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misagenda · 5 months

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Listen Up Starkids

if you continue taking advantage of Team Starkid’s tireless generosity and loyalty

they will no longer work as hard to provide accessible theatre and FREE content to fans

but more importantly, it’s fucking disrespectful

just look at the many faces of disappointment ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

feel shame & do better

#starkid #team starkid #vhscc #vhsccs #vhs christmas carols #meredith stepien #clark baxtresser #jaime lyn beatty #curt mega #lauren lopez #joey richter #brian holden #ali gordon #janaya mahealani jones #jamie burns #aj holmes #james tolbert #angela kiessel #satan is a real man and he’s disappointed in you

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fictionalheroine · 4 months

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VHS CHRISTMAS CAROL: LIVE!

#vhs christmas carols #vhscc #Starkid #team starkid #dylan saunders #meredith stepien #jaime lyn beatty #janaya mahealani jones #brian rosenthal #james tolbert #joey richter #lauren lopez #brian holden #jamie burns #corey dorris #aj holmes #happy holidays yall #see you next year #hfgifs

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man-down-in-hatchet-town · 5 months

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VHSCC OH MY GOD

(no spoilers)

Starkid nation, you aren't ready.

So let's start with the obvious. Look, I spent thirteen years growing up with Starkid. That initial Michigan gang are deeply special to me and I will always miss Dylan, Brian R., and Corey in any show they aren't in. And this one's no different. But just as Janaya came in and took over Belle from Britney so flawlessly, Curt, Brian, and AJ were all WONDERFUL in their new roles. The gentle-but-high-energy, truly decent, romantic himbo charm Curt brought to our Springsteen boy Jim (you all are going to LOVE Jim, I promise) perfectly offset the defiant, sneering anger of Young Scrooge in "That Scrooge." Brian's reactions (particularly to the "rather take my own life" line) were so funny and some of my favorite parts of the show. And AJ... this is now my favorite thing AJ has ever done. And that's saying something. The smaller casting shake-up moments (Joey as Fezziwig, other little line re-distributions) were so fun as well!

The new act 1 is PERFECTION. I was actually surprised by how absolutely hysterical it was? Like, I won't tell you what was up with that clip on Instagram of Brian, Lauren, and Joey doing a freak-out dance, but I can tell you that their whole Act 1 deal threatened to steal the show every. Single. Time. I already mentioned Curt as Jim, but you will also love Della, who is so funny and real and truly carries us through the start of the show (Janaya is a STAR and she Curt have brilliant chemistry). Ali did a terrific job of balancing the sadness and hope that are both at the center of the devastating little Match Girl. And Jamie's Grandma... well, honestly I have no idea how to talk about Jamie's song without giving stuff away.

But the real star of the show in Act 1, as he should be, was our man Clark. I can't emphasize enough how much he nailed the writing of this whole new act. I mentioned that the new stuff is hilarious, but it's also deeply heartfelt, and also sad exactly when it needs to be. Like, the transition after Jamie's song? I can't really talk about it yet, but what that moment does with emotion is unreal. And, as expected, every song is a banger! My one complaint about this show, and it IS a big one, is that there is no cast recording of the Act 1 songs. I want to listen to them all the time.

But the good news is, I CAN listen to Christmas Carol as much as I want! The classic that started it all is back, with so many people reprising the hell out of their truly iconic roles (God I love the VHS Cratchits), and better than ever. I traditionally hate change, and I love the version of VHSCC Live! we already have so much, but I think I somehow loved this version even more? The staging is alive and clever and there are some additions and changes, particularly in "Final Ghost"/"Christmas Day," that frankly blew my mind and somehow managed to elevate the material even further. I can't wait for the digital ticket to come out so that I can talk about them. To put it simply, James Tolbert mastered his Starkid directorial debut like you won't believe. I'm so proud of him and grateful for the larger role he's taken in Starkid since they moved base to LA.

Also, the Ghost of Christmas Past is extra unhinged this year? Jaime pulled out all of the impish stops and it was the BEST.

Basically, everyone more than delivered. I haven't talked about Meredith yet but she rocked it in the band and continued to validate the hell out of my opinion that "3 Spirits" is the dark horse best song in the show.

And a special shout-out to June Saito for continuing to be a costuming GENIUS. I always love her work and this production is no exception. I honestly wanted to give the return of the Bob Cratchit costume its own round of applause.

You know, the world is a mess and everything is pretty much terrible. It's been a hard year in an impossible decade. But every once in a while you come across some art that takes all of that, acknowledges the truth of it, and somehow pulls back the curtains to harness the joy and hope that's still there under the rubble. To me, Starkid in particular has always been about finding and holding onto the hope and the beauty and humanity that allows us to endure an existence that can so often feel bleak. And VHSCC is maybe the most perfect encapsulation of that idea.

So thank you Clark, James, Meredith, Brian, and everyone who worked so hard on this little bit of magic. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Let's make a little light.

