StarKid's Riskiest Show: The Trail to Oregon

[@WaitintheWings]

Huge thanks to all the StarKid's who helped me piece together this story! Use code WITW50 to get 50% off your first Factor box at bit.ly/3QtW7E8

[@ndaynan]

2:17

[@raven93295]

I'm so pumped to finally know why Jeff was so excited that someone suggested Jack Bauer for the Father 😂

[@JuniperJadePR]

That was my first thought when I heard that tidbit. XD

[@jonascommero6361]

It’s great to finally know!

[@pandakatiefominz]

I really thought for all this time that it was just because he got a cool name

[@HekatieSquires]

full circle baby

[@lumae8216]

I haven’t watched the video just yet but I saw this comment.. isn’t it because of that show called 24??

[@JamesSmith-pp5vp]

Starkid took me, a guy who didn't like musicals, and pulled me into a deep love for independent theatre. I had done musical theatre when I was younger and I felt like it was stuffy and boring. Starkid showed me that there was something more. Now I put on my Tickle Me Wiggly jumper every Christmas and watch long deep dives about shows I've seen a thousand times.

[@melmacianmage]

I got to see both Trail to Oregon and Ani live on a trip to Chicago with my uncle, and it was a surprise hit! I went the night where the son was named Ghengis Khan and the grandpa was named Jeff Blim. Amazing experience!

[@rachaellarson842]

I'm so glad you are covering Starkid again. I have been the biggest fan right since 2009. Fun to learn new stuff about them. TinCan Bros is also amazing and was started by several Starkid members. Their show "Spies are forever" is wonderful. I never imagines so many other people loved Starkid too!❤

[@DPObseser]

I never knew the story of Jeff’s quest of making Trail to Oregon, and when I heard about the making of the play and musical and about Jack Bower as a character. It was like everything in that one moment of naming the dad became clear

[@Starlysh]

I fell off StarKid after seeing Senior Year live in Florida...for no reason really. But this made me want to watch what I've missed. I've always admired how they seemed to make theater feel more accessible by eventually putting their shows online. Also, really cool he actually got his Jack Bauer moment, that's so perfect.

[@ritzcrackerz4921]

I had no idea Joey did the fart noises… this is enlightening

[@alex5tar544]

I literally watched the trail to oregon two days ago, perfect timing

[@4eyesinthecorner399]

I'm pretty sure a musical about flying genitalia or bugs in space is pretty original but if you say The Trail to Oregon is their first non-parody production then sure....

[@ItsMzPhoenix]

The Jack Bauer thing coming back years later is so good

[@WaitintheWings]

Literal poetry

[@djwilson1993]

@@WaitintheWingsit’s like poetry, it rhymes.

[@canadiankazz]

I understand now why he was so excited by that name in the version that made it to KZbin! lol

[@god-rj5wf]

i'm obsessed with there being _backstory_ to Jeff looking like his life's sole quest was fulfilled when someone named father "Jack Bauer"

[@CowgirlandFriend]

Yeahhhh I genuinely told myself that there was no way 'twas not just a person who was already barreling down college age when 24 became a thing that existed for the first time, being understandably psyched at a reference that I, a person the (count 'em) EXACT age of 24's first ep, would never get. "Surely that shit has a fandom" I thought, "surely." I agree though and as an over 10-year dikrat am properly excited to watch the video and learn what (not a roast) basically everybody in the comments are saying the same thing about, including you (again not a roast, I will probably be doing the same, just probably to my sister maybe kinda was also in the 2010s into Starkid).

[@JuniperJadePR]

I did not expect Joey's crash course on fart noises to be one of the highlights of this video.

[@witchesandwillow]

Hello! I named Grandpa on the KZbin recording. (Titty Mitty) One of the proudest moments from my teen years. It was a blast watching this video. Thanks for reminding me of some of my favorite memories.

[@ravenpotter3]

You are a hero to generations!

[@RobertJW]

Congratulations! 😂 It was really funny

[@aaronsarchive82]

You are a legend!

