I WATCHED TWISTED FOR THE FIRST TIME! (and a message to StarKid fans)

[@TheDreamscribbler]

Jinn or Djinn IS the original term for genie used in Hindu and Islam. It was not used in the original Disney Aladdin but was probably used in the original story, "One Thousand and One Nights."

[@AmyLovatt1]

Hailey Escobar oh thank you!! That’s so interesting and helpful!!!

[@thais_cdm]

I think they changed some of the character's names slightly to shy away from any copyright issues as well. That's why Jasmine is referred to as the Princess, Jafar is stylized as Ja'Far, Abu and Iago are called the monkey and the parrot, etc.

[@TheDreamscribbler]

@@AmyLovatt1 Of course! Luckily, I'm a writer, and I am using the term for one of my story concepts. Welcome to the Starkid fandom! Highly suggest Firebringer, Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals, and, if you like villains, Holy Musical Batman (I LOVE Sweet Tooth). Also, if you liked Snape from AVPM, they did an interview series where Snape interviewed various cast members.

[@mirrorballmaria]

@@AmyLovatt1 You should 100% watch The Trail to Oregon

[@TimPatJoy]

To confirm, it absolutely was used in the original, and I think that's partially why they did it, to somewhat avoid a lawsuit by distancing themselves from the movie.

[@toastymarshmallow5372]

fun fact! the guy who yells "I don't think so!" is darren criss. he wasn't placed there, it wasn't part of the script. he was just in the audience

[@liliths_gf3075]

This gives me so much serotonin

[@MinorAccidnt]

what part does this happen?

[@toastymarshmallow5372]

@@MinorAccidnt right after jafar warns the princess about aladdin and right before "Take Off Your Clothes"

[@jugasppar]

That is completely made up

[@liliths_gf3075]

@@jugasppar actually the subtitles specify that Darren Criss is the one who says it, so it’s not made up

[@alice-in-wonderland5900]

Rachel’s version of Jasmine is basically London Tipton and I’m here for it lmao

[@yourlocaltheatrekid900]

Alice-In-Wonderland omg YES

[@musicaltheatrelover4717]

OMG TRUE

[@saragibson6810]

OMG YEEESS

[@wittyblonde6728]

That’s exactly what I thought!!!

[@estherfichtenholz4838]

The guy who played Jafar (Dylan Saunders) actually was crying most of the times that he looked like he was. Apparently he got super emotional every performance

[@nathancreek6086]

well when you're singing If I Believed and Twisted every night how could you not

[@adami6187]

The real miracle is how he sings The Power in Me without breaking

[@evanescence7583]

Man he’s my favorite star kid, this just made me like him more :)

[@sophiehale1171]

Yeah

[@mysteriousmsf]

Joey is in pretty much every starkid musical. This is one of the only ones he isn’t in.

[@LegoMelonz15]

Also Jaime (Ginny girl) is in every single show except Ani

[@SamVargo]

@@LegoMelonz15 plus the only reason she wasn't in it was bc of Trail To Oregon, so that's DEDICATION

[@damdaniel5106]

Joey started tin can Bros and made sketch videos. So he missed HMB as well. In 2014 they split the cast. The more singer are in TTO and the others in Ani. That's why the casts don't cross over. It was the starkid summer season

[@miabond5198]

Was he writing Spies are Forever with the TCB? My timing maybe really off though 🧐

[@kamillyvitoriacossta]

@@miabond5198 i don't think so, twisted is from 2013 and saf is from 2016

[@luckyduck1000]

"I was crying because I felt sorry for Cruella DeVil" - Amy says, unknowing that Cruella is the only villain that lacks a second side to the story as seen in Twisted (the song).

[@pepper12399]

literally my thoughts

[@bumblebeeproductions1673]

This aged- rarely

[@luckyduck1000]

@@bumblebeeproductions1673 I still think 'Cruella' butchered her backstory, she's always been evil just because, no other reason needed.

[@bumblebeeproductions1673]

@@luckyduck1000 yeah they just made her a movie cause money

[@lisagraff-sands4207]

If you turn on the subtitles it says Darren Criss is the one who says "I don't think so " when Jasmine asks the audience if Jafar is right

[@TheGirlonfire25]

that kills me because i was there for the filming >_< I always *just* missed Darren at the Chicago shows lol

[@KatyaLeonie]

And it explicitly states he's in the audience

[@claraspenner]

I was actually the one who put that in the subtitles! I saw people saying it in the comments and it just said audience member before, so I thought people should know! However I am not 100% sure if he was in the audience or somewhere else, but it sounds like the audience!

[@bristuart851]

@@claraspenner I think he confirmed it was him on Twitter YEARS ago

[@ejanocrowsnatcher]

ahhh I always loved that line *everyone*: yeeaas Random at the back: I don't thinkk so Jasmine: ME NEITHER!!

[@miriamespinosa534]

You can identify how many years a Starkid show has, if you compare the length of Jeff Blim’s hair 😂

[@TheSirDominic]

It's like counting the rings on a tree

[@sophiehale1171]

Twisted is amazing

[@sophiehale1171]

Hahaha

[@ganiisness]

Starship might not be their best but it’s extremely nostalgic to me and it might have one of the best villain song and I highly recommend it

[@GabriellaFitzGerald]

ganiisness OMG YES and the reprise is a god damn MASTERPIECE

[@annabelcrescibene4257]

ganiisness It’s a masterpiece

[@rein3831]

I WANNA BE A STARSHIP RANGER!

