Thoughts on Team StarKid?

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 3:24pm

What do you think of StarKid Productions, the Chicago-based Theatre Company that produces low-budget parody musicals? I really admire how they started as a few college students who wanted to write musicals, but honestly, I think Twisted is their only show worth watching.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 3:25pm

I thought their initial Harry Potter musical, with Darren Criss, was genuinely really funny and charming- if a bit sophomoric.

[Leaf Coneybear]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 3:27pm

I've watched A Very Potter Musical and Sequel about a million times, they're my absolute favorites! I like the opening song from Twisted too, and I've watched a couple of their other shows, but I haven't found one that I like more than AVPM

[Alex M]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 3:28pm

Watched all of their musicals! All of them are very smart and well written especially some of the earlier things they wrote! Hoping to see them back in NYC maybe with an off Broadway show. 

Updated On: 10/25/16 at 03:28 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 3:30pm

I wouldn't have started writing, or been able to take my show to NYC, without the inspiration of seeing a bunch of geeky college kids get the big break they got. That said, they're still working out the kinks of whether they are a musical theatre company, a sketch comedy group, or an improv/proto-Second City group. They do their best work when they know exactly what they want to be.

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 5:53pm

I'm a fan, mostly. I think TWISTED is their best work by some distance, though the potter musicals have a certain delightful stupidness. 

[sarahb22]

Posted: 10/25/16 at 6:02pm

I enjoy their stuff.  Darren Criss and Joe Walker, who played Voldemort in AVPM and Dolores Umbridge in AVPS, were amazing.  The rest of the cast was good too, but those two really stood out to me.

[The Josh]

Posted: 8/2/17 at 7:56pm

Me and My Dick is a masterpiece 

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 8/2/17 at 8:36pm

Their output is a tad uneven, but there's talent there. TWISTED, especially is a pretty flawless parody, with a really good score. 

[jonah3500]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 11:16am

Bringing back this old thread to ask what people think of the newer Starkid shows. 
Opinions on Trail to Oregon, Ani, Firebringer, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals?

In my opinion, TGWDLM is their best musical. Mariah Rose Faith is incredible.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 11:23am

Twisted and TGWDLM are their best post-Potter outputs by far. I could honestly see either production, with a few enhancements, going to Broadway. I personally also enjoy Starship, although there are some storytelling issues (which I think could be fixed with a little work).

[leighmiserables]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 11:38am

I've seen all of them -- will always stand by the fact that it's AVPS, not AVPM, that is their best show out of the Potter series. Post-Potter I can echo that Twisted and TGWDLM are their best outputs, the latter more so -- it felt like the most "real" show of theirs to date, if that makes sense. 

Also, not exactly Starkid, but might as well be considering the creative team/cast -- I think Spies Are Forever is the best piece to come from that group of people. It'd take some decent rewrites but that show more than any proper Team Starkid shows I could see coming to NYC. 

[treblemakerz]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 11:43am

I'm a huge, huge fan of theirs--and the little spin-off projects some of them have done along the way! Got the chance to see The Solve-It Squad (a play from Joey, Corey, and Brian's comedy group) when it came to NYC last May and had a blast.

Throwing in my agreement that Twisted was their best work, followed by the original Potter series and Firebringer (that score was GREAT and I'm always a sucker for some Lauren Lopez).

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 2:10pm

leighmiserables said: "I've seen all of them -- will always stand by the fact that it's AVPS, not AVPM, that is their best show out of the Potter series. Post-Potter I can echo that Twisted and TGWDLM are their best outputs, the latter more so -- it felt like the most "real" show of theirs to date, if that makes sense.

Also, not exactly Starkid, but might as well be considering the creative team/cast -- I thinkSpies Are Foreveris the best piece to come from that group of people. It'd take some decent rewrites but that show more than any proper Team Starkid showsI could see coming to NYC."

I AGREE WITH LITERALLY ALL OF THIS

[darquegk]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 3:41pm

She Kills Monsters is the best Starkid show that isn’t.

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 11:18pm

Big Starkid fan. Seen everything they have released. They have hits and misses. The thing that always kind of throws me off in every production is that they always seem to find one joke, bit, or gag that feels like it's an inside joke and then they spend a lot of time on it. More time then is necessary. But it's a little nit pick. 

Hands down Twisted is still their best musical to date. TGWDLM is pretty darn good. Their only real complete and total miss to me is Ani which was a total mistake of a show. If they couldn't put in enough rehearsal time to be able to perform the songs live, they should have just put more work into Trail to Oregon that summer as it was the FAR FAR FAR better of the two shows they were running at the same time.

I am very excited they reached their extended kickstarter goal to have Starkid Homecoming filmed and sold on DVD. Next step.... Working Boys: The Musical! They are only $4,000 away from it.

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 11:31pm

I love TGWDLM, but Firebringer is also a highlight in my book. I'm really shocked none of their shows can be licensed, like I get licensing is not easy (especially for shows that are based on other properties) and Starkids might not want other productions of their shows, but damn a lot of their shows would work sooo well on a local level (or even in schools, if they made appropriate versions, which I have no clue if they would work, but you know those theater kids would love performing some Twisted).

Even if not, I love how they professional record their shows and they bring theater into the 21st century. Making theater accessible and free for everyone is outstanding. Even if their shows were awful, the fact they do that is awesome (which btw their shows are great so that's just the cherry on the cake).

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 4/24/19 at 11:53pm

If I recall, something was recently announced that it was gonna be able to be licensed. I wanna say it was Firebringer. I understand that it would be hard to impossible to license their parodies. Copyright issues and royalty red tape. But their original works....

[asoftplacetoland]

Posted: 4/25/19 at 1:11pm

Their Harry Potter musicals are some of my favorite things EVER. I watch them anytime I’m sad.. such a mood boost! The humor is super refreshing and smart.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 4/25/19 at 3:24pm

Scarlet Leigh said: "If I recall, something was recently announced that it was gonna be able to be licensed. I wanna say it was Firebringer. I understand that it would be hard to impossible to license their parodies. Copyright issues and royalty red tape. But their original works...."

They actually just released Firebringer for licensing - including a kids version without any cursing.  I know a few people have done productions of Trail to Oregon, but I don’t know if they’re official or not.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 12/1/19 at 12:11pm

Has anyone seen Black Friday yet?

TGWDLM is probably my favorite show I've seen from them. Their shows had always felt really amateurish, which some would argue is part of the charm. TGWDLM is where I really think they came into their own. I could definitely see that show being in New York at some point.

[jonah3500]

Posted: 12/1/19 at 12:14pm

I've seen Black Friday. It's not on the same level as TGWDLM, and there is no way it could stand on its own. It feels like the kind of thing that only Starkid could do because of the ridiculously large fanbase they have.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 12/1/19 at 12:25pm

That's a shame. You mean it's fan-service?

[jonah3500]

Posted: 12/1/19 at 12:27pm

Sorry for not phrasing it properly. What I meant is that it is too built around TGWDLM to stand on its own, which is just catering to the fans that loved TGWDLM.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 12/19/23 at 12:47pm

Resurrecting this thread to talk about their new show Nerdy Prudes Must Die, which is also one of their best. It avoids the pitfalls of Black Friday, which didn't make any sense outside of the context of TGWDLM. This show stands a lot more on it's own (probably because it was allegedly written before the other two shows), but has a lot of Easter Eggs that reward Starkid fans.

Jeff Blim really outdid himself on the score this time, with some really interesting vocal harmonies, profound lyrics, and a fun pop-punk vibe.

It took me a while to fully take Starkid seriously, but everything they've been putting out since they started the Hatchetfield Series has got me very excited for what they do next.