StarKid Productions, also known as Team StarKid, is a Chicago-based musical theatre company founded in 2009 at the University of Michigan by Darren Criss, Brian Holden, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang. Best 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 use social media for theatrical distribution, to make their productions accessible to a worldwide audience.
StarKid's repertoire additionally consists of albums, concerts, web series 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 Starship, another original album.
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 original and classic 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 a worldwide following. Inspired by the success of the video, StarKid Productions was formed, named after a quote from A Very Potter Musical.[1][2]
Musical theater productions [edit]
- A Very Potter Musical, April 2009, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. The musical was named one of "The 10 Best Viral Videos of 2009" by Entertainment Weekly.[3]
- Me and My Dick, October 2009. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The cast album of the production is the first student-produced college musical's cast recording to debut on a Billboard chart. It debuted at #11 on Billboard's Top Cast Albums Chart.[4]
- A Very Potter Sequel, May 2010, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The sequel made the "What's Hot for the Week" list in August 2010 on EW.com.[5] Many of the songs from the sequel were released on A Very StarKid Album, which peaked at #14 on the iTunes Pop Charts.[6] A Very Potter Sequel was nominated for a Mashable Award for "Best Web Video".[7]
- Starship, February 2011, Chicago, IL. All shows sold out. Soundtrack album debuted at #1 on Billboard Top Cast Albums. Play won Broadway World (Chicago Awards) Best New Work / New Adaptation Award.[8]
- Holy Musical B@man!, March 2012, Chicago, IL. Holy Musical B@man! soundtrack was released, along with its companion album, That's What I Call StarKid! Volume 2, through Bandcamp and iTunes.[9][10]
- A Very Potter Senior Year, LeakyCon, Chicago, IL. StarKid presented a staged reading of the play on August 11, 2012. It featured nearly all of the StarKid actors and actresses. The script and soundtrack became available December 2012 and the play was released on YouTube on March 15th, 2013.
- Twisted, July 2013, Chicago, IL. On March 15, 2013 StarKid released a teaser trailer for an upcoming musical which is to be a parody of Aladdin and Wicked.
Concert tours [edit]
- The SPACE Tour: On September 27, 2011, StarKid Productions announced their first national concert tour: "The SPACE (StarKid Precarious Auditory Concert Experience) Tour". The group performed at 21 stops in 15 cites. The tour began on November 4, 2011 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and ended on November 27, 2011 in New York City. The tour featured songs performed in all their productions and the StarKids who participated were Lauren Lopez, Joey Richter, Joe Walker, Brian Holden, Dylan Saunders, Jaime Lyn Beatty and Meredith Stepien. Darren Criss performed in the Boston and New York shows. Elona Finlay appeared at the Canada shows.[11]
- Apocalyptour: On April 9, 2012, StarKid Productions announced their second national tour: "Apocalyptour"; titled in reference to the 2012 phenomenon.[12] The tour began in Chicago on May 9, 2012, and finished with a sold-out show at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City on June 10, 2012.[13]
Web series [edit]
Little White Lie [edit]
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.[14] 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.
The Bully Book [edit]
On June 7, 2011, Starkid Productions released a novel named The Bully Book, written by Eric Kahn Gale with illustrations by Matt and Nick Lang.[15] It was originally only available as an e-book, but was later re-released in hardcover on December 26, 2012. Gale mentioned in an interview that it takes place in the same universe as Little White Lie and the sequel will tie into the series.[16]
Quicksand Jack [edit]
On March 15, 2013 StarKid released a teaser trailer for an upcoming graphic novel written by Matt and Nick Lang and illustrated by Jen Lang and Teia Smith.
