Jeevan Braich has thanked Andrew Lloyd Webber for giving him his big break.
The 17-year-old actor was chosen by musical theatre impresario Andrew, 76, to star in the leading role of steam engine Rusty in 'Starlight Express' - which is now running as a reimagined version in the specially-designed arena at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre - and is thrilled that the composer decided to "take a chance" on him when he "could have very easily" cast a celebrity or an established name in the part.
He exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "I feel very blessed to be able to say that...can I call Andrew Lloyd Webber friend? Yes.
"It means a lot. So lovely. And I think it's very daunting, especially like, when I was back in Birmingham in school, of course, like so many of his songs were on my playlist before I even knew I was going to be in ‘Starlight’.
"A now to say that I've sat down and had dinner with him and stuff like that, and we've recorded the soundtrack together. To say that is a lot. It's very daunting knowing a name, especially a name like his before you meet him, and I went in, and he just couldn't have been lovelier, but he also couldn't have been more empathetic.
"The fact that, like everyone would just sit down and say, Okay, what do you want to bring to this character?
"Because, I mean, ‘Starlight’ has been going on for 40 years. He's seen so many different versions of Rusty in ‘Starlight’, and he really cared about how this version was going to be, and how my version of this was going to be, too.
"And that will forever be a cherished memory that, no matter how big his name might be, his heart is bigger.
"He's been in the industry for so very long, and he could very easily turn around and say, 'I'm only going to hire big names for my stuff. I'm only going to do star casting' and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
"And he turned around and looked at a 17 year old from Birmingham who had no training and said, ‘Yes, I'm going to take a chance on you.’ And I think that in itself, regardless of me, sums up Andrew Lloyd Webber."
The show - which is famed for its use of roller skates - became the ninth-longest-running West End show during its original run and upon its 40th anniversary, a new brand-new recording with the new cast has been released, complete with the new track 'Hydrogen' alongside classics such as the title song and 'Crazy'.
Jeevan said: "It’s so much, it’s so much! And I think you can ask me the same question in about a year, and I'll still have the same answer. I am still buzzing and over the moon. I mean, it's so weird to hear myself singing, but it just Oh. It just feels so immense. The fact that, , this gets to be out. This is new music from a show which so many people love.
"And we get to show our version, our new modern integration. And it just makes me so happy that so many new people can hear this version of ‘Starlight’.
"I think one of the beauties of our show is that there are certain traditions of ‘Starlight’, which we have upheld, while also in this new, this new 21st Century type vibe that we're giving out, it is reimagined, but it is still the show that people know and love."
The 'Starlight Express' cast recording is out now across streaming services and on CD.