[@crookedfingers945]

um it IS THEIR BEST

[@fvdv97]

And the staging and decor are absolutely fantastic

[@evahesse9507]

Here's some clarification on a few things: -Nick Lang, one of the writers, has said that they cast shows based on who is available to be in the shows, usually people they have worked with before on either Starkid or non-Starkid projects. Currently, based on what Nick Lang has said, they write character specifically for people (He said he wrote Emma specifically for Lauren for example). For Twisted in particular, I believe they didn't have a completely set cast when the script was written, so they held auditions for it (Jim Povolo said he auditioned for Achmed, but they decided on Joe Walker for the role). -They use Djinn instead of Genie since that is the original word for genie. If you notice only Ja'afar uses Djinn rather than Genie to show his higher education than the other townsfolk. They also have Scheherazade in this story, who was the storyteller in the original One Thousand and One Nights story. -The Assassins connection was dead on! Nick Lang said when he told AJ Holmes and Kaley McMahon (Composer and lyricist) what kind of songs he wanted, he envisioned the Twisted number as the scene in Assassins where all the past Assassins confront Lee and convince him to kill JFK (Take a Look Lee). Also fun fact, when he originally wanted Judge Frollo to be one of the villains, but Kaley didn't want to write an arc to defend his actions since she thought he was too dark a villain. -*This is just an opinion* I think Starkid fans are so chill and welcoming because that is how the creators of Starkid are as well. They are always open to answering questions via live stream or Twitter (Nick Lang responds to lots of tweets). We are able to share so much knowledge about this thing we love because the creators aren't afraid to share their art and process with everyone (this is how theatre should be). *I got all of my info from live streams where they answered questions or talked about memories so if you want I can give sources to my claims.

[@QuikVidGuy]

Also you can tell that The Power In Me is hard on Rachel's throat, but she plays the Princess so perfectly that it HAD to be her in the role

[@abidivino]

True. It's amazing how they make the characters fit for the actors cause i can't imagine darren who was supposed to be tootsie noodles instead of dylan, or lex being played by mariah instead of angela cause the actors are fitted to be in the characterization of the show

[@reallivebird520]

Okay wait Assassins is one of my favorite musicals and I never noticed that!! I totally see it now though

[@TigerPrawn_]

So informative, thank you"

[@rkah6187]

Agreed. The creators are fans themselves, and they cultivate a friendly and collaborative environment, so Starkid fans take their cues from them.

[@AmbeeLee]

Amy: "I felt bad for Cruella." The Starkid Fandom watching: "...TEEHEE!"

[@karinagalloway7125]

Fun fact: Lauren turned off all of the lights in one of the shows because she accidentally leaned up against a Light switch. I don’t know what’s funnier, her turning off the lights or the fact that there was a light switch that far down the wall 😂

[@pepper12399]

i think i deserve a lean

[@crapholedikrats7047]

Haha she actually turned the lights ON. They were the overhead lights that go on after a show ends so the audience probably just saw the whole theatre illuminate for a quick second.

[@pepper12399]

Ana Castro I always wondered what the light switch lit up 😭 was it on the side of the stage or what?

[@crapholedikrats7047]

Thatwaseverything she turned the house lights on, so it’s was basically the entire audience section lol

[@crapholedikrats7047]

Oops sorry I thought you meant where the lights were. Yeah i think the light switch was just off the side of the stage

[@lilahballiet3883]

'Joe always plays the baddie' Starship: aRe YoU sUrE aBoUt ThAt

[@one_smol_duck]

And HMB!

[@oliviasneed6867]

Lilah Balliet starship

[@MegaShinySheep]

don't forget the time he was a penis!

[@rainbowrocks1020]

Holy Musical B@tman: You double sure bout that?

[@Ray-hk1zm]

You're not a failure O v e r a l l .

[@williamtruckle]

One PHENOMENAL Musical is “The Trail To Oregon”. It’s so good that it got a short lived off-broadway show. It’s also unique because it had a LOT of audience participation.

[@rhymingredvines]

Also love this as it's a prime example of how well a small cast can work.

[@amarahslittlelife]

Yes!! The only starkid show I've watched many times 😊 I think it has the best jokes and I too love the audience participation!

[@rebeccaferding3406]

I would watch Starship next! It is one of their earliest musicals, so it is a bit rough but it was what made me fall in love with Starkid other than the Potter musicals. I also think it is better to watch it sooner than later, because the more you see the more your gonna see that they weren't at their full potential yet with Starship. It's real good though, and the songs I listen the most to. Joe Walker plays a good guy! The villain song is ICONIC.

[@aliceswayer9979]

Totally agree! Starship is actually one of my favourite starkid shows ^^

[@countessofravenclaw383]

Joey as his best, who wouldn't love it

[@insert_genderneutralname_3662]

The villain song is so iconic omg

[@marendahl4803]

Yes!! Also you get more of Dylan being iconic.

[@mytombwillbeatesco]

If your looking for... A meme-able musical: Trail to oregen A gory musical: The guy who didn't like musicals or Black Friday A musical with amazing music: Holy Musical B@tman or Firebringer That's my recommended list

[@cjsmith1402]

J For Jealously Agreed!

[@JoeSmith-db4rq]

This list is 100% accurate

[@brandonm1708]

Black Friday and Starship also have some really good songs

[@aoraviktur7793]

Trail of Oregon is so underrated, its one of my favorites! My favorite though has to go to Holy Musical B@tman, t'was the first I ever watched and has a special place in my heart

[@masterizzy3]

A wholesome musical: Starship/MAMD

[@SamMatthewJ]

I just have three things to say: 1. Get ready to fall in love with Robert Manion 2. Twisted is the best starkid musical (in my opinion) 3. No One Remembers Achmed is the best song (in my opinion) Welcome to starkid Amy! :)

[@Sumbugfart]

Omg yes Robert manion is amazing

[@TheMurrmursonbottle]

I definitely think that if one could be objective as possible, Twisted is definitely the best musical. Amazing music, well written plot, great acting, etc,

[@Fisherthems]

Noone remembers achmed slaps SO HARD BRUHHH

[@juliana.sirmans]

Personally I think Black Friday is the best!! I love twisted as well cause I love Disney parody’s, but I just love the way BF hits in the feels. Also fell in love with Robert Manion more with it. And TGWDLM.

