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deepdisireslonging · 5 months ago

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Choices Chapter 2: Like a Shot

Ricky takes Esther back to her apartment. On their way out, they are attacked by a rival gang.

Warnings/Promises: gang-typical violence, food mention, fluffy-flirty Ricky

Word Count: 4800

Chapter 1: Valentine's Day

Friday, February 15, 1929

Bridgeport Township

When Esther came down the stairs the next morning, Starks was waiting for her with a cup of coffee and a map.

“Is it… spiked or-” Esther nodded at the cup.

With a smile, he handed it over. “Just plain coffee. I promise. Milk and sugar are in the kitchen, along with breakfast.” He popped open the breezeway so they could cross to the other side of the house.

When they reached the kitchen, Esther recognized the small space from her brief entrance the day before. In the hustle and bustle of moving her in, she’d missed its quaint details. Mrs. Anne sat at the small table against the door-side wall, darning some socks while Mr. Jim peeled potatoes. She pointed out the sugar on the far counter, and Starks grabbed the milk bottle from the ice box next to the back door. The stove in the corner easily radiated heat through the room. It was very welcome with how damp and drizzly it was outside. And, from the kitchen’s position behind Wardlow’s office, the oven probably seeped warmth into the wall right behind his desk. The large table island in the middle of the room was prepped with platters of toast, eggs, bacon (which Esther politely avoided), and a small plate with a pat of butter.

It was then, with the soft scrape of Mr. Jim’s knife, and the clink of plates and utensils, that Esther noticed how quiet the rest of the house was. “Most of the guys headed out early to prepare for the Bull Session,” Starks noted. “Any other morning, it would still be this quiet for anybody recovering from a late night. Or a busted head.”

Mrs. Anne tsked, flicking her eyes from Starks to Esther to point out the woman’s alarm.

“Ah. A busted head is just a hangover.” He laughed nervously, dipping his head in apology to the housekeeper. “Nothing too violent.”

“Oh,” Esther breathed in a sigh of relief. But she also observed how Ricky’s eye had not improved. It was still swollen and red around the lid and underneath. The purple bits from last night had settled deep into his skin. It looked painful. Her staring was interrupted by his placing the map on the counter.

A pigeon’s-eye view of Chicago’s city plan was outlined into regions. Names were labeled within each square. Some areas were clear of writing. Esther assumed they were neutral territories. Especially considering one of them contained the police station. Perhaps. Or maybe they were areas of flux as the crews acquired and lost ground. Stars on the map marked ‘businesses.’

Starks pointed at the square encompassing the townhouse just south of the city’s center. And then to Howls former locations. “We’re obviously here. But, as you can see, we have neighbors with conflicting interests. On the lakeside: Kenny Omega and The Father’s House. Everybody calls it Feathers. It’s a church front with a casino in the basement fellowship hall. He’s our biggest customer for hooch to keep his patrons spending.”

“Why feathers?”

“Some kind of angel pun, I think. That’s from before I joined the racket up here. Up here by the tracks on our northside is Chris Jericho and Jazzies. He’s got guys in the police force, so his casino is almost never raided. And definitely never shut down. We hire musicians from Jericho’s music shop front. Not often. But it keeps him happy.” He let the information settle. “Now, to keep you happy. Where am I taking you today?”

Esther looked over the map before pointing. “Here.”

His eyebrows arched. “You live in Jade territory?”

“I didn’t care who owned the block. Most people don’t. All that matters is that the rent is cheap, and it’s mostly quiet.” She frowned. “I thought Jade worked for Taz?”

“Yeah, but she came in with some land she won for herself as a display of her skills.” He shrugged. “We should probably go, but I can’t leave this around. How quick can you memorize it? Don’t worry about the exact dimensions and street names; the borders change too often. And you’ll get the gist of territories as you’re present for business meetings.”

With one last long look, feeling the Torrios’s interest on her back, Esther soaked up the information on the map. There were a few overlapping areas she wanted to ask about. But she knew Starks or Wardlow could fill her in later. Her apartment building looked so far away on the map. But it had only taken minutes to drive yesterday. She looked over the streets closely to make up for the blur of turns that she’d missed during her escape and then during the move. “Alright, I think I’ve got it.”