[@lgl9823]

Thank you for your service

[@liriodendronlasianthus]

Hello... Titty Mitty

[@Just_Leo_kingofgods]

Shoutout Joey for that completely unnecessary arm fart crash course thank you king👑

[@j_0anna]

i think you mean completely necessary

[@WitchLunaEstrella]

I'm so glad Jeff and everyone else toughed it out and made it work with Trail to Oregon. It's honestly one of my favourite Starkid shows.

[@sophiebas6154]

Same! I love it so much!

[@yuju1195]

Same!

[@Jack_Ss]

Yeah so interesting that the 6 person show ended up being so much better than the Star Wars one which seemed like a home run

[@GraceThomas-fv5ky]

its the first one i watched and it made me fall in love with Starkid

[@josephdavies3091]

@@Jack_SsI think part of that is that cast-wise, TTO had the upper hand with the more “well-known” actors in StarKid so more people gravitated towards it. Though I do think even despite that, TTO is a better show

[@ashleylabaki2872]

100% my favorite Starkid musical. Jeff’s presence is truly a gift and I will never get tired of seeing his eyes light up pure chaotic glee when he hears “Jack Bauer.”

[@Redstomp]

"Pure chaotic glee" honestly summarizes Jeff so well.

[@natehaken2686]

I’m just starting to direct The Trail To Oregon for a local community theatre, this video is a godsend and super informative!

[@WaitintheWings]

Break legs with your production!!!

[@jjam1025]

​@@WaitintheWingsNot literally though! Trust me... I know.

[@mouseboy420]

PLS UPLOAD THE PERFORMANCE!! :)

[@darkmanstudios3828]

Can I suggest Blair Mountain for the dad's name?

[@natehaken2686]

@@darkmanstudios3828 we haven’t even held auditions yet, I’m just prepping with set design and whatnot. I think we’ll have names in a hat for rehearsals, I’ll make sure that is in there!

[@LynnHermione]

One smart thing starkid did was post on twitter the character names that night. That's how most of us learned the interactive part, and I imagine people went in with punny names prepared

[@ezelfrancisco1349]

I even saw one high school on KZbin where the daughter was named after an audience member and the dad character made the audience aware of that in a improvised monologue. This really is a show where no two shows are alike

[@TheAntiDisneyEmperor]

Wait so the audience didn’t pick the names they were already there?

[@londongirl2768]

@@TheAntiDisneyEmperorno they did but they told the audience ahead of time to come prepared

[@kaysea04]

knowing the reason behind jeff’s happy smile at the jack bauer pitch makes watching it x100 better

[@torijeri]

and to think we were so close to not having Jeff Blim for Hatchetfield. Risks are always better than redundancy in my opinion. it can totally fail but it could also totally succeed.

[@Redstomp]

Safe to say Hatchetfield succeeded beyond anyone's expectations. And I have loved everything StarKid has done since the Potter days, but Hatchetfield is just them at their best!

[@RonHeartsMe]

@@Redstomp100% agree with this comment!

[@dianaquick8883]

To me, there could be no other General John MacNamera.

[@raeosunshine24]

hearing how everyone felt about Ani VS TTTO originally compared to their actual audience reception and legacies reminds me of how Disney's animatiom team felt about Pocahontas VS The Lion King! everyone had a good feeling about one, but the underdog turned out to be much more beloved! not to dismiss any movie or musical mentioned, but i definitely hear more people talk about TTTO these days, and likewise with The Lion King!

[@kateorgera5907]

It helps that they were actually able to license Trail to Oregon to amateur groups, something they can't do with their parody musicals like Ani for licensing and rights reasons, I imagine.

[@xhappyponyxwasmyoldname1395]

I thought of the exact same thing

[@aliciaz6224]

I'm a big ANI defender, I knew it wasn't the most liked Starkid show, but I didn't know it had received so much criticism. I'm so so glad that The Trail to Oregon gained the success it deserved! but I hope Nick Lang knows people did and still do love ANI, my friends and I quote it to each other all the time

[@lawrencefosterjenkins8216]

ANI is seriously so funny, it just didn't fit the traditional SK mold and that's why a lot of folks couldn't vibe with it. it definitely has its audience, and I'm part of it.

