StarKid Productions

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StarKid Productions
Founded2009 (2009)
FoundersDarren Criss
Brian Holden
Matt Lang
Nick Lang
TypeTheatrical productions
Location
AffiliationsUniversity of Michigan
Basement Arts
Websiteteamstarkid.com
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2009–present
Genres
Subscribers810,000[1]
Total views340,579,871[1]
Associated acts
  • Tin Can Bros
  • Shipwrecked Comedy
Last updated: April 29, 2024

StarKid Productions, also known as Team StarKid, is an American musical theatre company founded in 2009 at the University of Michigan by Darren Criss, Brian Holden, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang. Originally known for the viral success of their first musical, A Very Potter Musical, a parody of the Harry Potter series, the troupe primarily produces musical comedies inspired by pop culture, with original scripts, songs, and music. StarKid distributes their musicals for free on YouTube, with recent projects being funded by Kickstarter and physical ticket sales.

Since the success of A Very Potter Musical, the group has produced thirteen stage musicals (including two Potter sequels), three national tours, two reunion concert specials, three sketch comedy shows, and three web series. They also have a planned concert to be held in London in May 2024.

As of 2023, the company has charted 13 albums in the top 10 on Billboard charts.[2] The cast recording of Me and My Dick debuted at number 11 on the US Cast Albums chart in 2010, becoming the first student-produced musical recording to chart on Billboard. The following year they landed at number one on the same chart with the cast recording of Starship, a feat that has since been repeated with their 2019 musical Black Friday, and their 2023 musical Nerdy Prudes Must Die.

History[edit]

StarKid Productions is composed of actors, writers, directors, composers, choreographers, and designers, most of them originating from the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theater and Dance. The members met while collaborating on plays through Basement Arts, the university's student-run theater organization.

In April 2009, the students staged a musical parody of the Harry Potter series entitled A Very Potter Musical.[3] The video of the play went viral on the Internet, garnering StarKid a worldwide fanbase.[3] Inspired by the viral nature of the video, StarKid Productions was formed, named after a quote from A Very Potter Musical. Later, two sequels were performed and released on YouTube, A Very Potter Sequel in 2010 and A Very Potter Senior Year in 2012.[4][5]

The Team StarKid YouTube channel was created on June 19, 2009.[6] As of April 2024, the channel has over 810,000 subscribers and over 340,000,000 combined views.[6] Aside from the viral Harry Potter adaptions, Team StarKid has produced a number of other musical theatre parody shows, creating both original stories and pop culture-based parodies of Disney, DC Comics, Star Wars and The Oregon Trail.

StarKid and its members are associated with various other theater groups, most notably Tin Can Brothers and Shipwrecked Comedy.

Team StarKid has had two major moves since its founding in 2009. The first was to Chicago after the founders graduated from The University of Michigan. The second was to Los Angeles.

Musical theatre productions[edit]

Production Dates Location Music and Lyrics Book YouTube Publication
A Very Potter Musical April 9–11, 2009 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Darren Criss, A. J. Holmes[7] Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang July 5, 2009
Me and My Dick October 29–31, 2009 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Darren Criss, A. J. Holmes, Carlos Valdes Eric Kahn Gale, Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang November 13, 2009
A Very Potter Sequel May 14–16, 2010 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Darren Criss Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang July 22, 2010
Starship February 11–23, 2011 Hoover-Leppen Theatre, Chicago, IL Darren Criss Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Joe Walker April 30, 2011
Holy Musical B@man! March 22–25, 2012 Hoover-Leppen Theatre, Chicago, IL Nick Gage, Scott Lamps Matt Lang, Nick Lang April 13, 2012
A Very Potter Senior Year August 11, 2012 LeakyCon, Chicago, IL Clark Baxtresser, Darren Criss, A. J. Holmes, Pierce Siebers Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang March 15, 2013
Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier July 4–28, 2013 Greenhouse Theatre, Chicago, IL A. J. Holmes, Kaley McMahon[8] Eric Kahn Gale, Matt Lang, Nick Lang[8] November 27, 2013
Ani: A Parody July 3 – August 10, 2014 Stage 773, Chicago, IL Clark Baxtresser, Pierce Siebers Matt Lang, Nick Lang October 31, 2014
The Trail to Oregon! July 3 – August 10, 2014 Stage 773, Chicago, IL Jeff Blim, Drew De Four Jeff Blim, Matt Lang, Nick Lang February 14, 2015
Firebringer July 6 – August 7, 2016 Stage 773, Chicago, IL[9] Meredith Stepien, Mark Swiderski Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Meredith Stepien January 1, 2017
The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals October 11 – November 4, 2018 The Matrix Theatre, Los Angeles, CA Jeff Blim Matt Lang, Nick Lang December 23, 2018
Black Friday October 31 – December 8, 2019 Hudson Mainstage Theatre, Los Angeles, CA Jeff Blim Matt Lang, Nick Lang February 29, 2020
Nerdy Prudes Must Die[10] February 16–25, 2023[11] El Portal Theater, Los Angeles, CA[12] Jeff Blim Matt Lang, Nick Lang 13 October 2023
VHS Christmas Carols November 17–19, 2023 Apollo Theater Chicago Clark Baxtresser Clark Baxtresser NA[a]
Cinderella's Castle July 18–21, 25–27, 2024 El Portal Theater, Los Angeles, CA Jeff Blim Matt Lang, Nick Lang Late 2024 / Early 2025