| Performer |
Production |
Characters |
| Nico Ager |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Evil Sherlock Holmes, Sluggers, Citizen, Storekeeper, Plastic Man |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Snake, Thoms Riddle |
| Jaime Lyn Beatty |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Ginny Weasley |
| Me and My Dick |
Sally |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Rita Skeeter, Ginny Weasley |
| Starship |
Neato Mosquito, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Poison Ivy, Candy, Gangster, The Flash |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Ginny Weasley |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Jeff Blim |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Sweet Tooth, Aquaman, Joe Chill |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Aragog |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Pat Brady |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Candy Lady |
| Richard Campbell |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Neville Longbottom |
| Me and My Dick |
Rick, The Kid That Hates Joey |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Neville Longbottom, Past Hermione |
| Starship |
[Cameo] |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Neville Longbottom, Frank Longbottom |
| Britney Coleman |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Bellatrix Lestrange |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Dean Thomas |
| Starship |
[Cameo] |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Bellatrix Lestrange, Dean Thomas |
| Darren Criss |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
Toby Phillips |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Harry Potter |
| Me and My Dick |
[Cameo] |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Harry Potter |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Harry Potter |
| Denise Donovan |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Starship |
February, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Catwoman, Pizza Guy, Black Canary |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Mrs. Cole |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Corey Dorris |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Me and My Dick |
Big T |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Yaxley |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Kingsley Shacklebolt |
| Elona Finlay |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
Sami Reese |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Madam Pomfrey, The Grey Lady, Spider |
| Nick Gage |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Eric Kahn Gale |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
Hunkytonk |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Wizard Cop |
| Ali Gordon |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Me and My Dick |
Vanessa, Ensemble |
| Bonnie Gruesen |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Hermione Granger |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Hermione Granger |
| Brian Holden |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
Zack |
| Me and My Dick |
Flopsy, Ensemble |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Remus Lupin |
| Starship |
Junior, Veeto Mosquito, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Superman/Clark Kent, Evil Huckleberry Finn |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Rubeus Hagrid, The Basilisk, Remus Lupin |
| A.J. Holmes |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Me and My Dick |
Joey's Heart |
| Starship |
[Cameo] |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Gilderoy Lockhart |
| Bob Joles |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Starship |
[Cameo] |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Narrator |
| Matt Lang |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
[Cameo] |
| Nick Lang |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
Kevin Bushwald |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Arthur Weasley, Sorty, Scarfy, Peter Pettigrew, Mama Umbridge |
| Starship |
The Caller Bug, Mister Bug, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Robin, Barack Obama, Mobster |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Arthur Weasley, Sorty, Scarfy, Damian |
| Lauren Lopez |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
Tanya Freemont |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Draco Malfoy |
| Me and My Dick |
Cameo |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Draco Malfoy |
| Starship |
Taz, Buggette Buggington, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Commissioner Gordon, Calendar Man, Evil King Arthur, Green Arrow |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Draco Malfoy |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Evanna Lynch |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Luna Lovegood |
| Devin Lytle |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Cho Chang |
| Me and My Dick |
Miss Cooter |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Cho Chang, Charlie Weasley |
| Starship |
[Cameo] |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Cho Chang, Charlie Weasley |
| Robert Manion |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Lily Marks |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Pansy Parkinson, Molly Weasley |
| Me and My Dick |
Sally's Heart, High Council Pussy |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Molly Weasley |
| Starship |
[Cameo] |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Molly Weasley, Pansy Parkinson |
| Alle-Faye Monka |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Me and My Dick |
Tiffany, Ensemble |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Fleur Delacour, The Basilisk, Albus Scarfy Potter, Spider |
| Joe Moses |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Severus Snape |
| Me and My Dick |
Rick's Dick |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Severus Snape |
| Starship |
Krayonder, Ensemble |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Nearly Headless Nick, Severus Snape |
| Alex Paul |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Jim Povolo |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
Jim Povolo |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Gregory Goyle, Rumbleroar |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Gregory Goyle, Firenze, Bill Weasley, Past Draco |
| Starship |
The Overqueen, Sweetheart Mosquito, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Mr. Freeze, Matches, Hawkman, Photoshop Downloader, Joe |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Bill Weasley, Gregory Goyle, Rumbleroar |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Joey Richter |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Ron Weasley |
| Me and My Dick |
Joey Richter |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Ron Weasley |
| Starship |
Bug |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Ron Weasley |
| Brian Rosenthal |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Quirinus Quirrell |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Seamus Finnigan, James Potter, Past Ron, King's Cross Guard |
| Starship |
[Cameo] |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Seamus Finnigan, James Potter, Quirinus Quirrell |
| Dylan Saunders |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Albus Dumbledore |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Albus Dumbledore |
| Starship |
Tootsie Noodles, Pincer, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Green Lantern, Narrator, Mobster, Scarecrow, Construction Worker, Egghead, Gob |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Albus Dumbledore/Man with the Beard |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Rachel Segal |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Meredith Stepien |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Little White Lie |