[@BuzzardPlanet97]

It’s not up there with my favourite of their shows but I do still enjoy it. Nick Lang as Palpatine and especially Obi Wan steals the show

[@dddglobe36]

Love Ani! It’s heartwarming.

[@tessawidenhofer]

Yay I’m so glad I found my people; Ani is definitely a weird one in the Starkid catalogue, but it’s very near and dear to my heart (partially cuz my parents surprised me with tickets and my dad and I drove to Chicago to see it!) It’s seriously a shame how so much of the fandom treats it when it’s really funny and has some seriously catchy music!

[@kain1799]

For me i love ani so much. But it's cringey opening is just so so hard to force my way through each time even tho it is so good.

[@missybarbour6885]

Crazy that because KZbin got rid of annotations in 2018, you can't just click the screen for your preferred character death anymore

[@NoLifeButTheater]

That manic gleam in Jeff’s eyes at hearing Jack Bauer makes so much more sense now. ❤

[@nickkurtz512]

To think if Trail to Oregon failed, We wouldn’t get The Hatchetfield Saga.

[@hanonondricek411]

_"Your wagon is on FI-YAAAAAAAHHHH! Your wagon is a-blaaaaaaayze!"_

[@anobservatory4227]

One of my personal favorite Starkid shows next to Twisted and Nerdy Prudes Must Die. Just seeing Jeff be as chaotic as he wants and Joey play half the characters, this show will always make me laugh. Plus the improv and bloopers like the bucket falling down the "rige" off stage or General Store Guy talking about his roll in West Side Story make it so much better, still one of my favorite Starkid moments.(edit grammar)

[@missybarbour6885]

Joey deserves a Tony for "Just shoot me you son of a b- *gunshot*"

[@lunaraydue1340]

Hahahahaha, hohohoho, ha. OX LIKE ME

[@xhappyponyxwasmyoldname1395]

@@lunaraydue1340CACKLING JUST THINKING ABOUT IT

[@luckyystrikerr]

Only Starkid could make me emotional seeing the mention of Jack Bauer in the original Basement Arts production 😂Seeing how much of the original student theater version's unhinged, goofy DNA made it into the final show is heartwarming as a (frequently frustrated) writer. The fact that one of my favorite musicals has such a rocky past that eventually ended in success is the kind of success story I love about independent theater.

[@aliceisaperson]

ANI definitely isn’t close to my favorite starkid musical, but god there’s some really funny moments in there. Hearing Nick’s response to the comments really broke my heart.

[@BuzzardPlanet97]

Yeah that was sad. He really stole the show as Obi Wan

[@aliceisaperson]

@@BuzzardPlanet97 I think about the line delivery of “I’m better now, I’m drunk” like at least once a week

[@EmiaRaine]

Same here. I discovered Starkid roughly around 2014/2015 with Twisted and proceeded to binge all their other shows. ANI didn't blow me away, but I liked it fine. It has a lot of good elements, with Brian & Nick being the absolute standouts. When I heard that people were tearing the show to shreds, I was shocked and then heartbroken when I discovered how much this impacted Nick. "Don't come back as a damn robit" is still something I quote often to myself.

[@dez6529]

My sister shares that scene with people all the time- I don't even think she's watched the whole musical. But she was utterly charmed by Nick's drunk Obi Wan.

[@Jack_Ss]

I like the more original stuff but wish the parody hadn’t died with Ani. There were a lot of things that ended up working against it but the fact that they never followed up Twisted because Ani wasn’t great is a shame. That one may be their masterpiece

[@punkrocksandsoda]

I know we won’t get another Starkid video from WITW for a bit after this…but I can’t wait to see him cover Hatchetfield 😍

[@Redstomp]

THIS. This is my heart's desire as well.

[@lil-WolfyWolf]

He needs to cover the Hatchetfield stories!! TGWDLM, Black Friday, Nightmare Time 1 & 2 & Nerdy Prudes Must Die all must be covered!!