[@moonpool3041]

Preach, fellow Starkid lover I've only been in this fandom for a year but oof, I love them all so much. I'm still trying to settle on a favorite, but I'm pretty sure from the 5 or 6 shows I've seen Joey Rickter is my guy. He always either makes be laugh or he gets to belt some absolute bangers and the guy has an acting range on a whole other level from anything I've seen before. Heroes, villains, side characters, every role of his is memorable. If I had to choose just from Joey's characters honestly it's a tossup between the Horny Ox and Ted

[@-somatryoshka]

i think the starkid community isn’t as gate keeper-y like the rest of the musical theatre fandom because of where we get the content- online. it consists of a lot of people who can’t afford to see live shows or go to broadway or who may not have access to see shows. there’s less of that power dynamic, of people who’ve seen this this and that and somehow think it makes them better than those who cannot see those things. there’s a mutual understanding and we instead fuel that into a mutual love and respect for what starkid does. also the amount of interaction we get with the starkids probably helps as well. live streams, social media interactions (sharing posts such as fan art, acknowledging fans), some do acting classes over skype, merch so on and so forth. that way even the people who can’t see their shows are able to interact with the cast and feel equally as seen and like we’re able to support them as well. starkid emits so much good into the world and as an australian theatre kid who can’t see shows very often, has no access to broadway or west end and feels so guilty when watching bootlegs i am so grateful for all they do. i’m so happy you’re enjoying them, i’ve been wanting you to comment on them or react to them for a while!

[@desireeloveros1055]

It's honestly disheartening that musical theatre has become so elitist. Especially considering how the more mainstream musicals are reaching more non musical fans. Most of the time it's the fans causing issues. Honestly if we can get legally recorded musicals there won't be such a divide between fans. I'm very lucky to live in America but trying to see a broadway musical is an entire affair of traveling for 2 days, finding an Airbnb and finding a ticket I can afford. I saw Anastasia for my 21st birthday and it was stunning and its upsetting others can't experience it at all. Seriously I would spend $60 for a legal recording. It's nothing like a live show but it's a more accessible step closer to seeing the magic.

[@annabooher6897]

I’ve genuinely liked every Star Kid fan I’ve ever met🥰

[@zampster1]

I’m from Australia too and completely agree with you.

[@rienn-de-immortal974]

Also i think this has to be with the vibe Team Starkid radiates - they are really good friends, they are fun and nice, and i think it just works for all fandom. We are a small community, that is just glad to HAVE this community. When i see other starkid fan, i'm just happy he exists and he likes the stuff i like. There isn't much room for infighting.

[@dictator_ponevole]

I think it's the best way anyone explained the whole Starkid fandom situation. I'm from Russia, so I have to watch EVERYTHING online and I totally agree with you!!!

[@GabriellaFitzGerald]

They have multiple people who write, depends on the show as to who, then they cast from the company and often bring in new people (usually only people they already know/have worked with before, one exception was where they actually had a fan contest and Robert Manion won the chance for his work to be in AVPSY so they got to know him as a fan first - now he's a staple!)

[@mickeyhagg956]

I didn't know that's how Robert came into the company! That's super cool, he's one of my favorites. When I met them at Leaky in 2014 he remembered me when I got my picture taken with them from when I'd gone to get their signatures and I thought it was super cool of him.

[@damdaniel5106]

that isn't how Robert joined starkid. He was a fan and there was a competition to write a song for AVPSY. He won, but during the competition AJ had already written a song so they decided to go with that. They still became good friends with Robert, so Robert emailed Nick saying that he was going to be in the US for a while and he would love to help backstage. Nick did him better by offering him a role.

[@TheGirlonfire25]

@@damdaniel5106 it was a very impressive song, i remember :) That was right after I'd become a huge fan and I entered the contest too, ha. His talent was undeniable

[@GabriellaFitzGerald]

Brick Boys yeah bad wording/memory going slightly was 8 years ago 😅 he won two of the contests for his writing/costume design to be in AVPSY and even though they didn’t use any of it because time and budget constraints, he still got to go and be involved at the convention, then from that connection ended up being in other shows!

[@remyratatata]

yes, the song is very impressive but also very fast and they didn't have much time to practice it so unfortunately it couldn't be in avpsy but Get in my mouth was actually written by the other winner! I wonder if Rob still writes music and if we see some of it someday...

[@LvndrHppE2]

They call him "Djinn" for the same reason they keep referring to Jasmine as "Princess". They were already on the verge of copyright infringement for putting this show on, so they had to change the names somewhat. Just enough that Disney won't sue them. In the titles, Dylan's character is called "Ja Far" for that very reason.

[@jeffy3915]

It’s actually Ja’far in Twisted

[@QuikVidGuy]

@@jazzycat8917 true, but technically Warner Brothers doesn't have the copyright on Wicked Witches but Scwartz pickked and chose where to drop the phrase in in order to make it feel like a new perspective.

[@PoppyIsMyMetalQueen]

I don't think Disney owns the word "genie".

[@michaelgriswold5663]

The musicals I would suggest you watch next: The Trail to Oregon! Firebringer Holy Musical B@man! Spies Are Forever (it's a Starkid adjacent show, meaning it's done by a different group, but several actors overlap) The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals and Black Friday are must sees, but I would suggest you watch the ones above before those because these two are their newest, and I think you would enjoy seeing the progression of the group.

[@AngeLexa11]

These and Twisted are my favorites! Omg TRAIL TO OREGON is the beeest

[@emmettlover11]

What I’ve seen about Starkid fans, they’re just so damn happy that anyone else is willing to watch a dozen full length musicals and talk about them nonstop. It’s a real community.