The oven door creaked as Starks opened it, washing the room in a swell of heat from the rabid flames inside. With the rush of air, he had to force the map into the opening so it would catch. One corner ignited. Then the miniature flame ate its way to the other side. He kept watch until the page was ashes before closing the door.

“Now we just have to borrow one of the cars and get moving.” He shared a nod with Mrs. Anne, who retrieved their coats from the hooks in the hall.

“One of the cars? It’s not that far of a walk. We could-“

He chuckled. “It’s cold out, Doll. Why shuffle through the snow and rain when you could travel in style?” He was amused by her agreeing smile. “Welcome to the Wardlow way of business.”

The car in question was sleek in design. But complicated to start. One of Ford’s Model A’s, as Starks identified, it still started with a crankshaft in the front grill. Starks insisted Esther sit in the front passenger seat during the process. After many a grunt, and a few curses under breath, the motor purred to life and off they went.

To cover up for his earlier struggle, he had no shortage of questions. Esther shared how her family had always lived on the outskirts of the city, out in River Forest. Her father’s bakery out there did well. But his back was broken in a driving accident; he had been crossing the street when a speeding car came careening around a corner. He couldn’t knead the tougher doughs, but her mother and brothers helped out. She was the first to move into the city center when seeking her fortune. And Starks shared how he was the first from his family to leave the state of Louisiana. But he deflected around the reasons for his move. Something about a job. Esther didn’t press.

The conversation eventually came to a lull. Starks hummed, then began to guide the car to the curb.

“Is everything alright?” Esther had been watching him adjust levers and press the different pedals, but it was a lot different from the old van she had sometimes driven for the corner grocer. This would be nothing like those deliveries.

“Wanna take the wheel for a bit?”

“Oh, no. I’ll have a lesson about-” she waved her hand over the dash, “all of this when the roads aren’t so slick.” She breathed a sigh of relief when he guided the car back into the minimal traffic. Because of the weather, there weren’t as many booths out by the street. Mostly ones selling something hot to eat or drink while the rest of the businesses kept their wares inside. Passerbys huddled against the cold and moved quickly as they dared over the icy sidewalks and slippery streets. Esther was glad for the car. “I have to admit, I kinda like being driven around. Thanks for bein’ my chauffeur.”

Starks tipped his hat, making her laugh. “My pleasure, miss.”

As they crossed the invisible threshold into Jade territory, Starks slowed their carefree clip down to a casual cruise. The speed blended in with the calm bustle of pushcarts and older cars. Also, his conversation was loose, distracted, while he kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. The buildings, slowly dipping from brick-built to brick-faced, and barely managed to decrepit, crawled by Esther’s window. When Cargill took over, she had initiated several projects to strengthen the community, usually meaning a bustle of builders. To Esther, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. If anything, it was quiet. Probably too cold out for the work teams. Mentioning this made Ricky’s grip on the steering wheel tighter.

Esther’s friend was just walking up to the front door of the building when Starks brought the car to a stop. The mere sight of the blonde, who embodied the flapper trends when she could, made her heart leap. She didn’t wait for him to open her door. She was out like a shot with a squeal mirrored by her friend, Mary.

“I saw all those men yesterday but didn’t see you. Heard about the raid, and then the shooting at Bill’s and thought the worst. But here you are!”

“Oh, there was a lot of… Yes. Everything worked out. I’m alright. And! I got a new position that came with a new place. But in all the rush, I forgot a few things. You don’t still happen to have my mother’s scarf, do you? I couldn’t find it last night and I-”

Mary beamed and laced her arm with Esther’s. “Yes, I do. It was perfect for my date last week.” They shared a giggle. “Didn’t work out more than for a free meal, but come on up while I find it and tell me about your new job.” She eyed the man at Esther’s side. “Is this your new boss? Are you a boxer, Mister-?”

“Starks.” He took her outstretched hand and lightly kissed her knuckles. “Ricky Starks. And no, to both questions. We have the same boss, and I’m… clumsy.” He lightly touched his eye. When she laced her other arm in his, he gladly let her take the lead.

“I’ve got a cousin that lives up in New York,” Mary said, leading them up the stairs. “When her mother was doing poorly, she came home for a while and taught us girls some exercise from London, and how to punch like she learned in the Bronx.” She shadowboxed outside her door. “Maybe Esther can show you a few pointers. I taught her everything my cousin showed me.”