Meredith |
| Starship |
Mega-Girl, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
The Riddler, Rachel Dawes, TGI Fridays Worker, Chase Meridian, Wonder Woman, Hostage |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Hermione Granger |
| Twisted |
TBA |
| Sango Tajima |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Lavender Brown |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Lavender Brown, George Weasley |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Lavender Brown, George Weasley, Spider, Wang Mu |
| Joe Walker |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| A Very Potter Musical |
Lord Voldemort |
| Me and My Dick |
Dick |
| A Very Potter Sequel |
Dolores Umbridge |
| Starship |
Up, Ensemble |
| Holy Musical B@man! |
Batman, Chilly Willy |
| A Very Potter Senior Year |
Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort |
| Twisted |
TBA |
[17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24]
Principal crew [edit]
| Production |
Role |
Personnel |
| Little White Lie [17] |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Director |
Eric Kahn Gale |
| Assistant Director |
Nick Lang, Brian Holden |
| Writers |
Chris Allen, Eric Kahn Gale, Matt Lang, Nick Lang |
| Music |
Chuck Criss, Darren Criss, Mark Swiderski |
| A Very Potter Musical [18] |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Director |
Matt Lang |
| Assistant Director |
Nick Lang |
| Writers |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden |
| Music |
Darren Criss, A.J. Holmes |
| Choreographer |
Britney Coleman |
| Scenic Designer |
Lisa Griebel |
| Costume Designer |
Marguerite Woodward |
| Lighting Designer |
Mary Clare Blake-Booth |
| Me and My Dick [19] |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Director |
Matt Lang |
| Assistant Director |
Nick Lang, Brian Holden, Eric Kahn Gale |
| Writers |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden, Eric Kahn Gale |
| Music |
A.J. Holmes, Carlos Valdes, Darren Criss |
| Choreographer |
Alle-Faye Monka |
| Scenic Designer |
Corey Lubowich |
| Costume Designer |
Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang |
| Lighting Designer |
Max Kaufman |
| A Very Potter Sequel [20] |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Director |
Matt Lang |
| Assistant Director |
Nick Lang |
| Writers |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden |
| Music |
Darren Criss |
| Choreographer |
James Tolbert |
| Scenic Designer |
Corey Lubowich |
| Costume Designer |
Corey Lubowich |
| Lighting Designer |
Sarah Petty |
| Starship [21] |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Director |
Matt Lang |
| Assistant Director |
Nick Lang |
| Writers |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden, Joe Walker |
| Music |
Darren Criss |
| Choreographer |
Denise Donovan |
| Scenic Designer |
Corey Lubowich |
| Costume Designer |
June Saito |
| Lighting Designer |
Sarah Petty |
| Holy Musical B@man! [22] |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Director |
Matt Lang |
| Assistant Director |
Nick Lang |
| Writers |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang |
| Music |
Nick Gage, Scott Lamps |
| Choreographer |
Katie Spelman |
| Scenic Designer |
Corey Lubowich |
| Costume Designer |
June Saito |
| Lighting Designer |
Sarah Petty |
| A Very Potter Senior Year [23] |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Director |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang |
| Writers |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden |
| Music |
Clark Baxtresser, Pierce Siebers, A.J. Holmes, Darren Criss |
| Scenic Designer |
Corey Lubowich |
| Costume Designer |
June Saito |
| Twisted [25][24] |
Click to expand/collapse → |
| Director |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden |
| Writers |
Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Eric Kahn Gale |
Soundtrack albums [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Team StarKid". StarKid Productions. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ Borrelli, Christopher (November 1, 2011). "What exactly is Team StarKid?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
- ^ Lyons, Margaret (December 29, 2009). "The 10 Best Viral Videos of 2009". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Caulfield, Keith (March 18, 2010). "'My Dick' Rises to Become First Charting Student Musical". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2011.
- ^ "What's Hot for the Week". Entertainment Weekly. August 8, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c d Milam, Whitney (July 24, 2010). "A Very Potter Musical’s Team StarKid Premieres Sequel, Tops Glee and Gaga on iTunes, and Talks Future Projects". Hollywood News. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ Lavrusik, Vadim (December 1, 2010). "Mashable Awards: Announcing the Full List of Finalists". Mashable. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ Thompson, Paul. "2011 BroadwayWorld Chicago Award Winners". Broadway World. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
- ^ http://teamstarkid.bandcamp.com/
- ^ "That What I Call StarKid! Volume2". StarKid Productions. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
- ^ "TOUR". StarKid Productions. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
- ^ StarKid Productions (April 9, 2012). "Holy Musical B@man! and Apocalyptour Announcement 4.9.12". YouTube. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ "Apocalyptour". StarKid Productions. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ StarKid Productions (July 11, 2009). "StarKid Introduces: Little White Lie". YouTube. Retrieved 18 January 2012.
- ^ StarKid Productions (Jun 7, 2012). "The Bully Book". YouTube. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
- ^ StarKid Productions (January 8, 2012). "Team Starkid Chat of Doom". YouTube. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
- ^ a b StarKid Productions (July 6, 2009). "Little White Lie: Episode 1, Part 2". YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ a b StarKid Productions (July 5, 2009). "A Very Potter Musical: Act 2, Part 9". YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ a b StarKid Productions (November 13, 2009). "Me And My Dick: Act 2, Part 10". YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ a b StarKid Productions (July 22, 2010). "A Very Potter Sequel: Act 2, Part 14". YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ a b StarKid Productions (April 30, 2011). "Starship: Act 2, Part 10". YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ a b StarKid Productions (April 13, 2012). "Holy Musical B@man!: Act 2, Part 6". YouTube. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ a b StarKid Productions (March 15, 2013). "A Very Potter Senior Year: Act 2, Part 7". YouTube. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
- ^ a b StarKid Productions (May 1, 2013). "Twisted Cast Announcement". YouTube. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ StarKid Productions (March 22, 2013). "TWISTED kickstarter". YouTube. Retrieved May 1, 2013.
- ^ a b Donahue, Ann (13 November 2010). "'Glee' Newcomer Darren Criss Reflects on His 'Dream' Week". Billboard. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
- ^ a b Caulfield, Keith (March 22, 2012). "StarKid's 'Space' Sets Sail, Debuts at No. 2 on Cast Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 23, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Austrone, Xavier (November 22, 2010). "StarKid Interview: Starship Coverage & A VERY POTTER THREEQUEL!?". Wizarding Life. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
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