StarKid Productions

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. Widely known for the musical A Very Potter Musical, a parody of the Harry Potter series, the troupe produces musical comedies inspired by pop culture, with original scripts, songs and music. StarKid utilizes social media, mainly YouTube, to distribute their content.

StarKid Productions

Founded	2009 (2009)
Founders	Darren Criss Brian Holden Matt Lang Nick Lang
Type	Theatrical productions
Location	Los Angeles, California
Affiliations	University of Michigan Basement Arts
Website	teamstarkid.com

StarKid's repertoire additionally consists of albums, concerts, web series, sketch comedies and books. The company's album Me and My Dick, featuring original songs and music, became the first charting student-produced musical recording on Billboard, debuting at #11 on the "Top Cast Albums" chart in 2010; the following year they landed at #1 on the same chart with the album for Starship.

History

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. The video of the play went viral on the Internet, garnering StarKid a worldwide fanbase. Inspired by the viral nature of the video, StarKid Productions was formed, named after a quote from A Very Potter Musical. Later, two sequels followed on YouTube, A Very Potter Sequel and A Very Potter Senior Year.[1][2]

The Team StarKid YouTube channel was established on June 19, 2009.[3] The channel currently has over 650,000 subscribers and over 274,000,000 combined views.[3] Aside from the viral Harry Potter adaptions, Team StarKid have produced a number of other musical theatre parody shows, creating both original stories and pop culture-based parodies of Disney, Star Wars, The Oregon Trail, and science-fiction franchises such as Starship Troopers, Alien and Metal Gear Solid.

Musical theatre productions

Production	Dates	Location	Music & Lyrics	Book	Notes
A Very Potter Musical	April 9–11, 2009	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI	Darren Criss, A. J. Holmes	Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang	Based on the Harry Potter series
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
A Very Potter Sequel	May 14–16, 2010	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI	Darren Criss	Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang	Based on the Harry Potter series; sequel to A Very Potter Musical
Starship	February 11–23, 2011	Hoover-Leppen Theatre, Chicago, IL	Darren Criss	Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Joe Walker	Based on Starship Troopers and The Little Mermaid
Holy Musical B@man!	March 22–25, 2012	Hoover-Leppen Theatre, Chicago, IL	Nick Gage, Scott Lamps	Matt Lang, Nick Lang	Based on the DC Comics universe
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	Based on the Harry Potter series; sequel to A Very Potter Musical; staged reading rather than a full production
Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier	July 4–28, 2013	Greenhouse Theatre, Chicago, IL	A. J. Holmes, Kaley McMahon	Eric Kahn Gale, Matt Lang, Nick Lang	Based on the 1992 Disney film Aladdin and One Thousand and One Nights
The Trail to Oregon!	July 3 - August 10, 2014	Stage 773, Chicago, IL	Jeff Blim, Drew De Four	Jeff Blim, Matt Lang, Nick Lang	Based on The Oregon Trail video game series
Ani: A Parody	July 3 - August 10, 2014	Stage 773, Chicago, IL	Clark Baxtresser, Pierce Siebers	Matt Lang, Nick Lang	Based on the Star Wars series
Firebringer	July 6 - August 7, 2016	Stage 773, Chicago, IL	Meredith Stepien, Mark Swiderski	Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Meredith Stepien
The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals	October 11 - November 4, 2018	The Matrix Theatre, Los Angeles, CA	Jeff Blim	Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Jeff Blim	The first installment of the Hatchetfield trilogy
Black Friday	October 31 - December 8, 2019	Hudson Mainstage Theatre, Los Angeles, CA	Jeff Blim	Matt Lang, Nick Lang	The second installment of the Hatchetfield trilogy
Nerdy Prudes Must Die	TBD	TBD	Jeff Blim	Matt Lang, Nick Lang	The third installment of the Hatchetfield trilogy