[@Redstomp]

@@lil-WolfyWolf As much as I love Nightmare Time, and think they warrant a mention in such a video, this channel really is about musical stage shows, which they are not.

[@mellowthebear]

Glad Starkid took a chance on Jeff Blim 😃

[@NotSoRealEllis20]

Without it we wouldn't have the Hatchfield trilogy

[@marrowbrown]

and i wouldn't be obsessed with the Lords in Black

[@NotSoRealEllis20]

@@marrowbrown the demon teletubbies

[@haileykramer8017]

That Jack Bauer but coming back in a full circle is incredible

[@jenncorbett1655]

Joey describing how he made each fart sound was so funny to me.

[@jessicav2311]

This is so awesome! Jack Bauer would be proud if he wasn't dead of dysentery. Love your Starkid content and everything else you do! Would love to see you cover all of their Hatchetfield productions including their web series. I think what they are doing with all of that is truly groundbreaking. Thanks for another great vid!

[@LilyGrace95]

I wasn't a fan on Ani, but I feel so sorry for Nick that he took everyone's comments SO to heart. He doesn't deserve that, he's a fantastic writer. At least he can see with the Hatchetfield series that people still love him, and it was just a one time flop....

[@grandlordSpencer]

This was such a cool doc! I love Starkid and it really shows how much Jeff really brought Starkid into another golden age.

[@Plexxis_SugarPom]

He's truly mastered both dignity and the devotion, the 2Ds

[@QuikVidGuy]

@@Plexxis_SugarPom Oh no. Oh no. You've added a third D!

[@snederatorreads2367]

I love Trail to Oregon, when I saw it I remember grandpa’s name was Beyoncé! It is always the starkid play I introduce people with, people who don’t like musicals like it!

[@lawrencefosterjenkins8216]

i love the image of joey coming out in that lobster costume saying "hello...beyonce."

[@talkandteach24]

Corey must have loved that considering he's a Beyoncé fan

[@KyrieFortune]

"Paul, you've got to see this, it's a parody of the Oregon Trail, the computer game we played as kids!" "Yeah... I don't want to, you know I hate musicals"

[@kandyappleview]

Twisted is usually my gateway drug to show people musicals aren't just Disney animated movies. But I have used TTO sometimes too

[@butterflyslinky]

I actually went to see Ani! during its run. I was in Chicago for the weekend while it was playing, so I went with my girlfriend at the time. She's a huge Star Wars nerd and loved it. The cast of Trail to Oregon was in the audience that night, and Jeff Blim is a great actor but the worst person to see a show with--his laugh is very loud.

[@dumblebee9167]

I’ve always been really sad that ANI wasn’t appreciated so much. As someone who isn’t a Star Wars fan I think I probably didn’t get a lot of the jokes but I’ve still always really liked it. I think it’s really funny & the music is FANTASTIC. Makes me sad to see that the criticism was taken so much to heart.

[@JuliaDelbel]

That's the thing though, a lot of their audience wasn't Star Wars fans so it didn't really cater to them. Having seemingly run out of properties to parody that the StarKid fans and creators were both into, the choice was either keep doing them but keep them fairly generic (Holy Musical B@man was kind of like this, even though it was before Ani) or pivot to original content.

[@livvyg5081]

This!! The music in Ani was so awesome

[@kandyappleview]

Yeah Ani a so much fun! I came into the Fandom late (TGWDLM was my first one) so I didn't know ANI got criticism. I sure liked it! In general though, it always warms my heart when their older shows (pre hatchetfield) get some love cause those are my favorites.

[@bobjim4566]

I very much am a SW fan, and yeah, it's mainly that a lot of the jokes just aren't that great......

