Every Team StarKid Musical Ranked

About a month ago, I got a YouTube recommendation which would come to define my summer. It was “Nerdy Prudes Must Die” by a YouTube channel called Team StarKid. I was in a musicals mood, so I thought “What the hell? Maybe it’ll be fun”. Little did I know that I’d spend the next few weeks binging every StarKid show which has ever been released.

Now that I’ve seen all fifteen (if there are more, I haven’t found them yet!), I want to rank them all and give my thoughts. I should probably warn you that I’m not a musicals connoisseur by any means, and I’m extremely late to the StarKid party and so my opinions will likely differ from the masses. So take these rankings with a grain of salt.

Before we begin, you can check out some of my related blog posts below:

Every “Les Misérables” Song Ranked

“Nerdy Prudes Must Die” – Songs Ranked

“The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” – Every Song Ranked

Harry Potter – All 10 Films Ranked (Including Fantastic Beasts)

Not For Me

None of the StarKid musicals were bad … but a couple of them were too different for my personal tastes.

15 – Me and My Dick

Best Song: “Listen to Your Heart”

The year is 2009. After the roaring success – both on-campus and online – of “A Very Potter Musical”, a young StarKid team decides to write and perform their next hit musical. Naturally, the members chose to make a story about a man and his … member.

I struggled to sit through this one. “Me and My Dick” is childish through and through, and the only song I really took away from it was “Listen to Your Heart”. At least Joey Richter and Joe Walker are charismatic in the leading roles.

Was it ahead of its time? Maybe. That’s what a lot of “Me and My Dick” fans claim, but I don’t think it’s particularly clever to write a musical about a dude and his talking knob. A comfortable last place if ever there was one.

14 – Ani: A Parody

Best Songs: “Ani” / “Back on Top”

I’ve seen a good chunk of the StarKid fanbase call “Ani” the most underrated / slept-on musical in StarKid’s catalogue. Good for them for liking it, I guess … but I really was not a fan.

On paper, it’s fine. Clark Baxtresser composed a fun soundtrack and the choreography is alright, but this feels more like a dance exhibition than a musical. All of the singing happens off stage, for starters, and so the central actor playing Anakin / Darth Vader doesn’t sing a note for the whole performance.

The jokes land. The music is okay. The “Homecoming” medley especially was enjoyable. But this is the least StarKid-feeling musical of them all.

Okay

I found these musicals quite underwhelming – especially compared to StarKid’s high standards.

13 – Holy Musical B@man!

Best Songs: “Dark, Sad, Lonely Knight” / “Rogues Are We”

I let the hype get to me for this one. I saw multiple people online ranking “Holy Musical B@man!” near the top of their own lists, and the superhero premise seemed like a slam dunk. After watching it, however, I couldn’t help but wonder if I watched the same musical as all these superfans.

You’ll come to notice in this ranking that I value plot more than most people, and this story of a petulant superhero making some friends just didn’t do it for me. I guess I’m too old for a supervillain who makes candy puns … and I guess I’m too woke for “Chinese Alfred”. That one made me wince.

The performances are fun, however, and the main takeaway was the banging, synth-heavy soundtrack. Songs like “Rogues Are We” and especially “Dark, Sad, Lonely Knight” are bops.

12 – A Very Potter Sequel

Best Songs: “Not Over Yet” / “Harry Freakin’ Potter” / “Days Of Summer”

I watched all three of the Very Potter Musicals in a row, which was maybe a poor idea in hindsight. It meant that the middle chapter, “A Very Potter Sequel”, ended up blending together with the first one.

The best part about it was seeing how excited the audience was. “A Very Potter Musical” had become a hit by this point, so this cast were probably being treated like royalty on-campus. In that sense, they gave the audience a show to remember.

The soundtrack is also excellent – I’d say it’s on-par with the other Potter musicals. “Not Over Yet” perhaps sold me a dream, because I was expecting that level of intensity throughout and that sadly didn’t happen. Still, what a great opening number!

But, like in “Holy Musical B@man”, it was the plot that let me down. It’s a sequel which is actually a prequel, and they tried to cram in the Time Turner / Sirius Black / Umbridge plotlines into one story, and so none of them get the development they deserve. I’m also a little on the fence about that Umbridge portrayal. It seems in poor taste by today’s standards … but hey, at least Joe Walker was slaying.

Good

I enjoyed these musicals a lot, though I felt they were lacking in some key areas. Let’s just say they aren’t winning any Tony awards any time soon.