A Very Potter Musical (2009)[edit]

Main article: A Very Potter Musical

A Very Potter Musical was performed in April 2009 at the University of Michigan. It is based on the Harry Potter series and was released on YouTube on July 5, 2009.

Me and My Dick (2009)[edit]

Main article: Me and My Dick

Me and My Dick was performed in October 2009 at the University of Michigan. The musical was released on YouTube on November 13, 2009.

A Very Potter Sequel (2010)[edit]

Main article: A Very Potter Sequel

A Very Potter Sequel was performed in May 2010 at the University of Michigan. It serves as the sequel to A Very Potter Musical and is also based on the Harry Potter series. It was released on July 22, 2010.

Starship (2011)[edit]

Main article: Starship (musical)

Starship was performed in February 2011 in Chicago. It is inspired by Starship Troopers and The Little Mermaid. It tells the story of Bug, a resident of a planet inhabited by insects, who dreams of becoming a Starship Ranger. However, he is unable to become one because he is not human. Starship was released on YouTube on April 30, 2011.

In 2014, StarKid performed a sequel entitled Starship: Requiem. It was a one-time "theatrical reading" and is thus not included in their musical canon.[14]

Holy Musical B@man! (2012)[edit]

Main article: Holy Musical B@man!

Holy Musical B@man! was performed in March 2012 in Chicago. It is based on Batman and related characters. Holy Musical B@man! was released on YouTube on April 13, 2012.

A Very Potter Senior Year (2012)[edit]

Main article: A Very Potter Senior Year

A Very Potter Senior Year was performed in February 2011 in Chicago. It is based on the Harry Potter series and is the third installment to StarKid's Harry Potter trilogy. This production is a staged reading rather than a full production. A Very Potter Senior Year was released on YouTube on March 15, 2013.

Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier (2013)[edit]

Main article: Twisted (musical)

Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier was performed in July 2013 in Chicago. It is Based on the 1992 Disney film Aladdin, the tale of One Thousand and One Nights, as well as the musical Wicked.[8] The story is told from the perspective Ja'far, who is based on Jafar, the antagonist of the 1992 film. It was released on YouTube on November 27, 2013.

Ani: A Parody (2014)[edit]

Main article: Ani (musical)

Ani: A Parody was performed in 2014 in Chicago and ran concurrently with The Trail to Oregon!.[15] It is based on the Star Wars series and was released on YouTube on October 31, 2014.

The Trail to Oregon! (2014)[edit]

Main article: The Trail to Oregon!

Starship was performed in February 2011 in Chicago and ran concurrently with Ani: A Parody.[15] It is based on The Oregon Trail video game series. It features the Father, Mother, Daughter, Son, and Grandpa characters in their journey to Oregon. In the show, audience members get to choose the names of the characters as well as decide on the musical's ending. It was released on YouTube on February 14, 2015.

Firebringer (2016)[edit]

Main article: Firebringer

Firebringer was performed in 2016 in Chicago. Set in the prehistoric era, the story features Zazzalil, who in pursuit of simplifying everyone's lives comes up with inventions and discovers fire in the process. Firebringer was released on YouTube on January 1, 2017.

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals (2018)[edit]

Main article: The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals

The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals was performed in 2018 in Los Angeles. It is the first installment of StarKid's Hatchetfield saga. It depicts Paul, the titular "guy who didn't like musicals", and his experiences as the people of Hatchetfield mysteriously start singing and dancing in choreographed musical numbers. The musical was released on YouTube on December 23, 2018.