Team StarKid produced a sequel to their 2011 musical Starship called Starship: Requiem that was performed on August 2, 2014 at LeakyCon in Orlando, FL. However, it was a one-time "theatrical reading" and, as such, Team StarKid does not include it in their musical canon.[4] The story followed the adventures of the android Mega-Girl and her half-witted Starship Ranger husband, Tootsie Noodles, as the newlyweds go to visit Mega-Girl's human-hating family.[5]

An audio recording of Starship: Requiem was created as a perk for those who helped fund the musical Firebringer, featuring music by the band Jim and the Povolos, which included numerous members of Team Starkid. A production of A Very Potter Christmas was also included,[6] which served a sneak peek into the lives of the cast after graduation while also flashing back to the era of Lily and James Potter. Although both recordings were intended to arrive on Christmas of 2016, Starship: Requiem would not see a release until sometime in February 2018.[7]

Concerts and tours

• The SPACE Tour (2011) — North American concert tour with 21 stops in 15 cities. "SPACE" in the tour title stands for StarKid Precarious Auditory Concert Experience.[8] Featuring: Jaime Lyn Beatty, Brian Holden, Lauren Lopez, Joey Richter, Dylan Saunders, Meredith Stepien, and Joe Walker.
• Apocalyptour (2012) — 2012 North American concert tour with 24 stops in 21 cities. The tour title is a reference to the 2012 phenomenon.[9] Featuring: Jaime Lyn Beatty, Brian Holden, Lauren Lopez, Jim Povolo, Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal, Dylan Saunders, Meredith Stepien, and Joe Walker
• A Very StarKid Reunion (2015) — Reunion concert performed in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater, and Dance.[10] Featuring: Julia Albain, Jaime Lyn Beatty, Jeff Blim, Tyler Brunsman, Richard Campbell, Brant Cox, Darren Criss, Denise Donovan, Brian Holden, Lauren Lopez, Lily Marks, Alle-Faye Monka, Joe Moses, Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal, Dylan Saunders, Rachael Soglin, Meredith Stepien, and Joe Walker.
• StarKid Homecoming (2019) — Reunion concert performed in celebration of the 10th anniversary of A Very Potter Musical. Held at the Theater at the Ace on July 25th and 26th, 2019.[11] Featuring: Nico Ager, Julia Albain, Clark Baxtresser, Jaime Lyn Beatty, Jeff Blim, Jamie Burns, Tyler Brunsman, Richard Campbell, Britney Coleman, Brant Cox, Darren Criss, Denise Donovan, Corey Dorris, Mariah Rose Faith, Elona Finlay, Nick Gage, Ali Gordon, Brian Holden, A. J. Holmes, Angela Kiessel, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Lauren Lopez, Corey Lubowich, Robert Manion, Jon Matteson, Lily Marks, Alle-Faye Monka, Joe Moses, Alex Paul, Sarah Petty, Amy Plouff, Jim Povolo, Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal, June Saito, Dylan Saunders, Bonnie Socha (née Gruesen), Rachael Soglin, Meredith Stepien, Carlos Valdes, Mark Swiderski, Sango Tajima, Joe Walker, Lauren Walker, and Tiffany Williams.[12]

Sketch comedy productions

• Airport for Birds: January–March 2013, Chicago, IL. StarKid Productions teamed up with The Second City to produce their first sketch comedy show. The show was produced at the UP Comedy Club.
• 1Night 2Last 3Ever: September–November 2013, Chicago, IL. StarKid Productions second sketch comedy show with The Second City. The show was produced at the UP Comedy Club. The show was a parody of various pieces of 1990s pop culture centering on the exploits of a fictional boy band, 3Ever.
• Yes, I am Afraid of the Dark!: September–October 2015, Chicago, IL. StarKid Productions first improv comedy show with iO Chicago and was produced at the iO Theater. The show was a parody of the 1990s children show Are You Afraid of the Dark? with the cast creating an entire episode based on audience suggestion.

