A Very Potter Musical
November 24, 2009
Even after the release of the seventh book has come and gone, fans of Harry Potter continue to celebrate J.K. Rowling’s magical world through their own creative means.
A group of students at The University of Michigan has proved this true with their creation of “A Very Potter Musical,” a full-length theatrical production that was entirely written, composed, and performed by students. The show parodies the Potter novels, including elements from all seven strung together to summarize the whole dramatic saga in two hour-long acts. The show was performed five times through a non-profit student theatre company last April.
The masterminds behind this project call themselves “Team Star Kid,” and have their own channel on youtube.com. Since posting their entire show online shortly after live performances were over, the first clip has received over 300,000 views.
In order to steer away from any legal copyright issues, their websites, teamstarkid.com, iterates that they posted the show “solely for the personal, non-commercial enjoyment of [themselves] and other Harry Potter fans.” To further the enjoyment, the soundtrack of the show is also available for free download.
This musical is – dare I say it? – magical. Every character shines in his or her own specific role. Actors exaggerate the personalities of the infamous Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco to the comical extreme.
In addition to having composed much of the music, Darren Criss plays Harry Potter as a self-centered, melodramatic bro. He is accompanied by a hilarious, constantly-hungry Joey Richter as Ron Weasley. Together they are “totally awesome.” Hermione, played by Bonnie Gruesen, could have easily been annoying, but instead offered a nice balance to Harry and Ron’s ridiculous antics.
However, Lauren Lopez stole the show with her portrayal of Draco Malfoy. Yes, Malfoy is played by a girl. Flamboyant, arrogant, and unable to stand still for any length of time, Draco Malfoy is the funniest part of “A Very Potter Musical.” Lopez shines through in her performance of “Granger Danger,” during which Malfoy professes his hidden love for Hermione Granger.
This is just one of the hilarious creative liberties writers Matt Lang, Nick Lang, and Brian Holden constructed from the source material. They also expand upon another relationship that seems lacking in the original novels; Professor Quirrel and Voldemort perform much of the musical attached back-to-back. At one point during the song “Different,” Voldemort declares in a perfected evil warble, “I’m happy as a squirrel, when I’m with Mr. Quirrel.” With an outrageously inappropriate Professor Dumbledore, the show is beyond improvement.
Potter fans, Draco/Hermione shippers, Voldy lovers, anyone who has ever enjoyed the story of the “Boy Who Lived” – you now have a mission in life: to go onto youtube.com, search “A Very Potter Musical,” watch it, and thus fill that hole in your Harry-shaped heart, the one you did not even know existed.
Gwen Kestler, Editor-in-Chief
