Showing posts with label Joey Richter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joey Richter. Show all posts
A Very Potter Sequel Review
Posted by Should I See It
on
Sunday, July 25, 2010
, under
A Very Potter Musical review,
A Very Potter Sequel,
Bonnie Gruesen,
Brian Holden,
Darren Criss,
Harry Potter,
Joey Richter,
Matt Lang,
musical,
Nick Lang,
Team Star Kid
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comments (0)
Show: A Very Potter Sequel
Presented By: Team StarKid
Director: Matt Lang
Starring: Darren Criss, Joey Richter, Bonnie Gruesen, Lauren Lopez, Joe Walker and Brian Holden.
Plot: Lucius Malfoy is up to no good. He turns back time to try and kill Harry Potter during his first year at Hogwarts School and Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Big things have happened to Team StarKid in the year since A Very Potter Musical became an accidental international internet phenomenon. Their other major non-Potter outing, the musical Me and My Dick, was the first student-made musical to hit the Billboard cast recording charts. Over the weekend, their compilation album, A Very StarKid Album, trumped Lady Gaga and Glee on the ITunes album charts.
So it is no wonder that the announcement of A Very Potter Sequel on the first of January this year was greeted with rabid excitement and anticipation. After the live performances in May and its video premiere at Potter convention Infinitus, A Very Potter Sequel finally hit the internet on the 22nd of July.
A Very Potter Sequel doesn’t quite live up to the impossibly high standard set by A Very Potter Musical. The plot doesn’t flow nearly as well; it’s not as streamlined as it was in A Very Potter Musical. Lucius Malfoy’s desire to get rid of Harry Potter begins the show, and we expect it to be the main drive of the plot, but the show gets side-tracked; making it feel like the show lacks a clear focus.
Turning back time sends us back to Harry Potter first goes to Hogwarts, and it feels like a lot of recapping: The returning characters don’t really develop much more. I guess that is part of the dilemma of the time travel scenario: How do you develop characters backwards?
There are a lot of references to A Very Potter Musical: which start out cute, but get old really quickly. A lot of enjoyment of the show relies on a solid knowledge of AVPM, which means A Very Potter Sequel never really invents anything for itself. And for this reason, A Very Potter Sequel never really hits the mark set by A Very Potter Musical.
I remember after watching A Very Potter Musical for the first time I had “Going Back to Hogwarts”, “Granger Danger” and “Ginny” stuck in my head on a constant loop. The score doesn’t have the same sticking power this time around. The line “He’s Harry Freakin’ Potter” from the song of the same name comes closest to being catchy, as does Umbridge’s disco number ‘You Were Never My Lover (Stutter)”. A few other songs create nice theatrical moments: “Those Voices” where Harry sees his parents in the Mirror of Erised is incredibly poignant, and Criss shows his adoration of Disney composers Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (check out his Disney covers on YouTube) in Harry’s solo upon arrival at Hogwarts ‘To Have a Home’.
The choreography by James Tolbert is great! I particularly loved his work in “Harry Freaking Potter” and “You Were Never My Lover (Stutter).” Tolbert also demonstrates great imagination in staging the Quidditch match number “Let the Games Begin.”
A Very Potter Sequel doesn’t quite live up to the impossibly high standard set by A Very Potter Musical. The plot doesn’t flow nearly as well; it’s not as streamlined as it was in A Very Potter Musical. Lucius Malfoy’s desire to get rid of Harry Potter begins the show, and we expect it to be the main drive of the plot, but the show gets side-tracked; making it feel like the show lacks a clear focus.
Turning back time sends us back to Harry Potter first goes to Hogwarts, and it feels like a lot of recapping: The returning characters don’t really develop much more. I guess that is part of the dilemma of the time travel scenario: How do you develop characters backwards?
There are a lot of references to A Very Potter Musical: which start out cute, but get old really quickly. A lot of enjoyment of the show relies on a solid knowledge of AVPM, which means A Very Potter Sequel never really invents anything for itself. And for this reason, A Very Potter Sequel never really hits the mark set by A Very Potter Musical.
I remember after watching A Very Potter Musical for the first time I had “Going Back to Hogwarts”, “Granger Danger” and “Ginny” stuck in my head on a constant loop. The score doesn’t have the same sticking power this time around. The line “He’s Harry Freakin’ Potter” from the song of the same name comes closest to being catchy, as does Umbridge’s disco number ‘You Were Never My Lover (Stutter)”. A few other songs create nice theatrical moments: “Those Voices” where Harry sees his parents in the Mirror of Erised is incredibly poignant, and Criss shows his adoration of Disney composers Alan Menken and Howard Ashman (check out his Disney covers on YouTube) in Harry’s solo upon arrival at Hogwarts ‘To Have a Home’.