[@BlueberryNyla]

Amy: Joe Walker is most of the time the villian Starship: *exists * All jokes aside, you should watch starship its my favorite musical!

[@LunaWitcher]

Holy Musical B@man as well

[@gizmodaemocorn6776]

i watched Starship first time a few days go and loved it.

[@Quirderph]

Then there's Ani, where he's technically a villain but not an antagonist.

[@el864]

A newer musical of theirs ‘the guy who didn’t like musicals’ is probably one of my favourites along with twisted, and I’ve seen some other people recommending ‘Spies are forever’ by the tin can bros, as quite a few actors overlap. They’re both really good. I really love your reactions and these videos. I’m so glad I found them. :)

[@gemini_2372]

What about Black Friday

[@el864]

Annoying_Gemini I’d suggest watching Black Friday after tgwdlm, i didn’t mention it because I’d just end up writing a shopping list of StarKid musicals :) (I’ve just suggested these as perhaps where to go from here mostly based on the fact that tgwdlm is one of much favourites music and vocals-wise and ‘Spies are forever’ is just another thing to note, because it is good) I definitely want to see Black Friday eventually too! :)

[@annizbear3501]

Amy: a whole song for the baddies!!! Me: ROUGES ARE WE!!!

[@StressfulGengar]

YESSS!!!!

[@nathancreek6086]

Me: Apocalyptour Rogue's Medley

[@forgemakesstuff2734]

When Jasmine says “because it IS you, you’re just wearing different clothes” i can imagine Aladdin’s pea-sized brain going “wait... you’re actually smart? WELL WTF AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT?!”

[@oliviae9481]

Highly recommend The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals and then Black Friday. They are part of a new series that Starkid is doing

[@lisak8492]

Oh yes, the hatchetfield anthology

[@nickventer5379]

Black Friday was a bit boring for me. But the music sounded amazing

[@StressfulGengar]

@@nickventer5379 it's alot darker than anything they've ever done. I think that really threw alot of people. It threw me.

[@kittycoutourxxx2706]

Nick Venter that’s quite the opposite of everyone else’s opinion

[@kittycoutourxxx2706]

I love everything about Black Friday

[@hannatara02]

When she was talking about the Starkid fandom being nice, i was like "That's riiiiiight!"

[@dyngarcia4755]

Hanna Tara i read this in joey’s elf voice. :0

[@lucieparrish4669]

jordyn garcia SAME!!!!

[@hannatara02]

jordyn garcia that was the reference I was going for 😂🤪

[@lucieparrish4669]

Hanna Tara I love Black Friday it’s such a good musical

[@bethannpowers1721]

As someone who watched most of the starkid musicals as they came out it's weird not seeing her get excited when people like Jeff Blim or Meredith or Denise come out because this is her first time seeing them even though they were already staple starkid fan faves by this point.

[@jm4954]

Twisted was my first Starkid musical, and since then I always get so excited whenever I see Jeff Blim! Before I really knew about the company and was just watching recommended free musicals on KZbin, I would pause and be like “Aladdin??? Is that Aladdin?? Omg!!! It’s him!!!! It’s Aladdin! It’s evil Aladdin!!!! :D” and get so happy! Haha

[@mirmanerd101]

Jeff Blim was one of my favorite parts of Holy Musical Batman!

[@aidan.armstrong]

“There’s a lot of expletives” oh just wait for the guy who didn’t like musicals. There’s not a single clean song and It’s amazing

[@magixshiz2543]

Personal preference here but - you should watch starship! My favorite way I’ve seen someone describe it is “it’s not starkids best musical by a long shot, but it’s my favorite starkid musical”

[@lollingaround]

Pretty much every Starkid musical is amazing, but I feel like a lot of people overlook Starship, but it’s such a sweet one. If you like joe, you should definitely give it a watch

[@mandysue1857]

IK, I just rewatched it last night! I would love if someone tightened the script and animated it!.

[@madeleine.exists9207]

Starship is my favorite!

[@evanescence7583]

The way I do is my favorite song from starship, and I love the the all the human characters so much

[@stellasdoesstuff]

"The question then is whether 'tis nobler in the mind to be well-liked but ineffectual or moral but miligned" is also very similar to the beginning of the To Be or Not To Be speech from Hamlet: "To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them."

[@luciddream6176]

I read this with Swaggersoul's British voice.

[@monicacarranco8525]

Twisted: "um, a dramatic love duet is playi-" Amy: "she has such good skin"

[@lauradan7569]

Last time I was this early, people still remembered Achmed.

[@lightbubba]

Excuse me, who?

[@samoht7559]

Oh do you mean the man with the spotted underwear?

[@m.tooker2767]

To answer some basic questions/what happens on the other shows: The writers will often create a character with a specific starkid in mind (Achmed was written for Joe, Father was written for Jeff), and other times they will audition, but most of the time you can tell who will play a character based on the acting/singing/dancing required. Occasionally they will cast a show and then create extra characters for Starkids that weren’t casted (schwoopsie in Firebringer was written because Jamie didn’t match any characters in the already written show). Joey, Brian Rosenthal and Corey (the set designer) teamed up when some of the starkids moved to LA and formed the Tin Can Brothers (TCB). They have two shows, a musical called spies are forever (about spies in the 1950’s), and a play called Solve It Squad Returns (Scooby Doo but they’ve grown up). The most recent two Starkid shows are The Guy Who Didnt like Musicals and Black Friday, they take place in a town called Hatchetfield, and are incredibly well-written. Before that was Firebringer, about cavewoman and the discovery of fire. Trail to Oregon is easily the funniest of the starkid shows, and at the same time they also produced Ani, a parody of Star Wars. They have also put on shows called Me and My Dick (the name speaks for itself), Holy Musical Batman, and Starship. So glad to see you start watching these! I hope to see more of this series!

