2d • STARLIGHT EXPRESS
Remembering Michal Fraley — A Starlight Express Legend and the Heart Behind the Wheels
Six years ago, I had the privilege of sitting down with a man whose quiet influence shaped one of the most extraordinary theatrical experiences of our generation. Michal Fraley was not just a skate coach. He was a guide. A craftsman. A steady presence in the storm of one of the most physically demanding shows ever created.
Born on September 1, 1959, in Santa Rosa, California, Michal’s journey would carry him across continents and into the core of Starlight Express history. What many may not know is that his role went far beyond teaching performers how to skate. He became the resident skate coach for multiple productions around the world — including the United States, the United Kingdom, Las Vegas, touring companies, and the long-running production in Bochum, Germany.
For decades, if you stepped into Starlight Express, you likely stepped through Michal’s training.
He taught balance. He taught fear management. He taught discipline under pressure. And in a show where speed and spectacle could easily overpower substance, Michal insisted on control, awareness, and artistry.
That’s what made him special.
He understood that skating wasn’t just technical — it was emotional. Performers arrived talented but often terrified. He guided them through that transformation. He helped them find confidence on wheels. He helped them trust themselves.
In our interview six years ago, we spoke about more than choreography and technique. We spoke about the arc of the performer’s journey — how mastering the physical demands of the show mirrors mastering life itself. Fear. Frustration. Breakthrough. Growth. Grace under pressure.
Michal later captured many of his reflections in his memoir, Skating the Starlight Express, where he wrote about the deeper lessons hidden inside the work — how the struggle to stay upright on wheels is not so different from the struggle to stay centered in life.
He even appeared in early productions himself, including the U.S. Tour, but his greatest legacy was not on stage — it was in the generations of performers he shaped behind the scenes.
Michal Fraley passed away in October 2022.
His influence did not.
When we talk about legacy in Voices of Starlight, this is exactly what we mean. Not headlines. Not spotlight. But impact. The kind that echoes quietly in the lives of others.
Before I share new alumni interviews in this series, I wanted to return to this conversation. To honor him. To remember him. To give his voice space again.
If you were part of Starlight Express, you likely felt his presence.
If you were not, you will still learn something from him.
I invite you to watch this interview. Listen carefully. There is wisdom here about craft, resilience, and the courage to evolve — lessons that go far beyond skating.
Watch the interview here:
As we continue Defining Moments: Voices of Starlight, we stand on the shoulders of those who helped build the track we now roll on.
Michal Fraley was one of them.
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Remembering Michal Fraley — A Starlight Express Legend and the Heart Behind the Wheels
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