They shared a laugh. Mary’s room was across the landing from Esther’s. It made for easy check-ins, mutual sewing assistance, shared meals, and the best moments of developing city sisters.

“Would either of you like some tea?” Mary swept from one side of her living space to the other in her quick way. “I’m going to make me a cup.”

Esther almost shed a tear with the realization of how much she would miss her friend’s daily hustle. “I’m alright, dear. Though Mr. Starks might need some. It wasn’t as warm in the car as he thought it would be.” To emphasize her point, he held up his hands and dramatically tried to unbend his half-frozen fingers. It made the women laugh; Mary uproariously, in her way. “In that case, we should hurry. You haven’t moved your sugar, have you?”

Their easy dance in the small corner kitchen, no more than a stove with a pair of burners on the top and a small counter, caught Starks in wonder. Mary rushed between the stove top and the cabinet of cups over the sink to one side while Esther handed her things. He likened it to watching fireflies in Louisiana; lightning up in as many corners of a grove as possible. Esther moved like… the only thing he could think of was the way sugar poured smoothly into a cup of something warm. Such a cup was placed in his hands while he did his best to keep up with Mary’s ceaseless conversation.

“So, where’s this new secretary- stenographer job?”

Esther sat by Starks on the low couch while Mary took the chair. “It’s downtown a bit. Comes with an apartment and everything! Maybe you could visit- oh. Maybe not. The boss is… a little shy.”

Starks caught her disappointment. He flashed a smile. “We have parties sometimes. And we never turn a pretty face away from the door.”

While her friend flushed, Esther breathed with wondering what sorts of parties could be held at the townhome. If they could actually be held at all, or if Starks was just being kind. She used the breath to blow steam off her tea. “I hope this one lasts for a while. It’ll be nice to have something steady. How’s my spot at the corner grocer’s?”

“He’s so sweet.” Mary swirled the spoon in her tea. “His younger son is even nicer, though not around often. He took over the deliveries since Joshua left for school. Delivers on foot, and in the Harrigan’s car. Did you know the van finally gave up the ghost? And you remember the Harrigans, right? Got that little tot who’s got great aim for kicking people in the shins. That’s them. And Mr. Brazer, that’s my boss, Mr. Starks, he’s so easy-going. Won’t let me lift more than a bag of apples if he can help it, the dear. I’ve already started to memorize the common customers. Which one’s like what kinds of lettuce, if we ever get any. Which ones keep asking for oranges. And which ones I have ta’ keep an eye on their kids. One lady- did you ever meet Mrs. Folle? Has a little girl who knocks over my carrots, I swear, every time they come in. Little carrot-top’s got a thing for watching them go everywhere, I guess. So, what all will you be secretary-ing?”

Starks passed a hand over his eyes. How did Esther ever keep up with this girl?

“I have to admit, I’m a little fuzzy on the details. But as far as I can tell, I’m going to be taking notes during meetings. That way the boss or any of his associates can read over them and keep updated. I’m assuming anyways; I haven’t actually started yet.” When she glanced at Ricky for help, he stammered out some half-baked story about how Wardlow was blessed with a strong income, and Esther’s work would help him dish the charity back into the city.

“That won’t be so bad. And you’ll be out of the cold. I get frozen every time someone opens the front door. You’ll be working days instead of nights like you used to, I’m sure. I’m so happy for you!” She reached over and lightly swatted Esther’s knee. “It’s exciting. A fresh start. And hopefully quieter than your last two places. Wolves… or Howls; whatever it was called.”

As Mary continued to chat, Esther and Starks shared a look. Nothing about this job was quiet, and they both knew it.

“Let me get that scarf, before I forget.” Mary finished her tea with a flourish. Spinning out of her seat, she hurried from her boudoir to her closet, to the box of hats and things under her bed. It ended up being in the first drawer of the boudoir, passed over in her haste. Esther began cleaning up the cups and saucers. When everything was put away, her friend was suddenly soft-spoken.

Mary handed over the scarf, letting her hand linger over Esther’s. “Hey, don’t forget me while you’re living in the heart of downtown and surrounded by all that elegance. Okay?”

“I could never. When my days off roll around, I’ll write. Who else could I get into mischief with?”

