Jump to content

A Very Potter Senior Year

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by IJVin (talk | contribs) at 20:26, 25 May 2013 (→‎Cast and characters). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

A Very Potter Senior Year
AVPSY soundtrack art
MusicClark Baxtresser
Pierce Siebers
A.J. Holmes
Darren Criss
BasisJ. K. Rowling's novels: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
ProductionsLeakyCon 2012

A Very Potter 3D: A Very Potter Senior Year (stylized as AVPSY) is the conclusion of the Very Potter trilogy of Harry Potter-inspired musicals produced over four years by StarKid Productions. Rather than a full musical, as with its previous installments, the production took the form of a live staged reading of the script (written by Matt Lang, Nick Lang and Brian Holden), with performances of the songs, at LeakyCon in Chicago, Illinois, on August 11, 2012.[1] It featured nearly all of the StarKid actors and actresses, including actor Darren Criss, who returned to the company to reprise his role as Harry Potter, and Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the original film series. The script and soundtrack became available in December 2012, and official footage of the play was released on the StarKid YouTube channel on March 15, 2013. In March 2013, it had gotten over 400,000 views, making the StarKid Productions page the most viewed of the month.[2] The story is a parody, based on several of the Harry Potter novels (particularly Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) by J. K. Rowling, as well as their film counterparts.

Synopsis

A Very Potter Senior Year draws heavily upon the Chamber of Secrets and Half-Blood Prince novels.

Act I

Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom wander the Department of Mysteries, chased by Death Eaters. The Death Eaters manage to retrieve Tom Riddle's diary from a safe in the Ministry, but this is taken from them by Ron, who rescues Luna and Neville. The three join Hermione outside the Room of Death, but are again surrounded by foes ("This is the End"). Harry appears and rescues the group, aided by Kingsley Shacklebolt and the Wizard Cops. Mad-Eye Moody enters the scene, who Harry reveals to be the Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr. in disguise. Crouch is apprehended by the Wizard Cops, but leaves Harry with the ominous message that, with Voldemort defeated, Harry's importance to the wizarding world will fade.

Later at the Burrow, Harry presents his girlfriend, Ginny, with Riddle's diary, not knowing its powers. Ron complains to Harry that Hermione has become obsessed with the writings of Gilderoy Lockhart, and that the two have not kissed since the events of A Very Potter Musical. At the breakfast table, Ron is given the keys to the family car, and he flies Harry, Hermione, and Ginny to Hogwarts to start the school year ("Senior Year"). Ron crash lands into the Herbology greenhouse, destroying the crop of mandrakes and killing Professor Sprout. Professor McGonagall enters and threatens to expel the students, however Draco Malfoy provides an alibi and the four students escape punishment. Despite this, Harry refuses to acknowledge Draco's friendship.

In the Great Hall, Harry and Draco are announced as the two candidates for the coming Head Boy election. Gilderoy Lockhart is announced to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, much to the delight of Hermione and the other students ("Gilderoy"). Lockhart quickly proves more popular than even Harry, who in turn tries unsuccessfully to maintain his position as favorite among the student body. Harry consequently ends his relationship with Ginny, who turns to the diary for comfort. The diary contains the last remaining piece of Riddle's soul and, in the first of several flashbacks, Riddle shows Ginny his first encounter with Dumbledore while still living in a Muggle orphanage ("Always Dance"). Ginny quickly falls under Riddle's spell.

Hermione waits in line to receive an autograph from Lockhart, who tasks her with writing Harry's biography (according to the StarKid canon). Draco and Harry begin their preparations for the coming Head Boy election, when Harry suddenly overhears the Basilisk. Just then, a scream is heard, and the group discovers Colin Creevey and an entranced Ginny in front of a message written in blood. Colin has been petrified, while Ginny quickly awakens and exits the scene, her hands covered in blood. The message declares that the Chamber of Secrets has been opened, and Harry sees the dangerous situation as an opportunity to regain his popularity among the students.

