How many chain motors ...

[RonHebbard]

Were in the original North American Tour of Starlight Express?
It was certainly impressive, and noisy, then they all ran simultaneously to haul the rig up to performance height.
@derekleffew You had a mate skating on the tour didn't you?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

 

[derekleffew]

@derekleffew You had a mate skating on the tour didn't you?
Toodleoo!
Ron Hebbard

I don't think he ever toured. He was in the Broadway cast of La Cage, then went on to skate in Starlight Distress, or as he put it, "I went from heels to wheels."
He wouldn't know a chain hoist from a daisy chain, but a nice guy nonetheless. Passed away a few years ago.

From https://starlightexpressmusical.fandom.com/wiki/1989_US_Tour :

• The production, including the set, lighting, computers, and costumes, weighs approximately 50 tons. It is the biggest set in theatre history.
• Ten 48 foot tractor trailers are required to move the show from city to city. This is an unprecedented figure.
• It will require 60 people 12-20 hours to load-in the set in each theatre and the same number of people six to eight hours to take the set out of each theatre.
• 50,000 pounds (25 1/2 tons) of aluminium.
• 7000 sheets of plywood.
• A skating ramp will extend 44 feet from the front of the stage, over the orchestra pit and into the audience.
• 22 miles of fiber optics will create a star-field of 10,000 points of light (A phrase coined by "Starlight Express prior to the 1988 Presidential campaign) to create the Starlight effect.
• 800 stationary lights
• 500 lights built into the aluminium deck.
• 50 Vari-Lites, a special moving computerised light capable of emitting 1,400 colours.
• The production will utilise six separate computer systems for the sound, stationary lights, Vari-Lites, lasers, film projection and scenery. Each system has one back-up computer except the scenery which has four different back-ups, including two computers, one electronic and one manual method.
• The costumes cost between $10,000 and $22,000 each.
• Some costumes weigh up to 35 pounds.
• Each actor has at least two pairs of skates, some have four.
• 75 pairs of skates in total.
• Each pair of skates is completely overhauled after each performance.
• The sequins on some costumes are attached with a soldering iron.

I'd guess the tour had about 40 points. Only 50 Vari-Lites, seems like such a small number. VL-2 and VL-4 I believe.