11 – Black Friday

Best Songs: “Feast or Famine” / “What If Tomorrow Comes”

I know this will be controversial, as “Black Friday” was a hit with the StarKid fanbase, but I found this to be one of their most forgettable shows. I toyed with whether to downgrade it to “Okay”, but I think it barely makes the “Good” tier. Barely.

The main problem “Black Friday” has is that it’s the most serious StarKid show by a country mile. At first I was on-board with this darker and more self-serious tone, but I quickly realised that a serious show would be more prone to critique. At least when they were parodying something, or making an otherwise sillier show, it was easy to brush off any criticisms and just enjoy the ride.

So what did I not like about it? Well, the soundtrack for a start. After consideration, I think this is my least favourite StarKid soundtrack (aside from “Me and My Dick” … but even that was arguably more charming). Songs like “CaliforM.I.A.” are among my least favourite StarKid songs. Lyrically, a lot of the songs felt shallow, as if they were first drafts.

I also wasn’t a fan of the story. The plot involves a bunch of shoppers going crazy over a doll, which is a good hook … but then the characters meander from scene to scene after that. Joey Richter’s intense and otherworldly villain just disappears at one point – I presume he was killed off-camera when the first bomb went off. And the dark ending, even if “What If Tomorrow Comes” was a good closing song, didn’t hit as much as I think the writers hoped it would.

All that being said, I can appreciate the creative risk Team StarKid took by going for a darker tone. The characters felt more real, the performances were more grounded, and the plot took some really interesting turns. I had to give bonus points for predicting the Labubu craze half a decade early!

10 – A Very Potter Senior Year

Best Songs: “Everything Ends” / “I’m Just a Sidekick” / “When I Was”

Let’s not sugar-coat it – this is “Fan Service” the show. That might make “A Very Potter Senior Year” lesser to some, but I had a blast watching it. I can only imagine how hype this would have been to OG fans of the Potter musicals!

On paper, I’d say this is almost on-par with the first Potter musical. There are some really great songs here like “Everything Ends” and “I’m Just a Sidekick” (go get ’em, Joey!), and I found the plot to be much stronger here than in “A Very Potter Sequel”. Having Joe Walker’s Voldemort back as the villain certainly helped.

The main thing holding this back is that it was a one-off show at a fan convention. This meant that there was hardly any time to rehearse – so most actors are reading directly from scripts whilst on-stage – and a few of the songs felt cobbled-together at the last second.

If this had been a proper production, with enough time to rehearse and fine-tune the songs, this would’ve been a perfect end to StarKid’s most iconic trilogy.

9 – The Trail to Oregon!

Best Songs: “Wagon on Fire” / “When the World’s at Stake”

The year is 2014. Team StarKid decides to run two shows simultaneously for the first time in their history. Most of the team go off to make their Star Wars parody “Ani”, a sure-fire hit. The remaining members are stuck with Jeff Blim’s bizarre musical about a computer game from the 70’s. Out of the two, this one seemed destined to crash and burn … and yet “The Trail to Oregon!” remains a cult classic in the StarKid fandom (and you know my opinions on “Ani”!).

It’s an odd, low-budget production with very few actors (poor Joey Richter has to play almost every supporting role), but it won me over with its comedy and heart. This is one of the funniest StarKid shows for sure, and tracks like “When the World’s at Stake” get surprisingly emotional.

I was going to put this in the “Great” tier … until the ending. One of the quirks of this musical is that the live audience got to choose which of the five family members to kill, but it doesn’t matter in the end because they all survive and get “Naked in a Lake”. At least “Black Friday” had a good song to go with its underwhelming ending – this just fell flat on all fronts!

It’s also a much slower-paced show than the others. It relies on the characters to provide the comedy and general engagement, which works at points and doesn’t in others. Luckily, six of the best StarKids are in it, so it’s hard to find a truly dull scene.

I can see this being the kind of show which is better live. It’s improv-heavy in terms of the character names and the choice of ending, and I imagine the energy in the room was electric.

8 – Starship

Best Songs: “Kick It Up A Notch” / “The Way I Do”

After two Potter parodies and a musical about a guy and his little guy, Team StarKid finally graduated away from the safety of their university and braved the dreaded general public. “Starship” was their first “real” performance as a troupe in that regard, and I think they did an impressive job.

First and foremost, the production values are outstanding considering what was no doubt a tight budget. The puppetry is all top-notch, and the costuming, set design and props all served their purpose too.