[@tUVsproAll]

@@JuliaDelbeli always thought the reason it didn’t do as well is because a large part of the fan base expected the main characters to sing

[@Michelle-mf3se]

I will say I’m kind of sad that they don’t make parodies anymore. There are so many fandoms that they would’ve made amazing lol but I do love their new original direction too. All in all, a big fan of the whole cast❤

[@ThirrinDiamond]

Same, i genuinely wonder where they'll be 20 years from now. Maybe itll go full circle

[@rinina]

Fr!! As much as i love the original work and think its super creative, the parody angle just shines every time, they completely understand what they're parodying and elevate it by adding more angles. Kinda makes me wish they had another shot at star wars, ani is cool, but sw is so big and nowadays is such a shit show that a show based on the sequels or smth like that would be ridiculously funny

[@TheActualCathal]

Jeff Blim is one of the most underrated performers in the world, genuinely stunned that he hasn't gotten picked up by Hollywood.

[@TheMoggFREE]

He has a few roles here and there on TV. Nowadays you gotta be a nepo to be in Hollywood.

[@cameronsharples2544]

He was on broadway during the filming of NPMD

[@TheMoggFREE]

no, that's not true at all. Proof? He was in an LA production of Rent by Cupcake Studios, one of the reasons why he wasn't in NPMD. Another reason is just he wasn't casted in NPMD, just did the music@@cameronsharples2544

[@IcarusRuthven]

So *that's* why he was only cast as "Man in a Hurry"? Holy cow.

[@sarahkinsey5434]

I think about that about all of the cast members. Jeff has such an expressive face and personality that he could do pretty well

[@stellasdoesstuff]

28:52 "Oregon is the first starkid show that is 95% original" Is it? Starship is clearly inspired by Star Trek and The Little Mermaid, but I wouldn't consider it a parody of either. And correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Me and My Dick had any outside sources it was directly referencing. Both of those were before Trail to Oregon, werent they?

[@Sher18929]

Starship is a Starship Troopers Parody, but you’re totally right about MAMD

[@cheddarssalad1230]

Trail to Oregon is the Starkid musical I revisit the most. In hindsight it makes sense why it has seen the most success outside of its initial production. Being about a family road trip is instantly relatable. How it’s parodying the game isn’t alienating if you don’t know the references. It’s small cast and bare set makes it cheap to run. Above all that the interactivity encourages repeat viewing. Also, Blim has an all ages edited script and I really want to see my local high school do a production. If only because I live in Oregon and they would actually pronounce Willamette correctly. It’s will-LAMB-it.

[@ezelfrancisco1349]

It also has the most underrated joke/easter egg: Joey Richter playing every other character. I know it's because TTO has the less amount of cast compared to Ani, but it unintentionally became a reference of how animators would become lazy in designing side characters in video games/computer games. IDK if they intended that or not, but it is hilarious when you think about it

[@michaelmascolo3161]

I'm every Oregon trail game, I never made it to the end. My oxen would croak mid way in the trail.

[@WaitintheWings]

You gotta cheat and play as the banker!

[@anville_6063]

It is so cool that the starkids were interviewed for this! Oregon Trail was the first one that came out while I was actively waiting for shows so it has a special place in my heart. Great Video!

[@adminaccess9586]

I think Jeff Blim is great! As that one commenter said, he’s in my top three Starkid performers and I love his roles and his work with the Hatchetfield series. Now that he’s joined, I can hardly imagine Starkid without him, same as I feel with Lauren Lopez and Joey Richter

[@mayagoelman9005]

The interactive nature of TOH is so unique and wonderful and makes me wish so much I could’ve been in the audience

[@BrianaMichelleMeyer]

As someone who went to see Starship live, it’s always been interesting seeing the different eras of Starkid, especially since I’ve been there since 2009. But Jeff? Love the guy. Love him.

[@coyotix]

I always wondered if Jeff was just acting when he almost teared up at "Jack Bauer". It's incredible that he wasn't.

[@louisaou20]

Still reeling over the fact you got to interview Jeff, Nick, Jaime and Joey 🥲Amazing video, as always!

[@WaitintheWings]

I actually didn’t interview Nick! That was from a summer hangout they did on Brian Holdens channel :)

[@dordbird]

I just watched this musical for the first time 3 days ago and stumbling on this video one hour after it comes out was such serendipity

[@angelsquid9756]

Perfect timing for a Starkid video, I’ve become obsessed with the hatchetfield series

[@junjunagbayani4792]

Wait in the Wings should totally make a video how Starkid transitioned from one-off shows to building the Hatchetfield universe with all its lore. Although I doubt that will be any time soon considering how much stuff Starkid is still probably planning for it.