The choreography by James Tolbert is great! I particularly loved his work in “Harry Freaking Potter” and “You Were Never My Lover (Stutter).” Tolbert also demonstrates great imagination in staging the Quidditch match number “Let the Games Begin.”
While all of the actors are back, not all of the characters return. Our old favourites Criss, Richter, Gruesen and Lopez are in great form. But for those in new roles, the actors show how talented and versatile they really are. After are five second cameo as Ginny Weasley, Jamie-Lynn Beatty is excellent as Rita Skeeter. Joe Walker as Umbridge is an inspired piece of casting.
Tyler Brunsman, Cedric Diggory in A Very Potter Musical, is in his element as Lucius Malfoy. Not only does he look great in the tight pants and blonde wing, but he prances around the stage with such flair, that he steals every scene he is in (I will never be able to look at Jason Isaacs [Lucius Malfoy in the films] the same way). After this performance, I would love to see him as Cinderella’s Prince in Into the Woods.
Don’t get me wrong, there is fun to be had with A Very Potter Sequel. Matt Lang is proving himself to be an incredibly solid director; the use of puppetry is great; I never knew you could have so much fun opening the door to a train carriage and I will laugh whenever someone asks “did you get my text?”
I will watch anything and everything produced by Team StarKid because they are incredibly talented. I love the fact that they are making things happen for themselves. There’s a reason that they have experienced the success that they have!
Should I See It?
For StarKid fans only. Make sure you have seen A Very Potter Musical first.
All images courtesy of Team StarKid.
A Very Potter Musical Review
Posted by Should I See It
on
Monday, September 21, 2009
, under
A Very Potter Musical review,
AJ Holmes,
Bonnie Gruesen,
Darren Criss,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,
Joey Richter,
Matt Lang,
Nick Lang Brian Holden
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comments (9)
Show: A Very Potter Musical
Presented by: TeamStarKid
Directed by: Matt Lang
Starring: Darren Criss, Joey Richter, Bonnie Gruesen, Jaime-Lynn Beatty, Lauren Lopez, Joe Walker.
Plot: Combining the best bits of JK Rowling's books, Harry Potter sets off to Hogwarts for a music filled adventure!
Harry Potter loves Ginny Weasley, his Firebolt and…… Zac Efron?
Yes, you read correctly, ZAC EFRON.
Well that’s according to A Very Potter Musical, a deliciously warm musical parody of the world’s favourite boy wizard that’s setting YouTube ablaze.
The musical, written, directed and starring students and recent graduates of the University of Michigan combines the best parts of the seven novels by JK Rowling to create nearly three hours of music filled magical mayhem.
The songs by AJ Holmes and Darren Criss are incredibly catchy. The opening number, 'Goin’ Back to Hogwarts', filled with witty lines like "No way this year anyone’s gonna die", is a light rock style tune imbedded deep within musical theatre tradition, reminiscent of 'Good Morning Baltimore' from Hairspray or 'Twenty Million People' from My Favourite Year. The big Act 2 ballad 'Not Alone', while played for laughs, accurately reflects themes of love and friendship from the books. And all that is missing from the 11 o'clock number 'Voldemort is Going Down' is a big flag to make it a true parody of Les Miserables.
Yes, you read correctly, ZAC EFRON.
Well that’s according to A Very Potter Musical, a deliciously warm musical parody of the world’s favourite boy wizard that’s setting YouTube ablaze.
The musical, written, directed and starring students and recent graduates of the University of Michigan combines the best parts of the seven novels by JK Rowling to create nearly three hours of music filled magical mayhem.
The songs by AJ Holmes and Darren Criss are incredibly catchy. The opening number, 'Goin’ Back to Hogwarts', filled with witty lines like "No way this year anyone’s gonna die", is a light rock style tune imbedded deep within musical theatre tradition, reminiscent of 'Good Morning Baltimore' from Hairspray or 'Twenty Million People' from My Favourite Year. The big Act 2 ballad 'Not Alone', while played for laughs, accurately reflects themes of love and friendship from the books. And all that is missing from the 11 o'clock number 'Voldemort is Going Down' is a big flag to make it a true parody of Les Miserables.