[@elisaortuno8854]

They call Genie “Djinn” because it is accurate to the original folklore and to get around Disney copyright. That’s also why they spell it Ja’far and only call Jasmine “Princess”. The cowboy camp joke is a Toy Story 2 reference. I agree with everyone saying you should watch Spies Are Forever ( and Solve it Squad!) but if you do, please bear in mind that it’s actually a Tin Can Bros. production. Please do not frame it as Starkid because they are separate production companies and the actors have asked us to respect that separation by not tagging them as eachother. But if you would rather stick with Starkid, I completely agree with everyone recommending Starship! It has most of the original actors and it’s one of my favorites!

[@MisterAppleEsq]

And as a bonus "Djinn" and "Ja'far" are more accurate to the source material, A Thousand and One Nights.

[@silverkyre]

Djinn are the actual folklore creatures genies are based on so it's not just copy right it comes from somewhere. :)

[@elisaortuno8854]

Amelle Kyre thank you for telling me that so nicely. i edited it accordingly :)

[@silverkyre]

@@elisaortuno8854 You're welcome :) Awsome that you edited your comment.

[@cathryndecastro2588]

The kindness that radiates from the Starkid fandom I believe is a direct result of the kindness and love that the Starkids have for themselves and each other. You can tell that even though it's been 10+ years they are all extremely close friends and that has allowed many fans to become friends as well. Also all their shows, show a great respect and admiration of the original source material (Harry Potter, Disney, Superheroes, etc.). All their parodies come from a place trying to honour instead of mock.

[@garrettpode2212]

“Joe Walker seems to always play the baddies” the he plays Batman. That made me laugh real hard

[@hannahwilliams5681]

Also his character in ANI isnt bad

[@lightbubba]

Ducker says quack.

[@tanginglarawan]

and commander up from starship

[@jm4954]

Wait until she sees the Deadliest Man Alive😔👊

[@pazz]

I personally love “Starship” but it’s often overlooked, you should give that a watch.

[@bellefrahm2025]

starship is my favorite and i wish it was more loved

[@daliah8883]

I really enjoyed Starship, I don’t know why it’s so overlooked

[@bellac6311]

i enjoyed starkid, but there was something about it that didnt grip as much as musicals like AVPM and twisted ect. idk what it is, and its kinda sad since the songs are killer and the set and puppets are just 10/10.

[@floopsoups]

technically it’s not starkid but you have to watch Spies are forever by the Tin Can Bros. It’s made by the same people and stars many starkids. Personally i think it’s the best ‘starkid’ musical

[@lyxchen1121]

Yess!! Also Tessa Netting is in it🤗😍⭐

[@LunaWitcher]

Spies Are Forever and The Solve-It Squad may not be "proper" starkid but they are so great as well, I love them

[@izzie9020]

It's not made by the same people tho. Starkid shows are by the Langs and whoever does the music. Tin Can Bros productions are by Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal, Corey Lubowich and whoever does the music. All the TCB are Starkids, and their cast has a lot of overlap but they are not the same thing.

[@Lauren-zi7rg]

I think I actually cried when I first saw the end of twisted where he sings the “let my life be twisted” part because his story is so tragic and I literally get chills at this part every time

[@camilaarmani8566]

Same! This show makes me cry every time!!!

[@jessifero]

I feel like everyone is forgetting about Holy Musical Batman! D:

[@annemathis6650]

Loved that musical! It's my favorite Batman ever lol

[@rachelelizamusic7797]

HMB IS UNDERRATED STRAIGHT FACTS

[@nightlyflwrs]

I rewatched to be a man the other day and i was mad at myself for forgetting how fucking great that show is.

[@elliewilkinson4240]

“Gaston my favourite!” Oh Amy don’t you mean “Robert Manion my favourite!”

[@MegTalksGlee]

Also yes welcome to starkid, we swear a lot

[@ginnyrae8838]

About how they cast each show. I asked them that question during one of their live-streams and they said that the casting is different for every show. Sometimes they audition for the parts and sometimes they are written with a specific Starkid in mind. :) Here's the live-stream where Nick Lang answers my question: kzbin.info/www/bejne/epXNZ5-Cq86DfLc At- 3:51:47

[@jm4954]

She actually did it. She watched Twisted. The madwoman. Also, you should totally watch Starship next imo!!! It’s my second fave Starkid musical (right under tgwdlm) and I think you’ll really like it! The puppetry is super nifty and as other comments have said, it has one of the absolute BEST villain songs out there! And I’m really glad you’ve been so welcomed into the fandom! Welcome!!! :)

[@brandonm1708]

Wait technically aren’t all the TGWDLM songs villain songs?

[@catrinacorbett1579]

The trail to Oregon!! If your missing Joey, he's most of the side characters

[@Cutegreydollwolf]

Please!!

[@FloreMar-yp3iz]

He is literally everyone else

[@JCoopsters]

@@FloreMar-yp3iz - cletus jones, shop keepers girlfriend

[@FloreMar-yp3iz]

@@JCoopsters Ik but in the credits he is mentioned as "everyone else"

[@mushyrical]

I’m going to go through all of the characters that Joey plays in TTO McDoon, General Store Guy, townsfolk of Missouri (I am not bothered to list them all), rabbit, baby ox, doctor, horny ox, random bar owner, Cornwallis. (I probably missed a few)

[@fayeherlihy5608]

it’s not starkid technically, but please do spies are forever!

[@layalzaidan1019]

technically you could call it a starkid coproduction or feature. That way its still in the game

[@annabelcrescibene4257]

Tin Can Brothers are kinda like a sister company to starkid not the same but similar people are in it.

[@seeme3165]

Oh yeeeees please

[@mollyhanya8113]

YES it’s my fav

[@elinepomstra8495]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WATCH THIS AMY!!!!

