r/StarKid

My daughter turns 13 on Thursday and I thought I had this birthday knocked out of the park. I was wrong.

Planned a karaoke birthday party and almost no one came. Just a few family members. Not one kid she invited showed. Half her FAMILY didn’t show. Everyone was just too busy for her.

I tried a few weeks ago to get a Cameo from Jon Matteson and didn’t realize that they were already doing their stateside rehearsals. It was mid April so I was hopeful that maybe it would happen but alas… cameo even emailed me last week encouraging to try again, and I did because I fell for their marketing, but knew that he was already in the UK, so I wasn’t shocked that it didn’t happen. (Jon is her favorite and it would have made her LIFE.)

So hive mind, any ideas for what to get a Starkid obsessed child for a milestone birthday that has already been kind of a bummer? I already told her she can look over the shop site and pick some stuff but she owns SO much already.

I thought about reaching out to her favorite Starkid-adjacent YouTuber but that feels weird. If they had a cameo I’d do it in a heartbeat but it doesn’t look like they do.

I’m stumped and also kind of heartbroken on her behalf. (She didn’t know about the cameo but the party attendance upset her.)

Hi!

I just watched the proshot of TGWDLM:R last night and aaaaa it was soo good! And it got me thinking, what other shows could Starkid potentially revive in the future? This is what I think:

AVPM & AVPS: I LOVE AVPM (and AVPS) so I really hope they do redo it at some point with a higher budget and better filming and stuff. I guess the only issue might be copyright but I don't know why that would have changed since 2009... Maybe they'll revive it for the 20th anniversary in 2029.

MAMD: I don't really know why they would revive this one tbh. It's not at all a bad show but its probably the least popular (mainly because not many people have actually watched it lol) so I don't think many people would be particularly excited to see it again.

Starship: This probably has a higher chance than most of the older shows because it's not a direct parody (so no copyright issues) and it was probably one of the more popular shows from that era. It would be cool if they could get Darren back to write some more songs for it and maybe cut down the runtime too...

Holy Musical B@man: Pretty much the same reasons as Starship except the copyright stuff might be an issue.

AVPSY: I don't really see why this would get revived. It's by far the least popular of the Potter Trilogy and was really just shown for the fans. I could maybe see them doing it if they do the previous 2 Potter shows though.

Twisted: Omg I would be so happy if they redid Twisted! It's one of my fave shows and I think it's probably the most popular outside of the Hatchetfield shows. I could totally see them redoing this as long as they can sort out the copyright.

Ani: I actually haven't seen this one so I can't really speak on it lol.

TTO: They definitely could redo this show but Tomb Quest seems to be a very similar sort of premise and vibe so I don't really see them redoing it any time soon.

Firebringer: I just don't think many people would be particularly interested in this tbh. I feel like the general consensus is that this show is just very mid so I don't know why they would revive it.

TGWDLM: They just revived it lol so they probably won't again (or not for a long time).

Black Friday: This one is really interesting. Black Friday was an extremely polarising show (I personally didn't really like it lol) but I think with some changes to the plot and pacing it could be really good. I could see them reviving this in the next few years as part of a Hatchetfield reprise series (followed by NPMD).

NPMD: This was definitely a popular enough show to redo but is was pretty recent so I think they would wait until at least 2030 to do it. It could be part of this Hatchetfield revival thing I mentioned.

Cinderella's Castle: Same as with NPMD, it's wayy to recent to revive anytime soon but because there were such a wide range of responses to this show idk if they would do it anyway.

So, my picks for the most likely are:

• AVPM (for the 20th anniversary)
• Twisted (it would be so cool on a higher budget)
• Black Friday (heavily changed)
• NPMD (not for a while though)

What do you think?

Like just from any show

this is literally just a post of me gushing about this song. that's the whole post.

when i first watched NPMD, Hatchet Town stuck out to me almost immediately. i absolutely love when we get to see what other characters think is going on, like the uninvolved citizens of hatchetfield thinking there's a serial killer rather than what we, the audience, know is actually happening with max.

my favorite part starts around a minute in when they start accusing each other of being the killer, the background tidbits of characters talking to refute the claims or argue ("DAN???" from dana GENUINELY makes me laugh every time i hear it without failure) are super charming to me. i love the brief moment of the song breaking the fourth wall when they say "suddenly the show is real upsetting," like brother you don't know the half of it.

the vocals in the song are out of this world. i know a lot of people don't like that the song suddenly turns into a ballad, but i honestly love it and it gets me super hyped up and excited. this song is, in my opinion, one of star kid's best. i fucking love this song man. oh my god. i could never get sick of this song.

So I've gone through the reprise's pro-shot now, and now that it's all official, I figure I'd go ahead and share my thoughts on the differences between the two versions. But in an attempt to phrase things more positively, I thought I'd divide it into two sections: parts I prefer in the revival, and parts I preferred in the original. Spoilers for both shows obviously!