Lauren Lopez as Draco Malfoy
The script by Matt Lang, Nick Lang and Brian Holden is remarkably clever and also incredibly skillful. They have expertly slimmed down the seven novels into one cohesive and, most importantly, entertaining story! They also delivered some great lines: "Oh My God, Hermione! Shut Up!" being one of my particular favourites! There are so many great lines that if I tried to list them all I would end up writing out half the show!
The direction (something that has been overlooked in the praise of the show) is also very good. Matt Lang navigates the material with confidence. There is a scrappiness to this production that makes it endearing. While taking on the beloved series would seem like a challenge to some, this production is happy not to take itself too seriously.
However, what really brings this show to life is the incredibly talented cast. They are all clearly excited and passionate about their show. They all ‘get’ the humour and know exactly what kind of show they are putting on.
The direction (something that has been overlooked in the praise of the show) is also very good. Matt Lang navigates the material with confidence. There is a scrappiness to this production that makes it endearing. While taking on the beloved series would seem like a challenge to some, this production is happy not to take itself too seriously.
However, what really brings this show to life is the incredibly talented cast. They are all clearly excited and passionate about their show. They all ‘get’ the humour and know exactly what kind of show they are putting on.
Joey Richter (Ron), Darren Criss (Harry) and Bonnie Gruesen (Hermione).
Darren Criss, Joey Richter and Bonnie Gruesen as Harry, Ron and Hermione have a chemistry and a believability that is surprisingly missing from their cinematic counterparts. Ironically, I never noticed how weak the chemistry was between Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson until I saw Criss, Ritcher and Gruesen’s performances. Criss is particularly appealing as Harry. They also fit the roles better physically: Harry actually has messy black hair, Ron is actually tall, and Hermione has bushy hair.
There seems to be a lot of fan love for Lauren Lopez (Draco Malfoy) and Joseph Walker (a very buff Lord Voldermort), and deservedly so (they are both hilarious), but my personal favourites are Tyler Brunsman as Cedric Diggory (sincere apologies to the Robert Pattinson fan girls, but this guy is loads better) and Lily Marks as a scene stealing Molly Weasley.
Though, I feel it is unfair to single out any of the performers. There is not a weak link in the bunch. It truly is an ensemble production. Everyone seems to be having a great time and their energy spills over onto the audience.
Joe Walker as Lord Voldemort
As goofy and screwball as the musical is, there are moments of seriousness that show just how talented the cast is. Several times during the show I closed my eyes and hoped that the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows film would deal with certain plot points half as well as A Very Potter Musical did (the aftermath of Ron’s encounter with the Horcrux being one of them). Actually, the people a Warner Brothers could learn a thing or two from the StarKid team about how to condense a book and still have a cohesive story. The also could learn how to intergrate Ginny Weasley into the plot without having a totally whatthe? moment! (For more details, please see my rant on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince).
I can't help but compare A Very Potter Musical to the Lynn Ahrens/ Stephen Flaherty musical Lucky Stiff. They both share the same kind of wacky humour, with characters being thrust into increasingly ridiculous situations that make perfect sense in the world of the show, they both have witty lyrics that you can listen to over and over again and, most importantly, tunes that are memorable.
I know that a Broadway (or Off-Broadway) transfer is impossible, but if my fantasy world were to become a reality and it dd transfer to Broadway: what musical number would they sing at the Tony Awards???
I can't help but compare A Very Potter Musical to the Lynn Ahrens/ Stephen Flaherty musical Lucky Stiff. They both share the same kind of wacky humour, with characters being thrust into increasingly ridiculous situations that make perfect sense in the world of the show, they both have witty lyrics that you can listen to over and over again and, most importantly, tunes that are memorable.
I know that a Broadway (or Off-Broadway) transfer is impossible, but if my fantasy world were to become a reality and it dd transfer to Broadway: what musical number would they sing at the Tony Awards???
I can’t wait to see these guys in a Broadway show (obviously no AVPM). Or somebody give these kids a guest spot on GLEE, at the very least!
Should I See It?
Yes, especially if you are a fan of Harry Potter or musicals! Or both!
The cast of A Very Potter Musical.
Just be warned: make sure you have plenty of time to kill. The show is nearly three hours long. Remember to factor in time for YouTube to load.
View A Very Potter Musical here.
Download the soundtrack from here. Since you don’t have to pay for the soundtrack, remember to donate to StarKid so they can keep producing totally awesome stuff!)