[@georgiag1010]

Honestly the Starkid fandom is the kindest and best fandom I've ever been a part of. I've met some lovely people and this fandom and those people have pulled be out of so many dark times. So welcome to the fandom haha! It's a really great group of people.

[@thais_cdm]

My personal recommendation would be to wait a bit for The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals. It is very good, but I think it's easier to get into if you've seen some of their early work. It's also more of comedy horror than a straight comedy, so a bit of a departure from what you have been watching so far. You should watch Starship, The Trail to Oregon, or Holy Musical Batman next!

[@alexdebstep3424]

The guy who didn't like musicals was the first one I watched, after being recommended (forced at metaphorical gunpoint) to watch it by my gf (cos I didn't like musicals). And honestly I loved it and have fallen deeply down the starkid and musical (still question quite a lot tho) rabbit hole. So I've gotta disagree with you, but chill vibes Still don't like show stopping number at all tho

[@thais_cdm]

@@alexdebstep3424 I think what I was trying to get at was stated by someone else in the thread better. The musicals change significantly in tone, musical style, etc from the early ones to the later ones. I'd say the change is noticeable starting with Trail to Oregon/Ani and there's a distinct pre- and post- feeling to those musicals. I generally like all of them, but personally it would feel jarring to go from Twisted to TGWDLM. I was very attached to the early style, so the new musicals take a bit longer (and multiple views) to grow on me (again, only personal opinion, no issues if you disagree).

[@alexdebstep3424]

@@thais_cdm yeah, that's properly fair and vibes my dude

[@alexdebstep3424]

@@thais_cdm my fav is twisted, tgwdlm, then ani (fwi I come to this from a properly wack point of view). Blame my gf man, she still mocks me for liking ani as much as I do. Wbu?

[@lyxchen1121]

@@alexdebstep3424 I have to say Ani is great and I love it. I rewatched it recently (before I did this I didn't really care about it) and now it is one of my favorit Starkid musicals😊⭐

[@lizhope9050]

Starkid fans are pretty well known for watching and loving people who are watching for the first time! Starkid fans tend to really really love watching reactions to the musical for the first time, which I love personally because it reminds me of the joy I had when I first watched it.

[@kickyourhead1910]

Also because a lot of people don't know Starkid so whenever someone reacts I'm like "YES, Join us!"

[@0lly29]

Yes, you are coming closer and closer to the Starkid Cult... I mean family, yes family...

[@sanityisrelative]

A cult is just a family you can't escape.

[@Max-zs7di]

(Dont tell her yet!!)

[@mads9966]

It’s not a cult it’s a new exciting religion

[@Max-zs7di]

Maddie White that ISNT A CULT (wink)

[@Emma-zb2vs]

I dislike that word Gerald, "cult".

[@mari-su8up]

Bro the starkid fandom is literally the chilliest fandom ever

[@randomstranger6577]

And then theres the robert manion stans.....

[@Committee-mc6it]

Amy @ Jeff: “He’s scary” just wait for The Guy Who Doesn’t Like Musicals 😂 Starship would be good next!! Darren wrote the music and Joey is the main!! And Dylan plays the most adorable character, what more could you ask for?!

[@aperson9023]

Dylan is also the villain in Starship

[@magnesiumrice8583]

Ah yes, Pincer, the most adorable character

[@morgozier]

I was confused because Pincer but then remembered Tootsie xD

[@lux279]

YES! I would love to see her watch Starship soon! It's literally so good and I think she'd enjoy it a lot for exactly those reasons you mention!

[@TheMurrmursonbottle]

Tootsie Megagirl, née Noodles is amazing

[@lianaflores]

omg..im so glad u watched this..iconic show

[@lokileolena9785]

Now u gotta watch the guy who didn’t like musicals!

[@CamperRiley]

YES

[@annamale5786]

My favourite!!!

[@lisak8492]

Yes it's my personal favorite

[@beepbeepeddie8010]

Yes!! and then black friday

[@genderlesspotato1857]

Y E S

[@sarahmckay9131]

When jasmine talks to the audience someone says don’t trust him or something like that that someone is Darren criss

[@marennn---]

Jasmine asks if Ja'far could be right about Aladdin and Darren answer "I don't think so"

[@allburtj703]

I know a lot of people want you to watch The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals next, but I recommend watching the older shows before that to be more familiar with how they work. I feel like Trail to Oregon and after has a way different vibe than the older ones, so I would recommend Starship or Holy Musical Batman. This way, going back to the older ones isn't such a jump. They are all great though! (I have been in the fandom for 2 and a half years and started with AVPM and went to twisted after that like you did)

[@joeypotter6051]

Yeah I'm a big fan of the earlier ones, it's taken me a while to get into the newer ones. I really like Darren and AJ's song writing more than some of the more recent stuff although I did enjoy TGWDLM which I watched recently (still have to finish Black Friday and Firebringer, I couldn't get all the way through Ani).

[@aliceswayer9979]

Totally agree! I mean my three favourites (starship, twisted, tgwdlm) are all from different time periods (u know like older, between and new) so I really do love them all but I think it's better if u watch them chronologically to better see the development of the company and also to better get into the older ones

[@claremackay836]

in terms of your question about casting: - certain roles are written for certain actors, for ex achmed was written for joe walker - despite some of these roles being written for specific actors, everybody still has to audition like any other show - most shows are written just without regard for the cast, but are often revised and revised several times throughout the process to play to the casts strenghts - a good example of that is the fact that avpm was revised so many times w the music etc that they even learned one song about 2 days before opening & added a cast member about 3 days before or something like that

[@hermesontherun9049]

"he's so scary." AHHAHAHA YES. Jeff is indeed. Scary.