The main criticism that I and many others have is that it’s both too long and there aren’t enough songs – something theatre critics at the time even wrote into their reviews. Tracks like “Kick It Up A Notch” are amongst the best StarKid songs ever … so why aren’t there more of them? How do you write a three hour “musical” and only have about eight songs?

If any classic StarKid show deserves a modern “Remount”, it’s this one. The premise and the characters are strong enough for this to be a great story, so imagine how awesome it would be with more songs and even better staging!

Great

I would recommend these productions to any musical theatre fan – even those who aren’t familiar with Team StarKid.

7 – Firebringer

Best Songs: “Climate Change” / “We Got Work to Do”

Opinions of “Firebringer” seem to be mixed. Some fans call it aimless and say it has a weak soundtrack. Others see it as an evolution of StarKid’s style and an all-round fun romp. I’m in the latter category.

To me, this is the epitome of StarKid’s silliness. This isn’t an epic tale of the cavemen who discovered fire and evolved civilization – it’s the story of their stupid arguments and how they set their butts on fire. Not a classy premise by any means, but I was sold.

I’m also, it seems, one of the few champions of this soundtrack. Mark Swiderski and StarKid regular Meredith Stepien combined to create a percussive soundtrack which evokes the primitive feel of the era, and some individual songs like “Climate Change” and “We Got Work to Do” have gone beyond the StarKid fandom and have entered internet pop culture at large.

I’m a bit mixed on how out of left-field that ending was … but oh well. No musical is perfect – comedy musicals especially.

6 – Cinderella’s Castle

Best Songs: “Facade” / “Ash to Ash”

The most recent StarKid musical at the time of writing (“Tomb Quest” is currently on stage in LA, but I’m sure it won’t come to YouTube until next year). “Cinderella’s Castle” is a dark fantasy spin on a classic tale, and Team StarKid knocked the revenge narrative out of the park.

Everyone is perfectly cast, but Bryce Charles in particular kills it in the central role. She completely sells the part with emotion and sincerity, and the high budget backdrops, costumes and props marks a step up for StarKid’s set design. This has some of their best puppet work since “Starship”!

The story was engaging, the songs were great, so the only thing holding it back is that the humour didn’t do it for me. It felt too … commercialized? I dunno. I’m used to the low budget, familial feel of previous StarKid shows, so the crass humour but in a pristine package felt odd to me. I don’t know how else to explain it. Still, this was an entertaining ride from start to finish.

5 – A Very Potter Musical

Best Songs: “Granger Danger” / “Goin’ Back to Hogwarts” / “To Dance Again”

“A Very Potter Musical” is – and I apologize for the unintended pun as it’s the only way I can describe it – magical. It’s the kind of lightning in a bottle which deserves adoration, so I’m not surprised that it became a YouTube sensation back in 2009.

What should’ve been a rudimentary student-led parody ended up being an uproarious, intelligent and surprisingly well-rounded musical. Almost every song here is now iconic – especially tracks like “Goin’ Back to Hogwarts” and “Granger Danger” – and many of the scenes and jokes land far better than I was expecting.

I think what I appreciated most is that it wasn’t just the Harry Potter / Darren Criss show. Every character gets their chance to shine, and we as the audience were therefore introduced to a whole cast of talented StarKids in one fell swoop. “A Very Potter Musical” set the foundation for everything that came after, and there are now millions of StarKids fans who can be incredibly thankful for this first foray into the wizarding world.

Is it perfect? I’d say no. It’s a little rough around the edges at points, and some of the plotlines are sped through and don’t get much of a resolution (Draco didn’t seem to notice that Ron got with Hermione, for example …). I didn’t care, though, because I was having such a blast.

4 – VHS Christmas Carols

Best Songs: “Christmas Electricity” / “3 Spirits” / “Priceless”

Why did no one warn me that “VHS Christmas Carols” would slap? I left it until last during my StarKid binge because I assumed it was a secondary show, but it has one of the best soundtracks and tightest narratives of the bunch!

The version I watched first (and my favourite) just had the Scrooge story, but the “full” version has three short stories stitched together. It runs as a very different show to the other StarKid productions … In fact, “VHS Christmas Carols” is the closest we’ve come to another “Ani” since 2014.

Full credit has to be given to Clark Baxtresser’s amazing 80’s themed soundtrack. Despite there being minimal set design and choreography, it’s the soundtrack and the vocal performances which take this up a notch. Add to that the foundation of a great story courtesy of Charles Dickens and you get one of the most consistent StarKid shows to date.

