Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Starship

Have I been catching up on my reading?  A little. But what I've been doing more of is catching up on my video watching.  We're still on the first season of Veronica Mars, the second or third season of Big Bang Theory, we just got the new season of South Park, and then yesterday my kids sat me down and we watched the new Starkid video on YouTube, Starship.

Have you heard of the Starkids?  Originally musical theater students at the University of Michigan, they wrote a musical parody version of Harry Potter which is still on YouTube as A Very Potter Musical.  Then they veered off into territory I found less delightful--maybe just because I'm old and stodgy--with Me And My Dick.  But they came back with A Very Potter Sequel.  And now, with the departure of the guy who wrote a lot of the music and starred as Harry Potter--Darren Criss--to the TV show Glee, the rest of the Starkids have formed a company and perform in Chicago, although they always put their entire production on YouTube and have now made a DVD, too, available on the Starkids website.

I thought the Starship parody was delightful, from first to last. You have to watch it in 9-10 minute segments, which actually kind of heightens the humor.  I thought the high point was the love song in Act II, scene ii, "You don't know you the way I do."  But there's a good villain song and lots of good jokes, not least about the way the "Galactic League of Extraterrestrial Exploration, the G.L.E.E." is "always making twisted abominations of everything" (wink).  The bugs on the alien planet are represented by puppets, reminiscent of the way the actors use puppets and animal heads in The Lion King and Avenue Q.  

This is inventive parody, good music, and it's free.  What more could you ask?  Watch it, and spread the word!

12 comments:

TexasRed said...

Will have to check these out, but LOVE Veronica Mars.

Harriet M. Welsch said...

Hooray for Veronica Mars. In a stunning bit of coincidence, one of my students was talking up Starship to me this evening. I will have to check it out. When I'm done with Firefly. Hey, I think we just swapped TV shows.

Jeanne said...

TexasRed, we started watching V.M. because Harriet recommended it, and despite my bad reaction to one episode (the belt), have all liked it a lot--especially my 17-year-old daughter.

Harriet, we're glad to swap TV shows with you! It enriches our world.

Jodie said...

Blaine from Glee was in this group? You might remember that my views on Glee are not as full on hurrayish as others (although I think it's sweet and great for it actually casting a diverse group of people) but omg Blaine and Kurt - blazers, singing, friendship, great hair yaaaayyyyy! I will be watching the Potter production.

I just finished rewatching Series one Veronica Mars and was reminded of why it's so great, depite it's odd moments (that whole 'let's fake a guy being gay as blackmail' episode threw me towards the end). Kirsten Bell is the best, why did they kill her in Heroes? I would pay money for a spin off featuring only her and Silar in a crazy serial killer rom com road trip situation.

Jeanne said...

Jodie, the guy who plays Blaine is HARRY FREAKIN' POTTER! He still writes a lot of the music.

Hmm, we haven't gotten to the "fake a guy being gay" episode yet. (But you know I don't mind spoilers!)

Jeanne said...

Jodie, here's the song (Harry Freakin' Potter) at 6 minutes in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBSZKgeSNmw

bermudaonion said...

I need to check Starkids out. I'm not sure I would get the Starship video, but the Harry Potter one sounds right up my alley.

Jeanne said...

Kathy, Harry Potter as a musical is so irresistible ... we sing these songs a lot around my house!

Karen K. said...

My daughter is a HUGE fan of the Very Potter Musical, I'll have to ask if she's watched any of the Starkids. I am sorry to say I'm the only person in the world who's never watched an episode of Veronica Mars. However, I am a huge fan of BBT even though I'm not so thrilled at the direction it's taking lately. I haven't given up yet though.

Jeanne said...

Karen, we're still on the second season of Big Bang Theory, which may be the best one, from what we hear.

Jodie said...

Ok that is some fun musical shenaningans! My favourite bit is where they cheerily sing about his parents being dead.

Jeanne said...

Jodie, I do love that song. My favorite one from A Very Potter Musical is the tap-dancing number when Voldemort gets his body back, though!