[@mattneff]

Alt Video Title: HOW JEFF BLIM SAVED STARKID

[@katofphats3689]

I have my first script read through tonight for Trail to Oregon. It's actually unbelievable how well timed this all was. Now I have some new info for the cast tonight! This is gonna be fun.

[@jaredinocovers9968]

I hope you have/had a great script read!!

[@TheBabblingBabs]

Love Blim's contributions to Starkid. The Hatchetfield Universe being a part of that. Would you ever cover the Hatchetfield series?

[@mcowley895]

Jack Bauer being the name during the recording and catching that moment of Jeff's pure excitement and joy is just......... Such a special thing. So glad it's on the internet

[@jeffolson4803]

Is this an entire Starkid series? Are we gonna talk about the legit masterpiece that is Nerdy Prudes Must Die??

[@blake2521]

This comment serves as your threat to appreciate Jeff Blim.

[@mandydaidouji]

jeff blim is one of the best things that happened to starkid

[@zandermetrakos2637]

Oregon trail is one of my favorite starkid shows. The father's redemption arc is one of my favorite moments to come back to

[@april3698]

i cant with joey explaining his arm fart performance in detail 😭

[@libby5004]

I watched ANI this year and wondered why so many of the favourite cast members like Lauren Lopez & Joey Richter weren’t there. I think that, very niche references and the fact it wasn’t the cast singing it didn’t have the charm. Especially compared to Potter but parodies can only get you so far. I think Guy who didn’t like musicals & Nerdy Prudes Must Die are my top shows

[@julesgold_]

i saved all my money somehow as a teenager and convinced my mom to fly from connecticut to chicago to see trail to oregon and ani. still one of my greatest memories.

[@faithdame3513]

Starkid is the reason I got my Theatre Design degree they are the future of musical theatre I love them

[@DotDotDott]

I love how Ani and Trail to Oregan is basically Starkids Pocahontas and Lion King where internally everyone thought one was gonna succeed and the other do ok but upon release it was reversed

[@scifigeek14]

Hold up. Name drop at time 12:13. Drew Defour was my next-door neighbor growing up. I had NO IDEA he worked on this with Jeff. Huh. Small world. 😅

[@ChloeTheePayne]

WOW i've only made it through the intro and i'm already thrilled. interviews with jeff and joey??? such perfect timing too, i've been deep back in my starkid fandom joy ever since nerdy prudes 🥰 so excited to keep watching thank yooooou!!!

[@nanasisilala]

star kid is just so endearing and creative. i got into it with the guy who hates musical and never stopped

[@mangajag]

I love seeing the starkid ppl outside the stage :)

[@Redstomp]

This was excellent. I hope you'll do a video on the Hatchetfield musical universe as well! StarKid going fully original and having auch success with it proves they more than have what it takes to move beyond just parody musicals!

[@CedeSilva]

9:51 I understand that Eric Kahn Gale, without consulting the Langs, added "StarKid" to Twisted's Kickstarter page, and this was how StarKid remained as a brand at the time. Brendon - this video was amazing, as your work is always. Really great to see the exclusive interviews with StarKids. Also, you do a really great job in matching the footage to your narration, a work that's clearly very carefully crafted. Rock on.

[@elizabethlmcrae]

I saw the original run where the father was named "John Stamos' Thong" and it was the funniest thing I've ever seen on stage

[@Nokkos]

So sad that Ani isn't more popular. It's one of my favourites! The music is great, the jokes and actors are super funny and it always makes me want to dance with the cast! I'm not even that much of a star wars fan but it didn't hinder my joy watching it! My absolute favourite songs are Ani and The Force (You got it). I really love all of the Starkid shows and I just wish I could see them live but living in another continent is a bit too far. This was a really great video! It was cool to get to see what led to this musical and I'm glad that I get the father's name's significance now :D

[@estelles7420]

thank you so much for pronouncing Oregon correctly. You have no idea the sense of dread I felt when you said oreg-on.