Things Better In Reprise:

• Having everyone's wardrobe be the same at the beginning as the end, specifically Emma's look, does a lot to confirm the theory that the entire musical is a retelling of how the hive mind/Pokey took over the world, which I really dig because I've always enjoyed that macabre interpretation of events. (Also how they more explicitly are the ones to roll Paul in on his chair)

• Choreography on the whole in the title song is stepped up a notch, everyone clearly knows their stuff, Will's vocals in particular are on point, picking up Lauren and carrying her around, and I love Mr. Davidson's little suspender snap before he delivers his "apotheosis" line. I also prefer them outright saying the "YAY!" rather than using stock audio.

• Jaime's Charlotte was already incredible, but she's really stepped up her acting game here anyway, her opening scene is somehow even sadder. Paul's awkward smile to her after she's done with the call is also a great addition.

• The way Corey delivers "her old dad's pretty cool too" now is hysterical

• The cuts and looks to an empty stage whenever Emma says "there's a line" in the coffee shop is really funny

• Joey as Pete with Ted's mustache is mostly just really funny and idk why haha

• Paul's look and brief internal struggle when he forgot Bill's caramel frappe were funny, especially facially

• Mariah in general has greatly improved her facial acting, some of her expressions as the Greenpeace Girl were really amusing

• Will!Hidgens giving jazz hands on his introductory "SHOWTIME!" line is a great touch that helps kind of bridge the characterization between his initial persona and his musical theater loving one. It was always there, but this really helps highlight that, especially considering the same gesture comes back during the choreography for "Show Stoppin Number"

• Paul miming unlocking his door with sound effects is really funny

• Lah Dee Dah Dah Day is just as good as the OG, with some changes I really like, like how Frank and co immediately circle Paul like sharks, all the new cameos, how Mariah plays the possessed Greenpeace girl as incredibly manic, booping Paul on the nose (there's a lot more of people seeming incredibly thirsty for Paul in general). It really sells just how terrifying this would be to experience in real life

• Joey really eats up his solo as the Homeless Man, and it feels like they put more focus on him without alienating people who haven't seen NT, giving him an additional solo line too!

• The way Paul asks Charlotte what Sam was singing, the way she starts going "La dee dah", Paul joins her in for "dee dah", and Paul finishes with "Day?" is a really good, kinda creepy interpretation of the scene!

• "What Do You Want, Paul" and Jeff as Mr. Davidson is MUCH improved. Having it be in a lower key really helps Jeff's vocals, and his mannerisms feel much more specific and characterize Mr. Davidson in a much more distinct way than how he was in the og, where he was more just a "stock goofy/crazy Jeff character". Here he does stuff that feels like crap an actual asshole boss would pull, especially the neck-chopping thing he does. It weirdly feels more grounded while being ridiculous? And it delves into more of the outright creepiness of the scenario when he wraps the telephone cord around Pauls neck. It's also weird to say, but Jeff's short hair helps too.

• Pete/Hot Chocolate Boy getting infected during "Cup of Roasted Coffee" rather than "La Dee Dah Dah Day" makes more sense, and I love that if you haven't seen NPMD he can just blend into the background, but in the digital ticket, there's a lot of tension as you see him initially reject coffee, but has a sip of his friend's, meaning you know he's doomed without ever calling attention to it. Really smart addition that doesn't make anyone out of the loop if they don't know.

• Vastly improved and disgusting BLUE SHIT. Especially when they have just a touch of makeup on the infected's faces

• Love the use of new leitmotifs, particularly Hatchet Town and Nerdy Prudes Must Die/Axe Man's "Watch those nerds run for their lives"

• Paul's flourishes on "a muuuUUUUsical!" are fantastic

• "Show Me Your Hands" Is about the same to me with some added choreo, but Will twerking is definitely a plus

• Will makes a lot of funny little choices, but going "Bleh" when the news report mentions Clivesdale made me laugh a lot

• Hidgens's house set is really fucking good in particular

• Bill outright slapping Ted in the face feels much better and more cathartic than him just slapping him on the hand

• Join Us (And Die) brings the HOUSE down in this version. From the added makeup, to how Jaime plays infected!Charlotte as this mix between her sweet self before swapping and forth to pure rage. It's a really fantastic and different take for Jaime, and cements her as my personal MVP of this production. It's creepier, scarier, bigger, and even the part where they start punching and squeezing Ted feels so much better, which was my least favorite part of the og song. This ROCKS.

• Ted futilely reaching out to Charlotte as she gets shot, OOF. Bill's call with Alice, and Ted's barely-keeping-it-together speech about people being alive and people being FUCKING DEAD...oof, that added bit of nuance is delicious.

• Not Your Seed is just a pure step up in Mariah's vocals and acting, but the real improvement is in the blocking at the end. Alice pushing Paul away, keeping Bill isolated and putting the gun in his hands. The way it's staged makes the gun falling and the hive picking it up much more believable, and this time Bill has his back to the hive. That bit of blocking from the og was always a little weird and they more than fixed it here.