Ginny tries to wash the blood off of her hands in the girls' bathroom, unable to make sense of the situation. She again writes in the diary and, in the second flashback, Riddle shows the aftermath of his first murder and his decision to visit the Riddle home ("When You Have To Go All The Way Home"). Back in the present, Harry takes Cho as his date to Nearly Headless Nick's 506th deathday party. The date does not go well, and Harry is jealous to see Ginny accompanied by Seamus and Dean. Ron is also there, however unaccompanied, as Hermione is busily working to complete Lockhart's assignment. Lavender Brown reveals that she has feelings for Ron and pecks him on the cheek, which he considers an act of betrayal on Hermione.

After the party, Harry overhears the Basilisk a second time. Together with Hermione and Ron, he finds a petrified Nearly Headless Nick and an entranced Ginny, who again flees the scene upon regaining full consciousness. The trio follow a trail of spiders to the Forbidden Forest, where they encounter Aragog ("Get In My Mouth"). Aragog tries to eat the three friends, but Hagrid appears to rescue them.

In the third flashback, Riddle shows Ginny his only meeting with his father, his discovery of his Muggle background, and the subsequent murder of his last remaining family members. In the present, Harry and Draco tie in the elections for Head Boy. Lockhart proposes a wizard duel to settle the tie, and Draco finally accepts Harry as his enemy ("The School Is Mine"). Draco uses his Serpensortia spell to conjure a snake, and Harry consequently reveals his Parseltongue ability before the entire school. This event makes Harry the principal suspect as Slytherin's heir, a view supported by Lockhart, who taunts Harry into forfeiting. Draco is announced as the winner of the duel and as new Head Boy.

Harry laments his downfall while Ginny reads of Riddle's remorse ("I Was"). Harry decides to leave Hogwarts, and Riddle finally reveals himself to be Lord Voldemort before Ginny. Riddle's soul has now grown strong enough to fully control Ginny, despite not yet being able to assume human form. As the first act comes to a close, Voldemort summons the Basilisk, promising it finer prey than vermin.

Act II

Hannah Abbott becomes the 341st student to be petrified by the Basilisk. Professor McGonagall announces that the school will be closed unless the Chamber of Secrets is found and the Basilisk slain. Draco reveals to Hermione that Ron had cheated on her, and the two break up. Following Cho's advice, Hermione decides to take revenge on Ron by cheating on him with Lockhart. However, Hermione fails to woo her professor, and instead signs a release form turning over the creative rights to her Harry Potter stories. Lockhart announces several changes to her stories that make them more similar to the J. K. Rowling versions of the story.

In the headmaster's office, Voldemort has Ginny search for the Resurrection Stone. Hermione discovers the truth behind Riddle's diary, but is petrified by the Basilisk. In the infirmary, Ron cries over Hermione's petrified body and his inability to rescue the school ("Sidekick"). Draco is dismayed to see Hermione, and the two boys drink Draco's Felix Felicis potion in a plan to save the day. Draco sets out to find the Chamber of Secrets, while Ron searches for Harry.

While searching for the flying car, Ron runs into Lockhart, who reveals his plan to sell Harry Potter novels and merchandise to the Muggle World, as well as his slandering of Harry during the Head Boy election. Lockhart is chased away by the Wizard Cops, who prepare to close the school.

At Godric's Hollow, Harry arrives to see his statue get torn down and replaced by a statue of Spider-Man. Harry is distraught to discover that the statue is of Andrew Garfield rather than Tobey Maguire, concluding that nothing is sacred, not even the Sam Raimi trilogy of Spider-Man films. Ron arrives via the Weasley family car but fails to convince Harry to return to Hogwarts. Harry finds the Resurrection Stone inside his lucky Snitch, and the ghosts of his deceased family and friends appear to give him encouragement ("Everything Ends"). Harry and Ron return to Hogwarts and, together with the student body, the Sorting Hat, and the Scarf of Sexual Preference, set out to slay the Basilisk ("Goin' Back To Hogwarts" reprise).

Inside the Chamber, Harry and the students are overpowered by the Basilisk, under the control of the still disembodied Voldemort. Harry succeeds in pulling the sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat and slays the Basilisk, but is bitten in the process ("Harry Freakin' Potter" reprise). As Voldemort stands over a dying Harry, Harry stabs the diary with the sword, killing the fragment of Voldemort's soul and saving Ginny. Hagrid arrives with Fawkes, whose healing tears rescue Harry from near-death.