Ricky slid his hand into the crook of Esther’s arm. “Maybe we can all go out dancing. Dance the night away and not come back till dawn!” He winked at Mary. “I’m sure I can find another coworker who can lead you in a quick Charleston if you’d like.”

“Whew, any time!”

They shared a giggle and a hug before Esther and Starks went back to the car.

Outside, Ricky nodded. “Nice girl. Friendly.” He caught Esther’s eye. “But she’s a wild two-step, that one. I’m glad you’re more of a small, sweet cup of coffee.”

With a confused smile, Esther wrapped her mother’s scarf around her neck. “Odd compliment, but I’ll take it.”

He was just taking her hand to give it a squeeze when Esther was distracted by movement over his shoulder. The street was oddly empty. Except for a car accelerating towards the building. Ricky spun to face it as the motor’s roar reached him.

“Get inside.” He shoved her towards the steps. “Does it lock?”

Esther pulled on the handle. “It already is.”

Starks grit his teeth with a grunt. “Get into the alley. Hide behind anything sturdy that you can find and keep your head down. Don’t come out again until it’s quiet.” He watched as she ran and hid, then rushed to the back of the car. The button inside the trunk popped open the hidden shelf, revealing a machine gun. With only moments until the car would be in range to fire at him, he ducked behind the sidewalk-side tire.

Bullets riddled the street-side of the car. Glass broke into the seats, and more broke in the building’s first floor. Starks aimed over the hood, making the attacking bullets pause. But his gun jammed. With a curse, he dropped down to his knees. The bullets continued to fly as the car’s tires squealed and he dug around in his pockets. By the time he found his revolver, two men had jumped out. One kicked the gun out of Stark’s hand. A short fight broke out.

Despite it technically not being quiet yet, Esther risked a peek. One of the men was tall as a giant, broad shouldered, and with well-combed blond hair. He grabbed Ricky by the scruff of his neck to pull him to his feet, then pinned his arms behind him. The second, shorter and younger with dark hair, blew on his knuckles. With a grin, he landed a solid punch to Stark’s stomach. Esther almost cried out to see him double over, again and again, as the assault continued. A third man, with a lion’s mane of long blond hair, gave a whistle from his position in the car. He waved his hat before putting it back on his head. The long feather stuck into the band caught on the door.

To Esther’s horror, the two assailants dragged Ricky to their vehicle. It was still sputtering and chugging, ready to go whenever the feather-hat leader knew they were good. Stark’s limbs made one last effort to prevent the inevitable. The young man shoved them in one by one and shouted something. They sped off, creating a tidal wave in the muddy slush on the road.

Her heart threatened to beat out of her chest.

Nobody had screamed when the first-floor windows broke. But she knew the neighborhood would be buzzing soon enough.

Rushing to the sidewalk, Esther gave one hard look at the car. It was in rough shape. Not like she could operate it anyway. She took a second to orient herself. Then broke off into a sprint. She kept that morning’s map in her mind. Which blocks to turn at. Which ones to avoid, just in case.

The cold didn’t matter. Her running created a heat that kept her going. When she finally arrived at the townhome, she was sweating.

Wardlow had just arrived back with some of the men. “Esther! What’s wrong?” He caught her as her lungs gave out. “Catch your breath. There you go. What’s happened? Where’s Ricky?”

“Taken.” She swallowed a mouthful of air. “Three guys. Young guy. Tall and blond. And their leader with long blond hair.” She motioned a line beside her head. “Long feather in his hat.”

At Wardlow’s side, Spears and Joe hissed. Spears punctuated it with an extra growl. “Jericho. Bastard probably wanted to know what Starks overheard.”

Joe kneeled next to Esther. “The young guy. Dark hair?” When she nodded, he winced. “Whose side is Guevarra on? Just last month he had switched back to Friedman’s crew.”

“We can’t riddle that out right now.” Wardlow passed her shivering body to Joe. “Spears, behind the wheel. Sorry, boys, the day’s not done yet. Martin, check the hatches. Are we loaded? Good. I’m joining you on the hunt.” He turned back to the pair, brushing a sweaty lock off Esther’s forehead. “Honey, you’re gonna be alright. And so is Starks. You did good. Joe, get her inside to Anne before she catches cold. And watch the house for further backlash. This shouldn’t take long.”

The car was already speeding off before Wardlow’s door shut. The rushed growl of it raised Esther.