• The gag where they try to keep Hidgens away from the piano but he keeps going back to it is really funny. I was initially disappointed that the extra curvy motions for Mr Davidson were cut, but they bring it back for "make the chorus girls swoon!"

• Ted's realization about wanting to be a better person and to treasure the people you care about coming from Hidgens's show rather than just "the night in general" is inspired

• The staging and choreo for "America is Great Again" is also improved, making it much more dramatic and impactful. The slow-mo bits being super well done. The way Emma disarms and shoots MacNamara is much clearer and much more sick, and I love how they carry him out. Jeff kills it on the vocals but that's true in both versions

• The meteor is SICK. Love the Pokey inclusion.

• Let It Out in general was already the best scene of the OG, but they really just perfect it here. The choreography where they shadow Paul's movements in a line before pulling into a damn TRAIN, the way they all look so PROUD of Paul for singing, the additional vocals sprinkled in...god damn. But the BEST part is when they sing "we will not be resisted" to the Nightmare Time motif! Props to whoever realized that that phrase had the same amount of syllables as the theme, because that RULES. Culminating in an incredible explosion.

• Inevitable is just as good, with Jon's vocals being even better. Lauren also goes all out with her horror throughout the whole thing, legit chilling.

Things Better In Original:

• It might be the audio, the theater size, or the fact that much of the audience has seen the show before, but I prefer the audience as a whole in the original. There's less dead air on the whole in large part due to them having more involved reactions.

• The only bit of choreography in the title song I explicitly prefer in the OG is their clawed hands on "OBEY PAUL"

• While I understand the intent behind slowing down the opening scenes in the office for the awkward comedic vibe, I preferred the pacing of the original opening scenes, thought it flowed better

• I understand having Melissa's characterization play into her desperation and crush on Paul from "Hey Melissa", but in the context of this show I think it doesn't add much and preferred when it was more an interaction solely designed to show how Paul doesn't like to do things, rather than inducing a "what's going on with Melissa?" question that never gets answered in the show

• I preferred Paul's "Trapped in a musical is my personal hell" line When he was fully engaged, and not really winking to or looking at the audience

• I also preferred Ted's faster-paced entrance in the original, having him kinda loom over Paul and schmoozing him works better than him sitting and pausing imo

• I miss Emma's whiny sarcastic "oh my god so meeeeean" and her sung "Shut the fuck uuuuup~" from the original coffee scene

• Paul's desperate and traumatized "NOOO" when Emma starts singing is deeply missed as well, perhaps Jon was more actively trying to preserve his vocal chords, but goddamn that original delivery was flawless.

• Also miss Nora's dumb way of saying "DECAAAAF" during Cup of Roasted Coffee. In general it feels like the OG has a lot more delivery-based gags that didn't quite get brought over.

• It's small, but I prefer the more fearful way Emma says "I didn't think about the implications!" here

• I understand why Joey decides to play Ted as more teary when leaving Charlotte to "go hit on that crabby barista", but I kind of preferred when the character's casualness was more intact in this scene. I think a middle ground between the two performances would probably be best

• You Tied Up My Heart is probably the only song I prefer here, I like that Charlotte is about to leave and go get help before Sam amps up the manipulation. In the new one he starts flying and then launches right into his final manipulation, which I think doesn't quite hit the balance of having Charlotte be dumb but believable.

• MacNamara's "Would you like to do some light reading on the subject?" still gets me here and I wish it was in the reprise

• Unfortunately, I still prefer Robert's Hidgens on the whole, but Will's is still solid!

• I prefer the original when Hidgens is gung-ho about getting turned, but then goes "not my tummy!" when they start tearing his guts out. I think that little bit of cowardice really ties the character and him just being all-for-it through the end in the new one removes a bit of je ne say quois from the character.

• I also prefer Ted's death in the og, a bit shorter and to the point, and I love how he just gets shot, the blue screen coming on when he says "red white and bl—" (the detail I miss the most), and just instantly getting turned and becoming just another background character. Reprise feels a little unnecessarily extended and lacks a bit of the same punch

TLDR:

Most of the big setpieces are back and only improved on, choreo, blocking, acting and singing all across the board are a marked improvement. The major things I feel were lost from the original, however, is some of the glue, vibes, little character choices, and a tighter sense of pacing. Still a great show, but I would still recommend that most people at least watch the original first. This feels like something that can be appreciated more after watching the OG than the other way around. Great stuff overall!

Saw a lot of negativity and calling them liars. I think it was just a bug.

Lmao should this be in hottakes or something? But really, I love starkid, they have among the best fandoms the internet has to offer. But I've been seeing recently so many parasocial people, even a lot of gatekeeping because some people are new to discovering starkid. I don't even know if it's just because starkid started as a smaller community or not.

Like am I just not getting it? Or are others seeing this too?

Edit: Terribly sorry for spelling, I'm not native english speaking AND dyslexic