Black Friday (2019)[edit]

Main article: Black Friday (musical)

Black Friday was performed in 2019 in Los Angeles. It is the sequel of The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals and is part of the Hatchetfield saga. In the musical, Black Friday shoppers are overcome with an overwhelming desire to obtain a "Wiggly" doll, to the point of killing anyone who gets in their way. The musical was released on YouTube on February 29, 2020.

Nerdy Prudes Must Die (2023)[edit]

Main article: Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Nerdy Prudes Must Die was performed in February 2023 in Los Angeles. It is the third musical in the Hatchetfield saga. In the musical, a plan by a group of nerds to fight back against a bully backfires when they become haunted by a murderous ghost with a vendetta against "nerdy prudes". It was released on YouTube on October 13, 2023.

VHS Christmas Carols (2023)[edit]

VHS Christmas Carols is a musical originally performed in November 2023. It expands on the 2020 live-streamed production based on A Christmas Carol, with The Gift of the Magi and The Little Matchstick Girl serving as additional bases, making it a "trilogy" version of the original. It has not yet been released on YouTube, and according to StarKid's official website, "there are no concrete plans to release [VHS Christmas Carols] on YouTube" as of yet.[13]

Cinderella's Castle (2024)[edit]

Cinderella's Castle is an upcoming musical based on the tale of Cinderella. It is scheduled to be performed on July 2024.[16]

Cast members[edit]

The following is a list of cast members and their appearances in StarKid's musical theatre productions. The Trail to Oregon! has the smallest cast with 6 members, while A Very Potter Senior Year has the largest with 33.

Member
AVPM
MAMD
AVPS
Starship
HMB
AVPSY
Twisted
Ani
TTO
Firebringer
TGWDLM
BF
NPMD
VHSCCs
CC
Total
Nico Ager No No No No Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No 2
Julia Albain Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No 5
Chris Allen No No No No Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No No No 3
Clark Baxstresser No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No Yes No 2
Jaime Lyn Beatty Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No 12
Jeff Blim No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes[b][c] No Yes 8
Pat Brady No No No No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 1
Will Branner No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes No No 1
Tyler Brunsman Yes No Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 3
Jamie Burns No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No Yes No 2
Richard Campbell Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 4
Mariah Rose Faith Casillas No No No No No No No No No No Yes No Yes No Yes 3
Bryce Charles No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes No Yes 2
Britney Coleman Yes No Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 3
Brant Cox No No No Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No 2
Darren Criss Yes No Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 3
Denise Donovan No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No 6
Corey Dorris No Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No 7
Nick Gage No No No No No No Yes No No No No No No No No 1
Eric Kahn Gale No No No No No Yes No Yes No No No No No No No 2
Angela Giarratana No No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes No Yes 3
Arielle Goldman No Yes Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 3
Ali Gordon No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No Yes No 2
Davis Hamilton No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes[d] No No 1
Brian Holden No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No No Yes No 8
A.J. Holmes No Yes No No No Yes No No No No No No No Yes No 3
Jae Hughes No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes[c] No No 1
Bob Joles No No No Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No 2
Janaya Mahealani Jones No No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes No 1
Nick Lang No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No No No 5
Lauren Lopez Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 13
Elona Love (née Finlay) No No No No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 1
Evanna Lynch No No No No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 1
Devin Lytle Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 4
Robert Manion No No No No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No No 3
Lily Marks Yes Yes Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 4
Jon Matteson No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes 4
Curt Mega No No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes 4
Alle-Faye Monka No Yes No No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 2
Joe Moses Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No No No No No No No 6
Alex Paul No No No No No No Yes No No No No No No No No 1
Jim Pavolo Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No 6
Joey Richter Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 12
Brian Rosenthal Yes No Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 3
Dylan Saunders Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes[c] No No 8
Bonnie Socha (née Gruesen) Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No 2
Rachael Soglin No No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No No No 3
Meredith Stepien No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No Yes No 7
Nicholas Joseph Strauss-Matathia No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No 4
Sango Tajima Yes No Yes No No Yes No No No No No No No No No 3
James Tolbert No No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes[c] Yes Yes 4
Virginia Vass No No No No No No No No No No No No Yes[d] No No 1
Joe Walker Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No 9
Lauren Walker No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No No No 1
Kim Whalen No No No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes No Yes 3
Tiffany Williams No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No No No 1
Kendall Nicole No

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