Web series

Little White Lie

In 2007, members including Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Eric Kahn Gale, Brian Holden, Darren Criss, Lauren Lopez, Elona Finlay, Chris Allen, Meredith Stepien, and Jim Povolo produced an online video series called Little White Lie. It was released in 2009 on StarKid's YouTube channel.[13] Despite the series ending in a cliffhanger, StarKid members have confirmed at various events that there will be no season 2, as it was an expensive production and the actors who took part in it are scattered all over the country. However, Eric Kahn Gale, one of the writers for the show, stated that he would write and publish a synopsis of season 2, which was released on September 3, 2013 on his Tumblr page.[14]

Movies, Musicals, and Me

In October 2017, StarKid debuted its second web series on YouTube, Movies, Musicals, and Me. The series takes place in an alternate world where every popular movie ever has been adapted into a Broadway musical. The best of these musicals all star the same man, Halpert Evans, a vain and pompous, though brilliant, actor. The series is structured as a mocumentary of Evans, chronicling the most significant musical roles of his career, along with commentary from various colleagues in Halpert's line of work. The series introduces StarKid newcomers Al Fallick as Halpert Evans and Mary Kate Wiles as Judy Davendale. Joey Richter, Nick Lang, Brian Holden, Dylan Saunders, Lauren Lopez, Jaime Lyn Beatty, Corey Dorris, and Clark Baxtresser also star.

Soundtrack albums

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions					Notes
		US	US Cast	US Comedy	US Comp.	US Indie
Little White Lie[15]	Released: June 30, 2009 Formats: Download	—	—	—	—	—
A Very Potter Musical[15]	Released: September 9, 2009 Formats: Download	—	—	—	—	—	Made only available for free on Bandcamp, therefore not eligible for Billboard chart listings.
Me and My Dick (A New Musical)[15][16][17]	Released: January 6, 2010 Formats: Download	—	11[18]	—	—	—
A Very StarKid Album[17]	Released: July 22, 2010 Formats: Download	—	—	—	18[19]	—
A Very Potter Sequel[15]	Released: July 31, 2010 Formats: Download	—	—	—	—	—	Made only available for free on Bandcamp, therefore not eligible for Billboard chart listings.
Starship (Original Soundtrack)	Released: April 30, 2011 Formats: Download, Compact disc	134[20]	1[21]	—	—	25[22]
The SPACE Tour[23]	Released: March 13, 2012 Formats: Download, Compact disc	—[lower-alpha 1][24]	2[25]	—	—	39[26]
That's What I Call StarKid!, Vol. 2	Released: April 13, 2012 Formats: Download	—	12[27]	—	24[28]	—
Holy Musical B@man!	Released: April 13, 2012 Formats: Download	—	—	—	—	—	Made only available for free on Bandcamp, therefore not eligible for Billboard chart listings.
Apocalyptour: Live Album	Released: October 2, 2012 Formats: Download, Compact disc	—	3[29]	—	—	—
A Very StarKid Senior Year (A Very Potter Senior Year)	Released: December 15, 2012 Formats: Download	—	—	—	—	—	Made only available via the official StarKid store, therefore not eligible for Billboard chart listings.
Twisted (Original Chicago Cast Recording)	Released: November 28, 2013 Formats: Download	—	12[30]	—	—	—
Twisted: Twisted	Released: December 4, 2013 Formats: Download	—	—	—	—	—	A remix album featuring reworked versions songs from the musical Twisted as well as original demos.
Ani: A Parody	Released: October 31, 2014 Formats: Download	—	13[31]	4[32]	—	—
The Trail to Oregon!	Released: February 13, 2015 Formats: Download	—	10[33]	—	—	—
Firebringer (Original Cast Recording)	Released: November 22, 2016 Formats: Download	—	10[34]	—	—	—
The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals	Released: December 24, 2018 Formats: Download	—	6[35]	—	—	—
StarKid Homecoming: Vol. 1 (Live)	Released: December 18, 2019 Formats: Download	—	—	—	—	—
StarKid Homecoming: Vol. 2 (Live)	Released: December 18, 2019 Formats: Download	—	—	—	—	—
Black Friday	Released: February 28, 2020 Formats: Download	—[lower-alpha 2][36]	1[37]	—	—	—

Notes

1. "The SPACE Tour" did not enter the Billboard 200 but did enter the Top Current Albums component chart at number 182
2. "Black Friday" did not enter the Billboard 200 but did enter the Top Album Sales component chart at number 58.