Amazing

These three musicals went above and beyond my expectations. In fact, I’d say they rival any musical I’ve seen. Whether you’re a musical fanatic or a casual like me, there’s plenty of joy to be had with these.

3 – The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals

Best Songs: “Inevitable” / “Let It Out” / “Show Stoppin Number”

For many, “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” has become THE quintessential StarKid show. It proudly displays their comedic chops and killer songwriting, but it also has a plot which caught many – myself included – off-guard.

The premise – a musical-averse Average Joe suddenly getting thrust into a horrific pandemic where everyone around him starts to sing – blends the perfect balance of goofy and intense. A lot of the best StarKid characters and songs are in this one production, and its ending has stuck with me ever since I first watched it.

My main complaint has to do with its pacing – an issue I’ve seen other critics point to as well. Due to the “uninfected” cast not wanting to join in with the singing, that means the soundtrack is mostly back-loaded (after people get infected) and the characters never feel like they have a lot of agency. There’s a stretch in the middle of the musical where I felt as though the characters were either biding their time or off doing side quests … but then the final half an hour made me forget all my criticisms and cemented this as a modern classic.

And no, I’m not going rank the original and the “Remount” separately as they’re both great for different reasons. The original is a tighter, funnier, more electric show. The “Remount” has better stageing, choreography and singing, and so is the more “professional” version. I loved them both equally.

2 – Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Best Songs: “Bully The Bully” / “Hatchet Town” / “Literal Monster”

I’m a bit biased towards “Nerdy Prudes Must Die” because it was the first StarKid musical I watched, and so it will always have a special place in my heart. That being said, I think it’s objectively an uproarious ride.

This musical is all killer no filler. It sets up the characters, themes and main conflict quickly, subverts it at the halfway point, and then the second half of the musical is an intense battle for survival which veers into the supernatural.

I have to give a major shout-out to Max Jagerman, who is probably my favourite StarKid character. Will Branner came in for his first StarKid show and absolutely stole every scene he was in. He’s hilarious, he’s intimidating, and you can’t look away even if you wanted to. His voice is also one of the strongest of any StarKid cast.

I almost put “Nerdy Prudes Must Die” as my number one … but I’m not big on its ending. “Best of You” is a very cheesy closing song, and then the final scene (which I won’t spoil) was too random for my tastes. While the musical’s ending was underwhelming, however, the resolution to the Max Jagerman main plot hit all the right notes.

Other than the last couple of numbers, this is in serious contention for my favourite StarKid soundtrack. Jeff Blim once again serves up the goods, and tracks like “Bury the Bully” and “Hatchet Town” are modern StarKid classics.

1 – Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier

Best Songs: “Twisted” / “No One Remembers Achmed” / “Happy Ending”

I remember finishing “Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier” and thinking “Huh, that was better than I expected. Definitely in my top five StarKid shows”. Then I let it sit with me for a while, and eventually it settled in second place behind “Nerdy Prudes Must Die”. But when I began writing this list … I can’t explain it. My heart told me to put it top spot, so that’s what I did.

This might be the perfect musical parody. Regardless of whether you’ve seen “Aladdin” (or, like me, you’d forgotten most of the details) the jokes all still land and the songs are all fantastic – and if you’re an “Aladdin” fan these jokes and references work ten times better. I could maybe point to “Orphaned at Thirty-Three” as being my least favourite number, but every song here is far better than it has any right to be.

What shocked me most was the story and its characters. Every new characterization of these pre-established Disney characters is subversive and, dare I say, better than the original. I found Jafar and Aladdin in particular to be much more interesting than their movie counterparts.

And that ending! I go back and forth as to whether this or “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” has the best StarKid ending, because the way “Twisted” ties everything together is both satisfying and incredibly emotional. Who wouldn’t shed a tear during “The Power in Me” or the “Thousand and One Nights” reprise? And how on earth did a joke about an inverted penis become crucial to the plot?

This kind of parody only comes around once per generation. If StarKid never reaches the highs of “Twisted” again, I wouldn’t mind. They’ve left behind such an incredible catalogue of comedy musicals, and their legacy will no doubt be as illustrious as any theatre company of our era.

Aaaand that’s my list! If you liked this post and want to support me, please consider giving me a one-time donation. Even a few pence (or whatever currency you use) is fantastic! I’ve never monetized this blog before, but it would be great if I could do this comfortably and not have to worry about the yearly website domain costs. Thank you so much!