[@nightwingjosh8491]

"they always cast Joe walker as the baddie" well, check out the the starkid musical "holy musical, b@man" (because they don't want to get copyrighted)

[@albertesolveigbkgaardmorte9356]

Dylan is the master of duets, he’s got amazing ones in both Black Friday and Starship. His voice is just incredible

[@eoincampbell1584]

4:54 Monkey comes on stage with its crazy eyes. Amy: Look of fear and disgust. Amy: "That monkey is so cute!"

[@eileenpeterson1256]

Watch Starship! Dylan Saunders is terrific. The puppetry is killer! You’ll love it!

[@mads9966]

Eileen Peterson so is the ending

[@savannahkrystall2698]

From experience, I can tell you that the Starkid fandom is one of the loveliest fandoms and easiest to get into, especially considering how dedicated a lot of us are. It’s such a wonderful, sweet part of the theatre community without some of the same drama and gate keeping

[@isabelhoch3713]

It’s fine, Amy. Don’t worry about changing your content - you’re THE Amy Lovatt, and imo you’re up there with Kath Steele. We all have lots of respect for you 💕 Also if you wanna see more of Lauren as a boy, watch Trail To Oregon

[@xxxthestuffxxx]

Yes, Trail to Oregon, my absolute favourite and probably the silliest out of the lot. It's brilliant.

[@annabelcrescibene4257]

Isabel the huge gleek She totally shoukd

[@victoriacazottes8725]

Yup, we all love you amy and you're definitely up there with kat steele❤

[@mirandalavalley9879]

The reason star kids are so nice is because we can’t get anyone we know to join the fandom, so we get excited when anyone shows any interest in it lol

[@fenellaevangela]

Darren Criss write the music for Starship, if that influences your choice at all . . .

[@sanityisrelative]

Starship yes!

[@juliafaith06]

PLEASE watch The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals or The Trail to Oregon next please. In my opinion, they are the funniest ones

[@mowesrik]

Yesss! Twisted is my favourite Starkid show! You should also check out Spies Are Forever. It's not Starkid exactly but it has lots of their actors in it and it's literally one of my favourite musicals of all time! Also this video series makes me so happy! Even if you don't like a musical as much as I do, it's still sooo much fun to watch you discovering Starkid since the company has been a big part of my life for years now!

[@almightyduck6186]

here in the starkid fandom we pride ourselves on being as kind as possible and welcoming :)

[@musicbyella3769]

Aw that’s such a sweet intro! I really agree, I think occasionally the fandom can be a bit Much (coughworkingboyscough) but I don’t think I’ve seen people be toxic in the way that most other shows/fandoms are. And yes, twisted>>>>>>>>

[@musicbyella3769]

Also I’m crying now just from the few seconds of the end you showed oh no

[@ceruleanhearts7604]

especially recently

[@tyrakristiansen7188]

Workin Boys is heckin iconic tho you can't blame us

[@Max-zs7di]

Yes we are crazy its true :)

[@theonegoldengryphon]

Was waiting for the “Tiger Fucker” reaction and never got it 😭

[@emcustard]

From my experience, the Starkid fandom is one of the kindest, open fandoms I've ever seen. Most of us just want more people to know about Starkid, so it's basically the opposite of gatekeeping! We want you to join!

[@keikustar]

They have a core group of reoccurring actors that they pool from, and they have said that sometimes they will tailor a character toward a specific actor, and other times they go through the audition process with the group. It seems that they typically add people to their repertoire only through recommendation, but for their latest musical they did have to hire outside of that. At its heart, Starkid is successful because of the genuine friendship everyone has. The best thing about being a fan is getting to see this wonderful group of individuals tackle a different character every year (and getting to explore the minds of the Lang brothers with each show). And when new actors get added to the group, it's even better! This past summer they did a reunion concert for their 10th anniversary, and they had around forty actors who have all been in a show at some point. It was AMAZING and I DID cry.

[@keikustar]

I think you should do The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals next, and its counterpart Black Friday after. Or Firebringer!!!!! Also Trail to Oregon. Also like every other one that they have done lmao.

[@notjinxandjawz1307]

Next up: Holy Musical Batman! (and I have a sneaking suspicion you'll like who plays the lead role (; it is one of the more controversial ones as for its quality, so I think it's a good jumping off point from (imo) the best of the best, Twisted (praise Dylan, our one true starkid soloist).

[@oliviafletcher2023]

PLEASE watch spies are forever, I know it's not technically starkid but it's got a lot of the starkids in it and its FREAKIN FANTASTIC

[@primadonna221]

I was in the audience for the tapings of this show and Firebringer! These shows were so so fun to see live! Twisted still ranks as my favorite! Also, that song with all the villains was meant to be a kind of mashup between Assassins and No Good Deed from Wicked.

[@owendy274]

WHATTT, did you see any other shows

[@primadonna221]

Owen Purdy Nope, just those two! I tried getting tickets for Trail to Oregon, but it sold out before I could buy them!

[@scifigeek14]

Eyyy i was in the audience for this show taping too! :) u can see me during the crowd pan at the start of act 2. So nostalgic.

[@genderlesspotato1857]

Omg I love firebringer. It's my favorite

[@masterizzy3]

I recommend starship next, but as for why the fandom is so lovely, I think it’s because of the amazing people who make up Team Starkid! They are really good friends and it reflects onto their fandom :)

[@masterizzy3]

If you liked Joey Richter in AVPM/S then you’ll like starship cuz he’s a lead in it

[@thattylergirl]

PLEASE watch “the guy who didn’t like musicals” and then “black friday” next!! you have to watch them in that order because they are connected and are apart of a new series starkid is currently doing!!

[@thattylergirl]

Hannah Moats i’ve never agreed with a comment more

[@brandonm1708]

Or maybe she should wait til the third (Nerdy Prudes Must Die) comes out

[@gunghoun]

Can confirm "No One Remembers Achmed" is one of the greatest songs of all time, and I'm really enjoying seeing you watch these musicals for the first time. I don't even normally watch reaction videos, but seeing a lover of musical theater discover StarKid is great.