The petrified students recover from their frozen state following the Basilisk's death, except for Colin Creevey, who dies. Hermione joins the rest of the students in the Chamber. Ron pulls an engagement ring from the Scarf of Sexual Preference and proposes to Hermione, who accepts having heard his song in the infirmary. The students rejoice ("Days of Summer" reprise), and Harry finally accepts Draco as his friend. Later, as Harry is taking in all the times he had at Hogwarts, Ron arrives to pick him up for the last time. Harry says goodbye to Hogwarts and that it has been "totally awesome", and leaves with Ron.

19 years later, Harry takes his son to platform 9¾ ("Goin' Back to Hogwarts" reprise), where he runs into Quirrell, but fails to recognize him as his enemy from A Very Potter Musical. Voldemort remains bound to the back of Quirrell's skull (following the conclusion of the first musical), and he and Quirrell are at King's Cross to see their daughter leave for Hogwarts. Voldemort has come to terms with his defeat, and says that Harry has taught him how to love and that it is okay to let go of things, even if it hurts. Quirrell, echoing Voldemort's closing line from the first show, replies "Okay is wonderful."

In a post-credits scene not included in the 2012 LeakyCon reading, a shrunken Gilderoy Lockhart finds a new home among a family of mice, which he had previously revealed to Hermione as his secret desire. Lockhart begins to command the mice on how to defeat the cat who is preventing them from acquiring food for their young.[3]

Cast and characters

Actor/Actress Character
Darren Criss Harry Potter
Joey Richter Ron Weasley
Meredith Stepien Hermione Granger
Jaime Lyn Beatty Ginny Weasley
Joe Walker Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort
Lauren Lopez Draco Malfoy
A.J. Holmes Gilderoy Lockhart
Dylan Saunders Albus Dumbledore
Evanna Lynch Luna Lovegood
Brian Holden Rubeus Hagrid
Remus Lupin
Basilisk
Brian Rosenthal Quirinus Quirrell
Seamus Finnigan
James Potter
Nick Strauss Fenrir Greyback
Sirius Black
Joe Moses Severus Snape
Nearly Headless Nick
Britney Coleman Bellatrix Lestrange
Dean Thomas
Jeff Blim Aragog
Tyler Brunsman Cedric Diggory
Lucius Malfoy
Minerva McGonagall
Devin Lytle Cho Chang
Charlie Weasley
Richard Campbell Neville Longbottom
Tom Riddle Sr.
Nick Lang Sorty
Scarfy
Arthur Weasley
Sango Tajima Lavender Brown
Jim Povolo Gregory Goyle
Rumbleroar
Bill Weasley
Firenze the Centaur
Lily Marks Pansy Parkinson
Molly Weasley
Arielle Goldman Lily Potter
Hannah Abbott
Mary Riddle
Corey Dorris Kingsley Shacklebolt
Denise Donovan Mrs. Cole
Elona Finlay Madame Pomfrey
Grey Lady
Chris Allen Moaning Myrtle
Barty Crouch Jr.
Mad-Eye Moody
Tom Riddle Sr.
Brant Cox Colin Creevey
Wizard Cop
Percy Weasley
Nico Ager Thoms Riddle
Alle-Faye Monka Fleur Delacour
Albus Potter
Eric Kahn Gale Wizard Cop
Pat Brady Candy Lady
Bob Joles Narrator

[4]

Bonnie Gruesen, who played Hermione in the first two musicals, was unavailable for the production due to other commitments. Julia Albain, who played Crabbe and the Candy lady, was announced as part of the cast but had to pull out.

Musical numbers

Songs that have * are not featured on A Very Potter Senior Year Soundtrack

Recording

A cast recording of the production was released in December 2012 through Bandcamp and the StarKid Productions website. Only the tracks which were not featured in the earlier musicals are present on the recording.[5]

Thematic Analysis

The principal themes of A Very Potter Senior Year are closure, the search for love, and the moral struggle between good and evil.

