#Poppa the Steam Engine

[tabooi]

Starlight Express, Bochum 1989

[phopollo]

Poppa & Memphis draft designs for my Stex cartoon idea upon ye

Let's hear it for old people and the other 2/3 of the parental polycule <3

[tabooiart]

STEX APPRECIATION MONTH DAY 16: (POPPA/MOMMA) MCCOY

spent a lot of time deliberating on whether I should draw Momma or Poppa but ended up deciding on Poppa since I feel like he gets less art

Favorite Actor(s):

Poppa: Lon Satton, Steve Fowler, Lothair Eaton

Momma: Reva Rice!!! Jade Marvin also does really well :)

Favorite Song/Scenes: I love all of their scenes with Rusty and the freight sooo much. Also Light At The End Of The Tunnel is such a good and underrated scene with some great vocal moments for McCoy!!

Favorite Costume(s): When it comes to Poppa, I think the Japan/Aus Tour really nailed the shapes and colors!!!! For Momma I like her Bochum costume except I don't like her skirt she wears in act 2. I don't understand their insistence on all the female characters wearing skirts just let her have overalls!!

Favorite Ships/Friendships: McCoy x Memphis Belle goes hard ngl. We could have had old lesbiansss. And of course I love them as a parental figure to Rusty and the freight!!! But I think they would offer advice and affection to anyone who came to them :)

Headcanons: The reason McCoy is still in such good condition despite their age is that they're kept around as one of those touristy steam train tours.

Unpopular Opinion: I like Momma and Poppa equally!!! In my ideal world it would be a genderblind role. On that note I am a #poppadefender4life I've seen people be so mean about him in the past, calling him manipulative etc and I really just think people need to examine why they really feel that way <3

[dinahdoeeyes]

My headcanons for StEx characters' ages. (You know... if they were human.)

Okay, so for me, (original) StEx takes place on March 27th, 1984.

Dinah: 23. Dinah really gives me that “Youngest of the coaches" vibe, and knowing that Frances Ruffelle and Jane Krakowski were both 18 when StEx debuted in London and on Broadway (respectively) and Natalie Howard was 21 when StEx debuted in Bochum definitely adds to that vibe for me. (To me, she’s a Pisces, and would’ve very recently had her 23rd birthday.)

Greaseball: 32 or 30, but he’s almost 33 or 31 because I headcanon him as an Aries. I was feeling that Greaseball is a bit older than Dinah, but once I learned that Elvis & Priscilla have a 10-year age gap, I was like, “Yeah, that tracks.” (No pun intended.) But then I thought (literally while writing this), "Hmm, does G.B. seem almost 33?" Even with Jeff having been 36 when StEx debuted, Greaseball gives me more of a 29-31 vibe? Idk for sure now! 🤷🏽‍♀️ My headcanon is that he & Dinah have been together for almost 2 years.

Rusty: 24 or 25. I’m not entirely solid on his age yet.

Pearl: 26. I know people usually see Pearl as quite young, but I'm feeling 26 exactly from, like, every version I've seen of her.

C.B.: 25. Or 26.

Ashley: 30. I read that Ash is like “the big sister” of the girls, while I feel like Dinah is the little sister.

Buffy: 28.

Electra: 29-31.

Volta: 29.

Joule: 24 or 25. She has that younger energy; I don’t mean physical energy, I mean in her personality.

Poppa: 65-70.

Belle: 53-57.

The Rockies: 24.

Dustin: 23 or 24.

Flat-Top: 20. He definitely has the vibe of being the youngest, and I’ve read him described as quite young.

2nd & 3rd Class Sleepers: 26-27.

Duvay: 27. (I’ve gotten the headcanon that she is Ash’s younger sister, which is why I am including her.)

...

I don’t care about the new Belle or Carrie or Killerwatt. I haven’t thought about the ages for Krupp, Wrench, or Purse; I honestly... don’t pay much attention to those 3. 😬 👀

[green-planets]

StEx Appreciation Month Day 16: Momma!

🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

Face Claim: Reva Rice (QUEEN OF STEX FR)

Favourite Song/Scenes: Momma's Blues!, her interactions with the freight (especially the Rockies), the race, StEx revival when she sings "That's my boy! I knew you'd believe" after Laughing Stock! She sounds so proud of Rusty 🥹

Favourite Costumes: I really like how they kept it pretty much 1:1 compared to Poppa's costume! (However the switch to a skirt is completely unnecessary!! Let her stay in the pants!) I also really like her London Revival costume! She and Rusty match 🥺 It's one of the strongest designs of the bunch imo

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Momma x Belle or Momma x Poppa x Belle

Headcanons: There were a few different champions between Momma and Greaseball's time, so she had never raced against GB or any of the other nationals. Races were also tamer back in Momma's day-- some brawling was to be expected but never on the same level as the races that occur within canon

Unpopular Opinion: I try to include both Momma and Poppa in my aus, but when there's only room for one I'm choosing Momma over Poppa 9 times out of 10 (I prommy I'm not a Poppa hater!)

🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

Bonus Round: Poppa!

Face Claim: David E. Moore

Favourite Song/Scenes: Poppa's Blues!, "Let me hear you say steam!", when he introduces Rusty to Belle he looks so peeved when Rusty calls her old lol, his Starlight Express Intro duet with Belle on the OLC album

Favourite Costumes: I like his Japan/Aus tour costume but On Ice the leg braces are super cool!

Favourite Ships/Friendships: Poppa x Belle or Poppa x Momma x Belle

Unpopular Opinion: LATEOTT is usually a skip for me on the soundtrack. I only really listen to it if I'm watching a boot because I hate the conversion subplot and choose to ignore it

Headcanons: Rolling Stock do not have biological relatives (the closest thing is having the same manufacturer) so familial relationships between the trains are honorary and somewhat uncommon. This doesn't stop Poppa from adopting every freight truck he encounters

🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

[starburst2000]

Starlight Express Appreciation Month 2024!!

Day 16: Poppa & Momma!!!

🎶Let me hear you say "Steam"!🎶

[i-may-not-be-first-class]

StEx Appreciation Month Day 12: Poppa/Momma 🚂

Steve Fowler (Broadway 1987, first cast); Gregory McKinnon (Bochum 1988, understudy)

Favourite Actor: Steve Fowler, David E. Moore, Reginald Holden Jennings, Reva Rice, Rochelle Sherona

Favourite Songs/Scenes: The Blues, Light 💡

Favourite Costume: Broadway but I do enjoy the glasses he wore in Bochum

Favourite Ships: Poppa × Belle

Unpopular Opinions: imo Poppa/Momma should be played by both male and female performers

[starburst2000]

I upped my game. Poppa x Momma x Belle. Old train polycule.

i always see people shipping poppa and belle (og belle not. 2024 belle) but nobody shipping momma and belle WHERE ARE MY OLD LESBIANSSS!!!!!

[wonderful-magician]

Rusty, and Poppa and Momma!

Rusty, his adoptive father and his adoptive aunt... Might make Rusty a starlight express variant but idk yet

[pooonnyboooyyy]

PART 2: Freight and Coaches, HUMAN! AU

Lon “Poppa” McCoy.

He is 53 and is the Husband to Belle and father to Rusty, Flat-top and Hopper. He was the 10 reigning reigning champion in he’s mid teens to late twenties but retired after the birth of his eldest, Flat-top. Is very religious and is often preaching the importance of the Starlight Express. He is a very good man

Belle “Momma” Memphis-McCoy

She is 53 and is the wife of Poppa and is the mother of Rusty, Flat-top and hopper. Was the reigning partner champion until the birth of Flat-top. As much as she loves her family she can’t help but miss the glory days of her and Poppa. Is a bit jealous of Dinah (she sees her younger self in her).