“The car! It’s back at the apartment. ‘Couldn’t drive it so I ran and…”

Joe hushed her, carrying her into the house. “It’s alright. We’ll send somebody for it.”

“It’s all shot up-“

“We’ll handle that too. Mrs. Anne, some hot water and some assistance, please.”

While the housekeeper and Joe hurried around to dote on Esther, she fought to remember every detail of the kidnapping. It somehow felt worse than if they’d just shot him in front of her. And now Wardlow was out there. Everyone was in danger.

“Hand that to me, dear. That’s it.” Mrs. Anne gently untangled the scarf from around Esther’s neck. “I’ll put it in your room.”

She could have tossed it into the fire for all Esther cared. In her mind, this was all her fault.

Joe watched the guilt rise on her face. “Listen to me. Nothing of this is because of you. It’s the game. It’s a rough game, and not every side plays fair. We’ll get ‘em. One way or another.” He patted her shoulder. When she mentioned the building windows he tutted. “Cargill will cover them. We’ll send someone around to check. If she doesn’t handle it, we’ll replace them. Don’t worry yourself anymore and get some rest.”

But she couldn’t. She refused to leave the front parlor, even when Joe tried to get her away from the windows. “They won’t come here,” she breathed. “They got what they wanted.”

It was the longest two hours of her life. Ares never left her side. He rested his snout over her shoes, only moving when Mrs. Anne covered her up with a blanket. Then he placed his head in her lap, calmly watching her while she petted his fur. In that time, her heart rate slowed down to a hesitant patter. Outside, it began to snow.

Mrs. Anne was just bringing another cup of tea when Joe burst into the room. “They brought him to the back door. He’s alive-”

She was off like a shot. When she arrived at the kitchen, Starks was lying across the center table. The sight stopped Esther in her tracks. His eyes weren’t open. His breathing was ragged. And, where his shirt had been cut open to survey the damage, his ribs were already spotting with deep purple and black bruises. His face didn’t appear to have any more damage to it besides a busted lip. Mr. Jim was holding up his left arm, observing a cut along his forearm.

“They threw him in the rubbish outside?” When he received confirmation, he nodded. “Nothing malicious as the rest of him. Just a cut from a bottle. Pass me the bandages.”

Spears noticed Esther first, and more from Joe’s entrance than her sudden appearance. He leaned down to Stark’s ear. “Look alive. Miss Garnier’s here.”

With a stunted groan, Starks opened his eyes. “Hey, mon cher. I’m glad you’re alright.”

She took half steps towards the table. “And I’m glad you’re mostly in one piece.”

Mr. Jim prodded at some of Stark’s ribs, making him shout. “Have to check to see if they’re broken. Hang tight.”

Esther offered her hand for him to do just that. He did his best not to break her fingers.

Finally, Mr. Jim nodded. “You’re one lucky sonava- ‘scuse me, Miss Garnier. He’s always been the luckiest man I’ve ever met. And tonight’s no different. Now where’s the rest of those bandages?”

The expression on Esther’s face didn’t agree with Mr. Jim’s observations. To her, Starks looked half-dead. To his detriment, that’s how he felt, but he slapped on a smile for her sake.

“Been in tougher scrapes than this, Doll.” He grinned, then winced as a bandage was wrapped around his forearm. “Might take me a minute to think of one, but I’ll get there.” When Esther managed to smile back, he gave her hand two weak but reassuring squeezes. They held the moment in silence as the kitchen bustled around them.

Wardlow eventually stepped close. Gently, he broke their hands apart. “We should really get you to a bed. Everyone ready to move?”

Starks was asleep before they were halfway up the stairs.

\\*//

Esther sat up with him most of the night. She saw to his bandages and kept a cool compress on his forehead to prevent fever. At first, Mrs. Anne had protested. In her opinion, someone needed to be sitting up with her too. But Esther persisted.

All night, she thought about the steps and the choices that had brought her here. She was out of the cold, making more money than she could have ever imagined, yes. But she had cowered from bullets twice now. Saw two people she cared about become victims of this way of life, losing one of them. She wouldn’t lose this one. Not tonight. The realization that she cared about Ricky, in this new budding way, rattled her lungs. And what of Wardlow? He had come back more haggard than Esther could imagine anyone looking. Did he consider this business worth it?