[@quirrelmorts]

ANI DESERVED BETTER

[@georges1991]

songs from Ani are probably my most played. people really sleeping on something so good. it is a TREAT that we get Clark singing

[@charlydorina9033]

I love this video the Interviews with the cast are a great addition!

[@supertoxicgamer]

super into this. me and my bud ally watched nerdy prudes together last night and were about to start a podcast talking about our favorite youtube muysicals

[@erin_elizabethsmith]

Trail to Oregon is an amazing musical. But, I’m gonna give some love to Ani real quick. Ani is the only Starkid show who’s music I listen to regularly. Also, Nick Lang’s Obi Wan is the funniest character in the history of Starkid.

[@juliagray9219]

Ani is the reason why TalkFine is always in my Spotify wrapped

[@marsexplosion]

7:03 oh THATS why he was so happy someone said jack bauer! thats so fun i never knew that!

[@LooLooChoo]

i’ve recently been watching Starkid again after getting curious about the Hatchetfield saga, the last time i had ever watched it was back in high school when i watched AVPM/Starship/HMB, and watching TTTO was such a surprisingly fun watch and getting to know the background of it was delightful! i really hope you do more Starkid videos, especially about the Hatchetfield universe they’ve built up over all these years!

[@ununiformplays]

Just a small gripe: One thing that kinda sucks to see is Nick Lang's reaction to people not liking ANI very much. I get that you put a lot of time, effort, talent, money, and work into the show; but people are allowed to not be fans of it. You don't need to go online and make people feel guilty for having opinions about some kind of art that you made and published on a public platform/website. Yes, it sucks when people don't like something you make/produce/create, but don't make people feel guilty about not liking it. I'm really not trying to be harsh, but they've been making and producing shows since around 2008-2009, harsh criticism is natural. Not everything you do is going to be gold. Take the bronze for what it is and move on.

[@mandydaidouji]

ani got MUCH better with time. i dont think we were ready at the time for a musical that wasnt a musical. most of the starkid fans weren't star wars fans. it was a expectations vss reality thing. when you go in expecting what it sells, it's a great show. some of the best music in starkid history (thanks to talkfine). it's a shame most of the people in the show havent been as present in the new shows (except vhs) or pretty much left the company. there are some talented people in that cast and crew.

[@jvdewww]

thank you so much for doing a video on starkid! they are such an underrated theatre group and have been for years. The new plays/musicals with the Hatchetfield universe have been so amazing, curated, and such an enriching theatre experience.

[@graces9158]

Love that this came out during my Team Starkid obsession Revival after the release of NPMD

[@Ranger7Studios]

I just finished watching Nerdy Prudes Must Die. I'm totally game for this one. Although, there is a western, that just came out (and it's pretty good) called Oregon Trail. I was disappointment by this move however, because no one died of dysentery. ;)

[@BuzzardPlanet97]

Awesome video!!! This is my favourite show by them. But they did have some original shows before this one, what about Me and my Dick and Starship?

[@Sher18929]

Starship is a Starship Troopers parody, but I believe you’re totally right about MAMD. I think it’s just, unfortunately, a SK show that gets overlooked a lot.

[@floranuko2854]

I watched this musical for the first time and had NO IDEA what that game even was. I KNEW they were making references but for the love of god I did not get them. I still liked the musical but was also like: Well that was random. UNTIL I found out about the game. Played it a few times and suddenly understood EVERYTHING. And OMFG it was genius.