Fredrick “Flat-top” McCoy.

He is 27, he got his nickname because he was born with a flat head and needed a helmet. Very rebellious and is a greaser, but loves his brothers and Momma (he thinks he’s gone crazy) has a pet brick, he loves his pet brick. Hopper is his favorite brother, but loves rusty too. A old friend of Derek “Greaseball” Russell and used to be apart of his gang, until he got arrested and now he spends most of his time at the scrapyard.

Dustin “Hopper” McCoy

He is 24 and is the middle son of Belle and Poppa. He’s is very shy and is insecure about his size, he is also very kind. Loves his aggregates and gets upset when people call them rocks. Loves his family and is very faithful to his father, he got his nickname because as a little kid he’d always be hopping around.

Rodney “Rocky 1” Retford

23 and is the oldest of the Rocky triplets, he and his siblings are prominent in the boxing ring and have won multiple awards. He and his siblings often hang around the McCoy’s scrapyard.

Raymond “Rocky 2” Retford

23 and the middle triplet, a world class boxer alongside his siblings, one of Rusty’s only friends. Is often seen boxing “friendly” matches with his siblings. Is often around the McCoy’s scrapyard.

Rochelle “Rocky 3” Retford

23 and the youngest and only girl triplet. Spends most of her time boxing and training (she’s the most physically strongest of the Rocky triplets). Can (and has) benched Rusty, is also often seen around the McCoy’s scrapyard.

COACHES

Buffy St. Clair

Buff is 24 and works at a buffet downtown near the disco. She is best friends with Dinah, Di, Pearl and Ashley. She and Dinah often compete for the “Best Cook” title, (Dinah has won four times in a row, but they are still besties). Loves going to the disco after work with her friends. Hates Derek (greaseball) and wants Dinah to end the engagement. Will often hide Ashley’s cigarettes from her.

Ashley Winston

She is 24 and works as a waitress in the smoking section of the buffet. A chain smoker, uses smoking to calm her nerves. Is oftentimes at the disco with her friends. Also hates Derek and wants Dinah to end their engagement, but won’t intervene in their relationship as much as Buffy.

Next part is the Components!

[phopollo]

You too said "Poppa x Momma x Belle rights!!!"

I sure did!

Live footage from right after Momma and Belle won champion status

[starburst2000]

They're also up to something, judging by the way they look at each other.

Poppa/Momma body type, pls?

They're both short(ish) and stout. Still very strong tho! They've got an entire career of hard work behind them.

[electricfied-wolf]

I'm back to feeling incredibly bad for Rusty, lads

[dinahdoeeyes]

My ideal production of Starlight Express.

I suppose I'll just get right into it. First the list of characters, then the songs (excluding little bits/non-songs like Taunting Rusty and the races), then the rest.

Cast:

Rusty

Pearl

Greaseball

Dinah

Electra

CB

Ashley

Buffy

Poppa

Belle, the Sleeping Car (called Memphis Belle)

Dustin

Flat-Top

The Rockies

Volta, Joule, Wrench, Purse, and Krupp

The original National Engines

Duvay and the Sleepers

Control

Setlist (* = will be addressed below):

Entry Of National Trains

Rolling Stock

Call Me Rusty

A Lotta Locomotion ('83 Workship version, but with Buffy added)

He Whistled At Me (Minus the Rusty/Pearl conversation)

*Dinah/Greaseball duet

Freight (With the girls bullying the boys)

AC/DC

Pumping Iron ("Trying to build my body, trying to lose my mind" and "Stretching my bullworker, heaving on my weights" switch spots because I just feel that it'd sound better that way.)

Sleepers moment

*Dinah solo

Hitching and Switching (probably original)

Crazy

*That was Unfair (extended)

That's Me/There's Me (duet)

Poppa's Blues

Belle's Song (Combo of OG & Broadway — especially "sniffing the coke")

Starlight Express

The Rap: Hey You

*Make Up My Heart

Pearl Twirl

U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D.