About midnight, a soft knock sounded at the door.

“Miss Garnier?” Wardlow poked in his head. His boyish grin made her return a smile. After quietly entering the room, he pulled up a chair. “Mrs. Anne will have my head if I let you sit up all night.”

“I won’t be able to forgive myself if I don’t.”

“Yes, you can. And you should.” Wardlow eased out a sigh. “You saved his life, you know?”

“After putting it in danger in the first place.”

He frowned. “You did no such thing. This… disagreement is older than your tenure here. If they hadn’t nabbed him while he was with you, they would have come to the house for him. Or would have done it downtown.” He leaned closer to her. “You got to us in the nick of time. You knew exactly which details to give us so we knew who had him. Jericho was waiting for us when we arrived at Jazzies. If you had tried to operate the car, or had hesitated in any way, it would have been a corpse they tossed out to us. But it wasn’t. He’s alive. And I know, when he wakes up, Ricky will thank you for it.”

She wasn’t sure when it started, but Esther reached up to wipe away her tears. “It’s not my fault.”

“No. Not in the slightest.” He offered her his handkerchief. “You’ve had a rough start in this life. Rougher than most. But you don’t have to stay in it.” The soft, almost brokenness of his voice startled her. “If you want out, I can see to it. I can move you anywhere you like. New York, Atlanta. Hell, I’ll set you up in London if you’d like.” He tried to flash her smile, but it was too heavy with unwillingness to stick. “Just say the word.”

Again, Esther took stock. Her nerves were shot. More danger for her and the crew was on the horizon. And more than anything she wanted to forget the whole thing. But then she looked at Ricky. She remembered how he had left his family for this life. His haggard breathing made her want to see him healed up. She looked at Wardlow. How much his eyes begged her to stay, despite what he’d said. And how kind he was trying to be for her.

“I can’t leave,” she finally said. “How can I? You boys need all the help you can get. Besides, I haven’t even had my first day on the job. Can’t quit what I haven’t started.”

Wardlow’s face lit up. “I’m- that is good to hear.” He took her hand, giving it two reassuring squeezes. “Now, you really must go to bed. Can you trust me to look after him till at least morning? You’ll be able to watch over him better if you’ve rested.”

The invalid in question seconded that idea with a loud snore.

Esther laughed into her hand to muffle it. “Alright. I trust you.” She squeezed his hand back as she stood. “I’ll see you in the morning, then. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

She was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow. And she didn’t wake up until Mrs. Anne brought her a breakfast tray the next morning.

\\***//

Chapter 3: Learning and Healing

#original series #1920s au #aew fanfiction #ricky starks #oc esther garnier #chris jericho #jake hager #sammy guevara #wardlow #samoa joe #shawn spears #dante martin

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jackie-talks-about-starkid · 4 years ago

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Starship (Rewatch #4, 9/30/2020)

YouTube publish date: April 30, 2011

Number of views on date of rewatch: 4,171, 828

Original Performance Run: February 11-23, 2011 at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre in Chicago

Ticket price: $25

Director: Matt Lang

Music and Lyrics: Darren Criss

Book: Brian Holden, Matt Lang, Nick Lang, and Joe Walker

Cast album price and availability: $8.91 on Amazon and iTunes

Release date: April 29, 2011

Parody or original: original content, inspired by Starship Troopers, The Little Mermaid, and Alien

Main cast and characters:

Bug - Joey Richter

February - Denise Donovan

Commander Up - Joe Walker

Taz/Buggette - Lauren Lopez

Tootsie Noodles/Pincer - Dylan Saunders

Mega-Girl - Meredith Stepien

Junior - Brian Holden

Roach - Brant Cox

Specs - Julia Albain

Krayonder - Joe Moses

Musical numbers

Act I

“I Wanna Be” Characters: Bug, Roach, and Ensemble (playing inhabitants of the Bug World)

“Get Back Up” Characters: Taz, Up, and Starship Rangers

“Life” Characters: Bug

“Hideous Creatures” Characters: Starship Rangers and Bugs

“Kick It Up A Notch” Characters: Pincer, The Mosquitoes, and Bug

“Status Quo” Characters: Bug

Act II

“The Way I Do” Characters: Tootsie Noodles, Mega-Girl, February, and Bug

“Beauty” Characters: Roach and Bugs

“Kick It Up A Notch (Reprise)” Characters: Junior

“Beauty” Characters: Company

Notable Notes:

