y’all, i hate to say it but i’ve got some unpopular hot takes about black friday.
i was excited to watch it, i was super pumped, got the digital ticket for my birthday and i was (and i would love to get bullied for this) disappointed. i usually love starkid, and haven’t disliked one of their productions yet but this one really did not live up to the standards starkid has set (imo). in all fairness, i did miss quite a bit of crucial dialogue due to audio issues with the digital ticket, but i thought the plot and characters were extremely weak. while i usually love following multiple protagonists whose stories all come together at the end, black friday felt more like it had no protagonist. it’s as if each character was given one “i want” song and that was decided to be enough character development for the entire show. while each character’s motivations were excruciatingly clearly laid out at the onset of their introduction, they were never fleshed out more than that.
while the second act was easier to follow than the first, it still left much to be desired. i also felt as though the songs didn’t flow very well in the narrative. most seemed clunky and unpleasant to watch. i expect they will be more interesting in the film version, as the cinematography will, hopefully, add some spice to some of the less-exciting songs.
it also seems as though starkid is leaning into delivering exposition and character backstories through monologue, rather than through song, which i am, personally, not a fan of. while emma’s monologue in tgwdlm wasn’t terrible, i found tom’s and becky’s in black friday to be clichéd and far too long. i think becky’s, in particular, would have been much better delivered through a song (a la “when the world’s at stake”). it felt like a missed opportunity for me. also, black friday’s songs seemed, lyrically, weak. instead of lyrics that actually fit the story, most songs were vague and unaffecting, particularly the finale.
i think the performers were great, though. james tolbert really shined and was the funniest performer in the show. i was also happy we got another villain song sung by joey, and i’m happy to hear dylan saunders sing anything. curt and kim were EXCELLENT additions to the company, and i’m excited to see them more in the future. i also wish corey had gotten a larger part, as he was excellent.
overall, i think the show seemed half-baked, like they could have spent another year on it. the story could have been tighter and the characters and songs more distinct and likable. perhaps, after tgwdlm, i have too high a standard for starkid shows, but this one was not my cup of tea. obviously, i know most people disagree, as i’ve seen nothing but praise for the show online. feel free to disagree; i’m not trying to attack your faves or your favorite show. as i’ve said before, i’ve been a fan for years and am very dedicated to starkid. i could talk for hours about what i love about each show, but this one didn’t excite me like the others have ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