[@lisagraff-sands4207]

6:28 "Ugh I love him" Join the club dear (the club being the entire starkid fandom)

[@amberdocherty3011]

My theatre company put on Twisted last November in Edinburgh and it was our first productions and we sold out every night! It was so much fun! A great musical.

[@Omakeer]

I love Twisted, it's one of my favourite Starkid musicals. They had to avoid a lot of copyright stuff with this one because of Disney. Aladdin is public domain but they had to change the spelling of Jafar's name, and the princess is never actually called Jasmin in the show. I think that's why they keep calling the Genie, Djinn. If you want to see Joe Walker as a good guy he plays Batman in Holy Musical Batman. If you want to see Joey Richter (Ron) in a bigger role, he is the lead in Starship. Which the creators themselves have called "The Little Mermaid, but in space!"

[@beigehere]

OK AJ HOLMES WROTE THE MUSIC FOR THIS ONE AND I CANNOT STRESS TO YOU ENOUGH HOW FRICKING GOOD IT IS FROM A LISTENER STANDPOINT AND A COMPOSITIONAL STANDPOINT???? IM DOING A SCORE STUDY OF THIS MUSICAL FOR MY DEGREE (IM STUDYING TO BE A COMPOSER) AND HOLY FRICK HE'S A GENIUS AND I WOULD DIE FOR HIM AND DYLAN SAUNDERS

[@jamiehood850]

Jeff Blim is one of my favorite Starkid members! Twisted is definitely one of their best shows (although, let's be real, they're all amazing!)

[@georgia4779]

Basically Nick and Matt Lang have an idea for a musical then they get a basic idea for a script , then they get ppl to audition , Jeff Blim writes the music . Basically Jeff Blim writes all the music in all the shows and he's a damn genius he can sing , dance, act and write .

[@izzie9020]

Jeff has only written music for TTO, TGWDLM and Black Friday.

[@imjustrach]

The guy who wrote the music for this (AJ Holmes) was Elder Cunningham in Book of Mormon in the West End! He had a one man show in London a few months ago and it was amazing 😍 I really recommend watching the Twisted Hangouts, they discuss the songs and the writing process. It's really interesting to get a behind the scenes look into the show. Also did you clock that the cute duet from the start of the show 'A Thousand and One Night's' is the pop song playing over the credits?! Honestly I love this show so much because of details like that and I'm so happy people are still discovering it!

[@fifthdoctor]

The pop version of a thousand and one nights is one of my favourite starkid songs by far. Also it’s sung by Carlos Valdes and Britney Coleman who have the voices of angels

[@gracekeddy]

where can i find those hangouts? i went looking but had no luck

[@imjustrach]

@@gracekeddy The main one I'm thinking about is on AJ's personal KZbin channel called 'Twisted AJ's Try'. Then I believe there is some more hidden away on KZbin but I can't seem to find them...

[@SpiffyBlueness]

@@gracekeddy maybe this one? kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWi2lqh_bLxor7c

[@oliviafletcher2023]

Fun fact:the guy who shouts "I dont think so" when jasmine breaks the fourth wall is actually darren chris

[@ellielivesinames2810]

The guy who didn’t like musicals is one of my all time favorites, and Black Friday has a super interesting twilight zone kind of plot so you can’t go wrong with either of them!

[@julesk2629]

I gotta say I agree with your assessment of the Starkid community! I’ve always had great experiences with other fans! And ugh it’s just so fun watching you discover them for the first time!! Twisted is my personal favorite so I loved this. My vote for the next one is Starship!

[@Katherink123]

Either The guy who didn’t like musicals, starships, or holy Batman musical.

[@dangalvan2484]

Starkid musicals and Legally blonde will forever hod a special place in my heart because they are free on KZbin. I live in Argentina so I have no access to Broadway musicals. And these were the first time that I watch an American musical play. Such a shame that a lot of people from the musical theatre Fandom are so gatekeeping.

[@Lucy-fn3qr]

7:06 I remember seeing somewhere that when they (Nick and Matt Lang to begin with, then others like Jeff Blim) write the shows they often have certain cast members in mind, but everybody still auditions for pieces. I don’t have a source for this (just the echoes of memories past) but if anyone knows where/when they said this, it’d be much appreciated!

[@drakesw0rd]

I'm pretty sure Nick said something along those lines during one of the 10iversary livestreams, you'd have to go through hours of material to find the exact quote tho

[@Lucy-fn3qr]

Spider Boy ah, that sounds familiar. Even in endless quarantine, I don’t have that kind of energy or patience to find that aha

[@cocochaneljr2787]

They talked about something like this in a Holy Musical B@man Q&A

[@Potionmaniac]

Can confirm that they do auditions for most of their shows so they’re not written with specific people in mind (usually) but they only tend to invite people they know or have previously worked with to audition. They never do open auditions.

[@firtsam]

My favorites are Trail to Oregon and The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals!! Highly recommend that you watch those next :)

[@kayleebyers6234]

10 outta 10 there my favorites too :)

[@ruby7226]

omg starkid people are like the best kind of people. no judgement at all, we’re all just having fun and glad that we have more people joining us! it feels so good to be apart of such a wonderful community. i’m SO HAPPY you’ve joined us!! you put a huge smile of my face with that little speech 😂

[@taralynncantor5631]

Zero dislikes.... just as it should be. Also... it’s really awesome seeing you watch this for the first time. I wish I could watch it for the first time again and appreciate its art for the first time. I love it! ❤️

[@bookstonia]

Tara Is Bored I was just thinking the same thing! I wish I could go back and rewatch this one for the first time!!

[@Kikkarlin]

I think the reason everyone is so nice is because the cast always model that behaviour and we just want to share their talent with everyone because we think the deserve the world for being good actors and good people