Closure

Closure is the immediate theme of the play, connecting both the end of the characters' time at Hogwarts and the end of the Very Potter story. The latter is an example of breaking of the fourth wall, more subtly done than in the previous Very Potter musicals (in the first musical, Hermione simply refers to the action taking place in a play during the second act).

Closure is first alluded to in the first moments of the show, such as when Luna sings "it's the final show, we gotta go, meet our destiny!". At the end of the first scene, Barty Crouch Jr. ominously tells Harry "if it’s over for me then it’s over for you too, Potter. All you are is someone who fights us", marking the start of Harry's character arc.

Other references include Hagrid's motivational speech to Harry, the inscription on Harry's lucky Snitch ("I open at the close"), the discussion regarding the Spider-Man film adaptations, and Dumbledore's ironic statement "this whole Harry Potter craze is gonna be over in about thirty minutes" near the end of the play. Harry is not the only character to accept the end of his story; during the denouement, Voldemort accepts his new life without Harry Potter. In this final example, Voldemort's use of "Harry Potter" refers to both the character (Voldemort's nemesis) and the Harry Potter franchise and fandom.

Several allusions are made to the end of the official Harry Potter series: Lockhart rhetorically asks "How many years ago did the Dark Lord die?!" The answer, five, refers both to the StarKid canon (where Voldemort is defeated during Harry's second year at Hogwarts), and the real world's timeline (the final Rowling novel was published in 2007, five years before the staged reading).

In an interview following the LeakyCon production, Nick and Matt Lang discussed the decision to kill Scarfy in the climax as a symbol for the conclusion of the Very Potter Series. Scarfy was the only original character in the series not present in the official canon, having been introduced in A Very Potter Sequel, and Nick Lang explains that the death ends the writer's connection to the Harry Potter franchise.[6]

Love

All of the major characters in A Very Potter Senior Year search for love and acceptance among their peers. Harry seeks to regain his lost popularity among the student body, Ron seeks Hermione's love, and Hermione seeks Lockhart's approval. As in the previous installments, Draco seeks both Hermione's love and Harry's friendship. Voldemort seeks his father's love in the flashback sequences and Ginny seeks to regain Harry's love (and finds consolation through her befriending of Riddle). Lockhart, who yearns to be accepted as a leader of mice.

Minor characters also exhibit this behavior, such as Nearly Headless Nick (who seeks the Grey Lady), Lavender Brown (who loves Ron), Cho Chang (who, like Harry, seeks approval from her peers), and Hagrid (who generally lacks companionship). Harry's encouragement during the second act ultimately comes from Snape, who previously sought the unrequited love of Harry's late mother Lily. Snape teaches Harry the importance of defending what he loves under any circumstances, and continues to care for Harry even after Lily chooses Cedric as her partner in the afterlife.

Good versus Evil

In A Very Potter Senior Year, Voldemort is arguably evil from birth (having killed his mother immediately after being born), however unlike the official canon is given redemption in the finale. In the Rowling novels, Riddle is consistently portrayed as incorrigibly selfish and evil, however here is portrayed as a flawed individual, lacking his father's love and seeking companionship in Quirrell. Despite this, the musical portrays a clear distinction between good and evil, with Riddle and the Death Eaters representing the wrong side of morality, while Harry and his friends are generally good.

One interesting aspect is the inversion of certain character roles, particularly Harry and Draco. Harry, rather than the selfless, caring individual of the novels, uses his popularity among his peers for personal gain, such as having Hermione do his homework, and also fails to recognize Draco's kindness towards him. This is in stark opposition to Draco's character, who here exhibits the positive attributes mentioned above. Draco's character is arguably the most "good" of the main characters, acting selflessly towards the other students (aside from Ron) despite maintaining his discrimination of Muggle-born wizards.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Only at LeakyCon: "A Very Potter Senior Year"".
  2. ^ A Very Potter Senior Year Act 1 Part 1
  3. ^ "A Very Potter Senior Year Script".
  4. ^ "A Very Potter Senior Year Cast". StarKid Productions. January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ "A Very Potter Senior Year Album – StarKid". StarKid Productions. January 21, 2013. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Didsbury, Rachel. "Post AVPSY Interview with Matt and Nick Lang (Video)". Retrieved April 6, 2013.