References

1. "Team StarKid". StarKid Productions. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
2. Borrelli, Christopher (November 1, 2011). "What exactly is Team StarKid?". Chicago Tribune. Bruce Dold. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
3. https://www.youtube.com/user/StarKidPotter/about
4. LeakyCon [@LeakyCon] (March 31, 2014). "ANNOUNCING! @TeamStarKid will perform at theatrical reading of "STARSHIP: REQUIEM" www.leakycon.com/?p=8224" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
5. Jordan. ""Starship: Requiem" to be Performed at LeakyCon 2014". LeakyCon. Tumblr. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2014.
6. StarKid, Team (2016-12-25). "Happy Christmas, Everyone! The A VERY POTTER CHRISTMAS audio reading is ready forit's [sic] backers! …https://firebringer-starkids-new-stone-age-musical.backerkit.com/ pic.twitter.com/guz4vwtzNB". @TeamStarKid. Retrieved 2020-02-16. External link in |title= (help)
7. StarKid, Team (2018-02-12). "Hey there! As @NickLangTweets said a while back, the last FIREBRINGER award has been sent out! Starship Requiem, the audio version should be available through your backerkit survey if you purchased it back in the year 2016! Enjoy!…https://firebringer-starkids-new-stone-age-musical.backerkit.com/". @TeamStarKid. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
8. "Team StarKid Adds Dates for The Space Tour | TheaterMania". www.theatermania.com. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
9. "Apocalyptour". 2013-12-04. Archived from the original on 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
10. "'A Very StarKid Reunion' is a nostalgic must-have for fans". Hypable. 2015-12-06. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
11. "StarKid Homecoming". StarKid Productions. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
12. "StarKid Homecoming". StarKid Productions. Retrieved 2019-08-28.
13. Team StarKid (July 11, 2009). "StarKid Introduces: Little White Lie". YouTube. Retrieved January 18, 2012.
14. Gale, Eric Kahn (September 3, 2013). "Little White Lie Season 2 Synopsis". Tumblr. Archived from the original on September 30, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
15. Austrone, Xavier (November 22, 2010). "StarKid Interview: Starship Coverage & A VERY POTTER THREEQUEL!?". Wizarding Life. Archived from the original on August 4, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
16. Caulfield, Keith (March 18, 2010). "'My Dick' Rises to Become First Charting Student Musical". Billboard. Lynne Segall. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
17. Milam, Whitney (July 24, 2010). "A Very Potter Musical's Team StarKid Premieres Sequel, Tops Glee and Gaga on iTunes, and Talks Future Projects". HollywoodNews.com. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
18. "Cast Albums - March 27, 2010". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
19. "Compilation Albums - August 14, 2010". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
20. "Billboard 200 - May 14, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
21. "Cast Albums - May 14, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
22. "Independent Albums - May 14, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
23. Caulfield, Keith (March 22, 2012). "StarKid's 'Space' Sets Sail, Debuts at No. 2 on Cast Albums Chart". Billboard. Lynne Segall. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
24. "Top Current Albums: March 31, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
25. "Cast Albums - March 31, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
26. "Independent Albums - March 31, 2011". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
27. "Cast Albums - May 5, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
28. "Compilation Albums - May 5, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
29. "Cast Albums - October 20, 2012". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
30. "Cast Albums - December 21, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
31. "Cast Albums - November 22, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
32. "Comedy Albums - November 22, 2014". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
33. "Cast Albums - February 28, 2015". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
34. "Cast Albums - January 21, 2017". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
35. "Cast Albums - January 12, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
36. "Top Album Sales: March 14, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
37. "Cast Albums: March 14, 2020". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.

External links

• Official website