later premiered seven months after ''Starlight Express'' and became highly successful).

After withdrawing from the project, Lloyd Webber heard a recording of an American soul singer, Earl Jordan, who could [[Overtone singing|sing three notes at once]] in the style of a [[steam whistle]]. Lloyd Webber and Peter Reeves wrote a novelty pop song for Jordan called "Engine of Love," released in 1977.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Unmasked|last=Lloyd Webber|first=Andrew|pages=Chapter 23: Useful}}</ref> The song failed to chart, but "Engine of Love" went on to feature in some productions of ''Starlight Express'' and the melody was also later used for "He'll Whistle At Me".

Around the same time as writing "Engine of Love", an American TV station invited Lloyd Webber to compose songs for an animated film of Cinderella. In this version of the story, the Prince would hold a competition to decide which Engine would pull the royal train across the United States of America. Cinderella would be a steam engine, and the ugly sisters would be a diesel engine and an electric engine. The project went into [[development hell]], but Lloyd Webber remained interested in telling a story with trains.<ref>Andrew Lloyd Webber's programme note for the original [[West End theatre|West End]] production of ''Starlight Express'', 1984</ref>

''Starlight Express'' proper began in early 1981. Lloyd Webber asked lyricist Richard Stilgoe to help him revive the idea as a concert for schools, in the style of Lloyd Webber's breakthrough musical, ''[[Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat]]''. Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe presented two songs the following summer at the [[Sydmonton Festival]], Lloyd Webber's private event for showcasing new work. The director [[Trevor Nunn]] watched the performance and offered to help develop the material from something "twee"<ref>{{Cite book|title=Unmasked|last=Lloyd Webber|first=Andrew|pages=Chapter 33: Miss Sarah Brightman}}</ref> to something with more "spectacle and theatre magic".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Follies and Grandeur|last=Nunn|first=Trevor|author-link=Trevor Nunn}}</ref>

Together, Lloyd Webber, Stilgoe and Nunn developed the story to include the idea of trains and coaches racing. The choreographer [[Arlene Phillips]] was brought on board along with the designer [[John Napier (designer)|John Napier]], who suggested staging the show on roller skates.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Unmasked|last=Lloyd Webber|first=Andrew|pages=Chapter 33: Miss Sarah Brightman}}</ref>

In 1983, the first act of ''Starlight Express'' was workshopped by Nunn and Phillips with a cast that included the comedian [[Tracey Ullman]]. Based on the workshop's success, ''Starlight Express'' began full-scale production, opening in the West End in March 1984.