Girls' Rolling Stock

Wide Smile (Mostly the Broadway version, except he says the OG "...C.B." in the chorus instead of Broadway's "...the Red Caboose," until the ending after Electra & co leave.)

I Was Robbed

Right Place, Right Time

I Am The Starlight

Rusty and Dustin

*Dinah's Disco (extended)

No Comeback

One Rock & Roll Too Many

I Do and/or Only You (I really want "I Do," and it feels redundant to do both in a row, but I feel like "Only You" is important?)

*GreaseDinah reunion (extended)

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Starlight Express Megamix (of course)

Notes:

We are leaning hard into the 80's here! None of that trying to modernize StEx they've been doing since the 90's. It doesn't work, and the hyper-80's...ness is one of the best things about StEx!

This is about 60% the 1984 original, so keep that in mind.

Dinah & Greaseball look most like the original Dinah and Greaseball. (Though Dinah's hair looks like this. I'll get to her costumes below.) Greaseball looks completely like Jeff Shankley's GB.

Most of the costumes look like the Broadway versions.

However, Pearl gets 3 costumes; her pants outfit from the '84 previews (but with white pants), followed by her sleek Broadway dress outfit (w/ Electra), and then the fluffy dress outfit (w/ GB).

Dinah has 2 costumes; the first one being more Broadway (but I dislike the leggings, so different ones), and then, when she pairs with Electra, she changes to an outfit that is similar to her OG outfit.

C.B.'s look is very similar to the original, except his pants are black, and he has his later hat.

I want some of the choreography from the '83 workshop. ( x x x x )

Dinah & Greaseball banter a bit because "Incapable of feeding yourself, Greaseball?" Ohhh *chef's kiss* 2017 London Workshop did something right!

*Dinah & Greaseball get a couple's duet. It's a fun, cute, rock/80's pop mix song that touches on their love for each other and how they don't care about others' bullshit. ("Our Lips Are Sealed" kind of vibes, I suppose.)

Ashley and Duvay are sisters.

Greaseball pulls the girls during "Freight," like he originally did.

*Dinah gets a solo after "Pumping Iron" after the Sleepers talk their bullshit. It'd be about 3½ minutes long. If you've read my Dinah rants, you can get an idea of what it's about.

Greaseball, Bobo, and Espresso are part of the choreography during "Crazy" toward the end, racing around with Dinah, Ashley, and Buffy. (I promise this is FIRE in my head. Have faith. 🥺)

*Grease & Dinah have a longer argument before their breakup.

Dinah and C.B. have a duet. It's the Broadway version of There's Me combined with That's Me. (Dinah singing her solo part first.)

*Pearl sings "Make Up My Heart" about Rusty, Electra, and Greaseball. (Explanation here.)

*"U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D." is slower, sadder, and has more lyrics, like it was in the '83 workshop.

Buffy & Ashley are finally canon. It's Complicated™️, but they get it together by the end.

*"Dinah's Disco" is a bit longer, as is *Dinah & Greaseball's reunion/makeup.

Pearl is absolutely like original Pearl in this: A selfish bitch (who learns and gets better by the end); she is not "naive." ("Further from my vision" over "Sadder but no wiser.")

We actually acknowledge that Pearl is an asshole. But, like Greaseball, she learns and is working on herself by the end! 🙌🏽

Pearl apologizes to Dinah at the end. FINALLY. (During a break in LATEOTT.)

Control loves the trains/coaches/freight, and they love him. He's just a bossy little kid, but they're also actin' up. (I'm open to Control being a girl.)

Electra and the Components do come back.

I... think that's it. I hope didn't forget anything.

CHOO CHOO! 💋

[workofthediesel]

[starburst2000]

Some say: Poppa x Belle

Others say: Momma x Belle

My school of tought says: Poppa and Momma are 2 separate characters, and they're in a lovingly poly relationship with Belle!