[@ichigoeater]

To be fair, I'm 100% certain the parody scene wasn't dying. That's timeless. The problem with ANI was that it wasn't a musical. A lot of fans rewatch for the song performances, so it's no surprise the number of views were extremely low compared to others. It wasn't a bad play, either. But, I'm afraid we can all agree Spaceballs was the better Star Wars parody. We already had that, and you can't help but compare. On top of that, Star Wars is difficult. The fan base is picky with everyone shouting what changes would be better (and rarely agree with each other), many viewers in 2014 never watched the older movies to understand all the references, and if they did, still wouldn't find them that funny, and on top of that, Ani's 'want' in this play was a reference to the most hated movie in the series at the time. Bringing back pod racing and villainizing old Ben Kenobi (who may well be just as much a source of wet dreams as Leia in a slave bikini for many fans) were playing with fire, and Star Wars fans don't have a good track record with polite critiquing. Thinking about it, I doubt Nick Lang could make a non-musical Star Wars parody play be loved by everyone no matter how many rewrites he did. The Trail to Oregon, even the Avatar-like drafted plot, wasn't half as risky as Ani when you think about it. Its a shame though. As a casual fan of Star Wars, it made me laugh a lot. I recommend anyone that hasn't seen it go watch with an open mind. You can tell some love was put in it.

[@bernacarangan]

wagon is on fire lives rent free in my brain -- jeff blim writing that absolute banger is a blessing

[@samichmachine]

i adore u SO much but the opening line isnt right. "Harry Potter the Musical" isnt the name of it - it's "A Very Potter Musical." even visible in the opening image fgkjfg bestie pls

[@c.julietofcampjupiter8557]

I think Harry Potter the Musical was an older name for it and they changed it due to something to do with their copyright deal or something?

[@tallmoth]

they had to change it due to copyright! it was originally titled "Harry Potter the Musical".

[@rhiannonkitchener]

So crazy that I was literally watching TTO for the first time in years earlier today and then this video gets released! It was so cool to learn all this new stuff, especially hearing it from Jeff, Joey and Jaime. TTO is one of my fave musicals EVER! (also it must be said that Ani is also AMAZING and sooo underrated)

[@blueskyredmarsie]

Oh my god, I literally rewatched Trail to Oregon for the millionth time last night ON A WHIM! Imagine my delight seeing this in my notifications today! I was especially excited to see interviews with some of the Starkid crew! And I very much enjoyed Joey's educational segment of mouth farts.

[@eternalmiasma5586]

Trail to Oregon and TGWDLM are the top 2 Starkid shows of all time, and Trail to Oregon is licensable as well so any theatre can do it, I wish my community theatre would do it

[@TinyTink006]

As a SK fan from way back, and being the "ground floor" OG Jeff Blim fan girls (it's true, look up Shit Candy Girls Say! On YT) My friend group learned anything and EVERYTHING about Jeff Blim in the few years between HMB and OTTM (Oregon Trail The Muscal) We found the original cast soundtrack, we learned about how much he had worked on it, etc etc. When Starkid announced that they would be making TTO we all rejoiced in the fact that Jeff was FINALLY getting this made. In the end it didn't use half the original songs from the show, including my favorite The Prettiest, but they did sing a few at one of the late night shows of the Summer Season. I saw TTO six times that summer, including opening night and filming night. Even not really knowing Jeff Blim personally at the time, it was still so...emotional, seeing his vision being brought to life on stage. Team Starkid may have taken the biggest gamble, but it was on the best person they ever could have. He's an amazing actor, writer, singer and person.

[@spectrumspectre]

I just *know* that there's gonna be some people in the comments who heard him call it "Harry Potter The Musical" and are now out for blood.

[@WaitintheWings]

and they'll be wrong

[@Quirderph]

@@WaitintheWings It's ironically similar to the first Star Wars movie; known as "Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope" to people who grew up with the special editions, but simply as "Star Wars" to the OG fans who saw it when it premiered.

[@pierredufour6164]

I want a steady wagon with wheels that are CIRCLES and I want it, for FREEEE !

[@BestgirlJordanfish]

Yeah their Starkid Star Wars show didn’t have the best part of Starkid to me. The cast, the singing, the heart, and the celebration of the characters. The whole show felt like a robot chicken episode to me. Jeff Blim to me really saved Starkid with that delightful manic energy and future composition roles. Especially with the Harry Potter stuff being kinda oof to go back to now.

[@virgil.alonso]

Remember, Bauer is his middle name.

[@anobservatory4227]

That's right, thank you for remembering that it's Jack Bauer Dikrats.

[@safebox36]

I actually love Starkid. It's just good charming humour between friends.