#apologies for any typos it is late and I've had a wild day #Also shout out to Meredith for the number of times she teared up while playing in the band #she is so real for that #starkid #team starkid #vhscc #vhs christmas carols #clark baxtresser #james tolbert #AJ Holmes #Meredith Stepien #Brian Holden #Janaya Mahealani Jones #Jamie Burns #Lauren Lopez #Ali Gordon #Curt Mega #Joey Richter #Jaime Lyn Beatty

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its-short-for-jackalope · 5 months

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"You don't know what this cost!"

"You don't know what you've lost..."

click for quality!

reblogs are awesome, don't repost ✌🏻

I'd say something about the process of making this but my brain is just going aaaaa VHS Christmas Carols my beloved <3 so I guess that's all you get, sorry.

AJ and Curt were both amazing as the Scrooges this year, and I am soooo excited to watch the show again now that I've finally finished this artwork. best motivator ever when Ye Olde Procrastination started kicking in.

(this show is so good! you should watch it! get a ticket and watch it now! for your own sake, listen to Jake Jack!)

#hi dont look at the light and shadows too closely i am. insecure. <3 #been working on this for a few days and I am TIRED of it. but like mostly super happy with it. <3 #jack jabbers #vhs christmas carols #vhscc #vhsmas #vhscc 2023 #vhscc chicago #vhscc fanart #starkid #team starkid #curt mega #aj holmes #digital art #clip studio paint #csp #artists on tumblr #colored text

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parttimesarah · 4 months

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You have until the end of December to rent the show!

#SO HAPPY TO HAVE MET YOU!!!#one of my favorite silly bits from #vhsccs #you just have to imagine Clark laughing in the background of the second and third one #vhs christmas carols #vhs christmas carol #vhsccs spoilers #team starkid #starkid #christmas carol #aj holmes #lauren lopez #i made these #use them wisely… or not

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trash-gremlin · 4 months

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VHS Christmas Carols Spoilers

a bunch of my favourite parts and reactions in the VHS Christmas Carols bc i think it needs more love (its incredible btw and definitely worth the money)

i will never get over curts acting choices for this line, the little laugh before saying it and his FACE OH MY GOSH HIS ACTINGGGGGG

maybe the real gift was the love we had for each other and the sacrifices we were willing to make to make the other one happy

these three and their vogue-esque gay ass little song is the only thing that matters to me

it took me forever to turn that into a gif so i hope you enjoy it as much as i do

their reactions to the match girl showing up + brian mouthing "what the"

again laurens reaction to the match girl

ugh ATE

smth i only noticed on like the third rewatch - you can see scrooge holding and inspecting the watch he bought off jim when he bumps into the match girl

this is here bc they all look very good in that lighting especially lauren

embarrassing to admit it took me until here to realise that the match girl died

ajs little smile makes it feel like scrooge is taunting bob here and i love ittttt especially as hes calling him bobby

THIS

the ghost of christmas past jumping rope + scrooge being confused and doing it too

meredith lighting the ghost of christmas past's cigarette

scrooge basically begs his younger self in this scene, i absolutely love ajs choices in this show as scrooge. also i am such a huge fan of this casting not only because they are both phenomenal actors that i will never shut up about but they genuinely look similar and it works very well in this context

scrooge honey you cant fight the christmas electricity

HUGE dad energy

the top of his tiny tim shirt poking out + he looks really good here

funny little thing i noticed - his shirt isnt buttoned, just folded over itself. in the actual show you can see him tuck it under his jacket those quick changes must be killing them

the way he begs them and they dont even react.. paired with the music and this is horror movie level stuff

he got his watch back :,)

no im not crying, i have allergies... yea im allergic to being sad

i went back and made it a gif bc LOOK. LOOK AT HIS ACTING OH MY GOD. IF YOU COULD HEAR THE WAY HE SAID IT YOUD BE JUST AS INSANE AS ME HOLY SHITTTTTTT

this show is incredible go rent it right now if you havnt seen it, go rent it again if you have, and sacrifice all of your money and worldly possessions to starkid thank you and goodnight

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kala-mies · 5 months

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God's most anxious werewolf ACCOUNTANT

#click for better quality as always #tcb #tin can bros #wayward guide #wayward guide for the untrained eye #wwg #wgftue #sybilus silver II #aj holmes #big fan of this guy! and the series in general in case you couldn't tell from me reblogging every gif I could find #kala art #really struggled with this one but eventually just decided 'you know what Good Enough'

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weltato · 4 months

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OKOKOK-

so y'know how Marley is lit up in blue when he arrives and forces Scrooge to sit down and look at him??

SCROOGE DOES THE SAME THING TO BOB KINDA

LOOK AT THAT! LOOKIT! It's harder to see, but Scrooge does in fact have red light on him.

Scrooge tells Bob to wait because he has one more thing (Bah Humbug) to say...

HE STOPS HIM AND GETS HIM TO SIT BACK DOWN!

Remember Jacob Marley??

HE DOES THE SAME THING!! Oh boy, if the chain symbolism wasn't enough. (also also um red/blue dynamic)

Also uh-

You wanna know what Marley's dance reminds me of?

StarKid really likes that move, huh?

