StarKid Productions
StarKid Productions, also known as Team StarKid, is an American musical theatre company founded in 2009 at the University of Michigan by Darren Criss, Brian Holden, Matt Lang, and Nick Lang. Originally known for the viral success of their first musical, A Very Potter Musical, a parody of the Harry Potter series, the troupe primarily produces musical comedies inspired by pop culture, with original scripts, songs, and music. StarKid distributes their musicals for free on YouTube, with projects being funded by crowdfunding and physical ticket sales.
Since the success of A Very Potter Musical, the group has produced fourteen stage musicals, three national tours, two reunion concert specials, two concerts in London, three sketch comedy shows, and three web series.
As of 2023, the company has charted 13 albums in the top 10 on Billboard charts. The cast recording of Me and My Dick debuted at number 11 on the US Cast Albums chart in 2010, becoming the first student-produced musical recording to chart on Billboard. The following year they landed at number one on the same chart with the cast recording of Starship, a feat that has since been repeated with their 2019 musical Black Friday, and their 2023 musical ''Nerdy Prudes Must Die.''
History
StarKid Productions is composed of actors, writers, directors, composers, choreographers, and designers, most of them originating from the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theater and Dance. Many of their early members met while collaborating on plays through Basement Arts, the university's student-run theater organization.In April 2009, the students staged a musical parody of the Harry Potter series entitled A Very Potter Musical. The video of the play went viral on the Internet, garnering StarKid a worldwide fanbase. Inspired by the viral nature of the video, StarKid Productions was formed, named after a quote from A Very Potter Musical. Later, two sequels were performed and released on YouTube, A Very Potter Sequel in 2010 and A Very Potter Senior Year in 2012.
The Team StarKid YouTube channel was created on June 19, 2009. As of April 2025, the channel has over 850,000 subscribers and over 340 million combined views. Aside from the viral Harry Potter adaptions, Team StarKid has produced a number of other musical theatre parody shows, creating both original stories and pop culture-based parodies of Disney, DC Comics, Star Wars and The Oregon Trail. In recent years, the group has forayed into original content, including their musical Firebringer as well as the Hatchetfield series encompassing both musicals and streamed content beginning with The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals.
StarKid and its members are associated with various other theater groups, most notably Tin Can Brothers and Shipwrecked Comedy.
Team StarKid has had two major moves since its founding in 2009. The first was to Chicago after the founders graduated from The University of Michigan. The second was to Los Angeles, corresponding with the production of ''The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals.''
Members
There have been many artists involved with StarKid projects over the years, and it's usual for actors to feature in a few of their productions as opposed to just one.Among the members who have been part of many of their projects, and can therefore be considered regular collaborators, are Julia Albain, Chris Allen, Clark Baxtresser, Jaime Lyn Beatty, Jeff Blim, Mariah Rose Faith Casillas, Darren Criss, Matt Dahan, Denise Donovan, Corey Dorris, Nick Gage, Angela Giarratana, Eric Kahn Gale, Brian Holden, A. J. Holmes, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Lauren Lopez, Corey Lubowich, Jon Matteson, Curt Mega, Joe Moses, Sarah Petty, Jim Povolo, Joey Richter, Brian Rosenthal, June Saito, Dylan Saunders, Meredith Stepien, Mark Swiderski, James Tolbert and Joseph Walker, Kim Whalen.
Several members of Team StarKid have gone on to notable careers in television or theatre. This includes Emmy Award winner Darren Criss, A. J. Holmes, Carlos Valdes, Britney Coleman, Mariah Rose Faith Casillas and musician and comedian Charlene Kaye was also one of Starkid's touring guitarists and opening act.
Musical theatre productions
''A Very Potter Musical'' (2009)
A Very Potter Musical was performed in April 2009 at the University of Michigan. It is based on the Harry Potter series and was released on YouTube on July 5, 2009.''Me and My Dick'' (2009)
Me and My Dick was performed in October 2009 at the University of Michigan. The musical was released on YouTube on November 13, 2009.''A Very Potter Sequel'' (2010)
A Very Potter Sequel was performed in May 2010 at the University of Michigan. It serves as the sequel to A Very Potter Musical and is also based on the Harry Potter series. It was released on July 22, 2010.''Starship'' (2011)
Starship was performed in February 2011 in Chicago. It is inspired by Starship Troopers and The Little Mermaid. It tells the story of Bug, a resident of a planet inhabited by insects, who dreams of becoming a Starship Ranger. However, he is unable to become one because he is not human. Starship was released on YouTube on April 30, 2011.In 2014, StarKid performed a sequel entitled Starship: Requiem. It was a one-time "theatrical reading" and is thus not included in their musical canon.