First off: This review which is one of the worst reviews I have seen for Starship really didn't give Starkid the type of credit it deserves. Companies like Steppenwolf started the same way and Starkid is trying to do the same thing. This reviewer talked about the length of time which I will agree was longer than other plays but it kept the attention of those who bought tickets for a SOLD OUT SHOW. If you have seen the Potter Musicals you know what to expect. Yes, the comedy/pop culture was there. Darren Criss music and lyrics had its pop tunes and catchy lyrics. If I saw it again I would remember them better but since my friends and I had listened to Goin' Back to Hogwarts before going to the show it somewhat overcrowd our heads. However for the dedicate "fan girls" they would probably remember them better.
Which brings me to the 2nd point I was not expecting the audience to be majority of girls who were in high school. Since my friends and I have graduated college we expected there to be some people there our age but that was not the case which made me believe that some people didn't get some of the jokes or what the OverQueen really was or the joke of no gag reflexes since my friends and I were the few that laughed at that joke. Now as with anything that has a fan base you will get some crazies hence why Starkid calls them fangirls and sadly went a little crazy with Joey Richters Facebook to where he can't have one (his tweet yesterday). However we encountered one in person. Case in point when we tried to get a picture with Joe Walker 2 girls were a little overbearing and you could get the slight hint that he wanted to get home. Then the best line said to Joe while signing autographs SPOILER "I don't know if you heard me but I totally snorted really loud when you did the eskimo kiss with Joey." My friends and I got a little bit of a kick out of the snort comment due to maturity but I have to say to their credit they really appreciate their fans and listen to everything they say.. or at least act like it.
Dedicated to their fans:After the show mostly everyone met their fans and were willing to sign autographs and take photos. We were literally kicked out at 11 but the cast did stay outside the theatre to sign some autographs and take pictures. My friends and I were able to have a little chat with Joe Walker about Chicago and the show and like the rest of the cast they took time to listen to everyone's comments. Someone in the audience came all the way from Brazil; that's dedication. I feel like the Starkids definitely deserved a day off today because they have been putting a lot of work into it and it showed though.
Show itself: The best way to describe it is Avenue Q meets Starship Trooper meets Little Mermaid. If you have seen Starship Trooper you can see where they get a lot of the concept ideas but they definitely expand on the idea from the movie. The vibrant colors and bugs themselves were something that I could not have imagined and they have upgraded from their puppets from previous shows. Joey Richter did a great job as Bug and maneuvering him and you could tell all the fun Nick Lang was having with the puppets. He was more prevalent in Starship compared to other shows and his enthusiasm added to the show considering he usually takes a back seat role.
Lauren Lopez as always was amazing and added to another great role which she will be remembered for. Dylan Saunders added great comic relief as Tootsie and added another element to the love story. Then as Pincer he did a great job maneuvering a huge puppet and made you forget that it was a puppet and not just a puppeteer . Brian Cox was great as roach. I have not seen him in any of the musicals posted online unless I am missing something but he did a great job and hope we will see him in future Starkid productions. Then 2 new additions to the Starkid lineup that shined through were Denise Donovan as February and Meredith Stepien as Mega-Girl. Both were amazing, funny, and fit in with the other cast perfectly. Both girls made you begging they had more scenes. Brian Holden and Joe Moses both added comic relief especially Brians pot scene and Joe's over enthusiasm. Finally Joey Richter did a fantastic job holding the show together and proved again what a great lead actor he can be. Working with a puppet and the other actors as a human there was a perfect blend between both Little Mermaid and Starship Trooper.
SPOILERS to help those who want to know before posting: Also it was great to see the headband incorporated again not only on Joey, but Bug and Pincer. One of the highlights besides the great music
- The mention of G-L-E-E a nod to Darren Criss
- Disney Movie References: Aladdin, Little Mermaid, and Cinderella
-The Overqueen exposing itself as what it really was in the Movies a vajayjay
-Joe Walker and Joey Richter's kiss... oooo ;)
-All Julia Albains scenes as Specs--- JUST AWESOME
-Lauren Lopez accents as both characters but when she got a piggy back ride from Joe Walker
Overall, compared to their other musicals it is right on par with their fan base and pop culture. I disagree with said critic and believe the props, puppets, and story line was beautiful. It kept to their many true stories of love, good and evil. The Starkids get an A in my book and I can't wait for their next musical.
Side note to those who don't know:
- Yes, Red Vines are free
- If you spend over $100 you get an autograph photo of Darren Criss
- If you want the best seats in the house feel free to get their early but there is no bad seat in the house
-You can get an autographed puppet signed by Joey Richter and Ann Arbor tshirts are all Starship things but includes sunglasses, and headband
To those who have yet to see it you will enjoy it and to those who are waiting for it to go on youtube you will enjoy it and it will definitely worth the wait.
Below are Pics from the Feb 15 show
Actually, Brant Cox is new and the girl who played Megagirl returned. She was featured in Starkidpotter's EARLY production; Little White Lie. Although she wasn't as outspoken in that, well, series as in Starship her presence was still quite prominent. As for you comments on the show itself I agree and as usual I felt that Joe Walker did a fantastic job (he's my favorite other than Darren) but so did the other Starkids... simply said... it was AMAZING.
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