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dotrousersmatter · 5 months

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Okay but AJ as Scooge really fucks; he's really acting with his whole broadway ass

#.txt #starkid #vhscc #aj holmes

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ace7librarian · 5 months

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I think after vhscc starkid should just have aj cameo as Scrooge in every project. A hatchetfield project? Scrooge refusing to give charity. Avpm? Scrooge walking in the background. Tto? Scrooge. Firebringer? Scrooge. Twisted? Scrooge.

#vhscc spoilers #vhscc #starkid #vhs christmas carol #vhs christmas carols #aj holmes #rambling in librarian

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honeyspawn · 4 months

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I finally watched VHS Christmas Carol Live last night, and I loved it! I wanted to give some initial thoughts:

The music SLAPS! Like, so good! I'm not usually much of an 80's pop person, but honestly it was bop after bop the whole time. Bah Humbug, That Scrooge, Christmas Electricity, and Priceless were all highlights for me. I think what sold it for me was how lyrically tight it was, and how strong the emotions were. Telling a story entirely through song is no easy feat, but they absolutely nailed the structure and pacing.

Speaking of the emotions, Christmas Carol has been adapted so many times, that it's really important to hit all the emotional beats to sell the spirit of the story, and VHS delivers. I feel like many adaptations go all in on the misery, regret, and sorrow of the story, and only really bring the cheer and warmth in at the very end. VHS really embraces not only the somber parts of the tale, but the joyful parts too. Fezziwig's Chistmas party, Fred's party, and the Crachit's family dinner all really portray the joyfullness of the season and how that joyfullness can come from many places. It really strengthens the message of the story in a way that adaptations focused only on the bleak aspects miss.

In terms of actual story decisions, VHS really sticks to the classic story very closely and does it really well. Actual story changes are few and far between, but the ones they included I really liked. I loved the addition of the couple who are thankful that Scrooge died because it relieves their debt. It really highlights that Crachit and his family are not the only people affected by Scrooge's greed. Many adaptations either like to forget he's a landlord, or don't unpack the ethics of landlords, so it was nice to see some sort of acknowledgment of Scrooge's less direct and more systemic impact. I also really liked how Scrooge delivered the turkey to the Crachit's in secret, and didn't give Bob his raise until after Christmas instead of barging in unannounced. I had never really thought about it before, but in most versions he does just kind of barge in on their celebration and make a big production of giving Bob a raise. I like how he let them have their celebration in peace and spent more time with Fred.

The performances were all killer. I know it kinda goes without saying at this point, but everyone in the cast in Starkid shows are always so talented. Special mention to James Tolbert, because I feel like he doesn't get enough recognition for what a talented actor, dancer, and choreographer (and director) he is. This was also my first time seeing Janaya Mahealani Jones in anything, and her Belle really blew me away. Other stand-outs for me were Dylan Saunders' Scrooge, Lauren Lopez and Joey Ritcher's Crachits, and Jaime Lyn Beatty's Ghost of Christmas Past, but really everyone knocked it out of the park.

June Saito's costumes! The 80s themeing was outstandingly executed, and the quick changes were really impressive. I've gotten used to the more realistic and toned down costumes that fit the Hatchetfield shows' setting (which are also fantastic, not trying to minimize those), but between this and the LiB's in NPMD, it's wonderful to see June Saito get to really go over the top. Special mention to Marley's costume (silver chain pants? silver chain pants!), the 3 spirit's silver and blue color themeing, and that sequined suit jacket Scrooge wears at the end of the show.

Overall, really good. Might pay for the VHS Carols digital ticket later today and watch it.

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misagenda · 5 months

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i sent a text to my friend trying to succinctly explain what it means for me to see starkid

and it went like

and she got it

I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE

VHS CHRISTMAS CAROLS LIVE IN PERSON

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mollyjeanne615 · 6 months

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it's a "procrastinate your schoolwork, curl up in bed, rewatch starkid homecoming and burst into tears at the transition between 1001 nights and happy ending for no goddamn reason" kind of night

#I need to rewatch twisted #and like all the other sk shows that I haven't watched in a bit #starkid #team starkid #starkid homecoming #twisted musical #aj holmes #britney coleman #Carlos valdes #Dylan saunders #Jeff blim #Rachael soglin

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teamstarkid-polls · 5 months

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#starkid #ani: a parody #jar jar binks #brian holden #vhscc #Scrooge vhscc #aj holmes

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its-short-for-jackalope · 5 months

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obviously the whole show is perfect and amazing and the best thing ever, but I think one of the most wholesome parts of VHS Christmas Carols has got to be at the end of act 2 when Clark is trying to sing and you can hear him laughing at AJ and Lauren <3

#jack jabbers #vhscc #vhs christmas carols #vhscc 2023 #vhscc chicago #starkid #team starkid #clark baxtresser #aj holmes #lauren lopez

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parttimesarah · 4 months

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If A.J. in these 35 seconds of the VHS Christmas Carols digital ticket doesn’t make you want to go rent it, I don’t know if there’s help for you…

SO GO RENT IT!

#these 35 seconds make me giggle every single time!!#I was so interested to see what he’d do with Scrooge and it was AWESOME #do yourself a favor and go buy a digital ticket!!#vhs christmas carols #vhs christmas carol #digital ticket #starkid #team starkid #aj holmes #james tolbert

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