Originally published on July 25, 2016
Last weekend I had the opportunity (no, privilege) to travel
to Chicago with one of my best friends and view the latest Team Starkid
musical, “Firebringer”. Since I should not give away any major plot points, I
will try to be elaborative as well as vague enough. So, unlike my other review
articles, there are no plot spoilers ahead!
As soon as we entered the theater, I noticed the song
playing in the background was a remix of “Run the World” mixed with prehistoric
drumbeats and I knew already the musical was going to be amazing. The set was
visible, and pretty basic, just landscape and sky and a cave. Since we got
there earlier than others, we found a good seat close to the stage, just off to
the side. Sure, it wasn’t center and in the front row, but it was close enough
to see the actors’ faces closely and that was good enough for me. The main
thing that was running through my head was these people I had watched online
for years are now a few feet in front of me. They are real people. Of course I
will watch it again when it goes online, but this was a different kind of
experience that can’t be easily repeated.
Overall, the musical was totally awesome. The music was especially
different and interesting; I can’t wait to find out which songs Meredith wrote.
The harmonies were on point. The dancing was sharp. We were told to expect
puppets; they delivered. The different actors were all cast into their roles
perfectly, and the newcomers seemed to have no problem blending in with the
regulars. As a side note, Lauren Walker’s character is probably my favorite in
the show. The other two new actresses, Tiffany Williams and Jamie K. Burns,
were adorable and I hope they all stick around for something else. I think we
were all waiting for the day Lauren Lopez played the female main character (and
she still got to lie on the floor). As always, there are subtle references to
pop culture tied in with the usual Starkid humor and zaniness with a distinct
“yay girls” overtone that was pleasantly not overdone.
I should also mention a little about Chicago. It’s been a
while since I’ve been in a big city or on a long road trip, but it was a good
way to shake up my summer. It was my first time there with a lot more traffic
than I’m used to. We spent about an hour just trying to get into the city! It
was nice to see another Great Lake (prettier water, but Erie has better
beaches. In your face, Chicago. We have the peninsula!). And I was mentally
excited to see all the skyscrapers in the distance. While driving around I got
to see many cultural places that would be interesting to explore if I had more
time there.
Overall, last weekend I crossed something off a bucket list
I didn’t even know I had. It was an amazing experience, and the rest of the
world should be as excited as I am to see “Firebringer” online sometime later
this year.
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