This production won the 2011 “Best New Work” award from BroadwayWorld’s Chicago theatre awards

Starship is Starkid’s first show that they produced independently from the University of Michigan! The show opened in Chicago, where the following few shows were produced before a majority of the most active members moved to Los Angeles prior to The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, which opened in 2018

StarKid had their own short segment on MTV that highlighted certain aspects of the production such as Criss’ music and the puppetry (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlnIXIGrjVg). At that point in time, Darren Criss was already a television favorite due to his role as Blaine Anderson on Glee, who joined the cast during its second season

The show’s cast album debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top Cast Albums within three days of its release and at the 134th spot during that week’s Billboard’s Top 200 chart (x)

The opening sequence features cameos from other StarKid members such as Chris Allen, Tyler Brunsman, Richard Campbell, Britney Coleman, Arielle Goldman, Devin Lytle, Lily Marks, Nicholas Joseph Strauss-Matathia, and Brian Rosenthal.The same sequence was narrated by actor Bob Joles (AKA Man Ray in Spongebob Squarepants)

***Fun Facts provided by Abby:

Nick and Dylan think the worst StarKid song is ‘Hideous Creatures’

During a rehearsal, Joey told Nick that he thought the choreography for ‘Beauty’ was boring. Then Nick asked him, “Do you want to choreograph the number?" and then walked out of the room.

There was a theoretical sequel to Starship in which Taz and Up arrest Spaceclaw but get injured by an explosion. Up ends up in the hospital because of his injuries, and while Taz waits for him to heal, she has flashbacks of when they first met and the missions they went on together (Taz’s quinceañera, etc.)

Lauren: I'd like to imagine that Taz has that same hairstyle just in a big quinceañera dress

Once during rehearsal, they were all in a bad mood during ‘Beauty’. Darren wanted to surprise the cast with a visit, so he burst into the theatre singing the song and was just met by silence

At LeakyCon 2014 on Orlando, StarKid were invited as guests and performed a staged reading of a one-act sequel to Starship called Starship: Requiem.

Official synopsis: The story follows the adventures of Mega-Girl the robot and her half-witted Starship Ranger husband. The newlyweds are sucked into a black hole of trouble when they go to visit Mega-Girl’s human-hating family, including her overbearing mother-unit, her jealous sister-unit and the return of her hunky ex-boyfriend-unit. (x)

Cultural Context: 2011

The production’s MTV segment aired a little over a week after Glee’s “Original Song” episode, which featured Kurt and Blaine’s long-awaited first kiss [rip Pavarotti]

Prince William and Kate Middleton get married

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 premieres on July 15th

Beyoncé announces her pregnancy during her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards

“Friday” by Rebecca Black gets released in March

In early May, President Obama announces that Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces

New York becomes the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage on June 24th

The 9/11 Memorial Museum opens to the public on the tenth anniversary of the attacks

Content Analysis:

During my time on social media, I have found that Starship is one of the StarKid shows that gets discussed the least. Up until the show’s debut in StarKid’s history, the only shows they’ve done were AVPM and AVPS, both major viral hits, and MAMD, which reached popularity partly because it was released after StarKid became known for AVPM. Coming off of their great and unexpected successes with these productions, one would think that there would be a bigger fandom for Starship. It’s their second show that is based on original content rather than being a parody, and the production quality is the strongest in their repertoire, considering the funds they gained from their album sales for MAMD and their growing merchandise sales for their Potter musical series.

Personally, it’s one of my favorite StarKid shows because of the production quality and because the performances are so strong. Joey Richter makes a perfect leading man, and seeing how his general abilities as a performer have grown since MAMD has been delightful. His vocal range got stronger and more pronounced and he has a very confident stage presence, especially since Starship was StarKid’s first production independent of the University of Michigan’s monetary assistance and performance space. Lauren Lopez and Dylan Saunders do such an incredible job at playing two completely different characters themselves within the same show. Saunders plays Tootsie Noodles, a lovable idiot with a heart of gold who falls in love with a robot of all things, while also playing Pincer, the villainous instigator of the plot. Lopez has a similar about-face in character portrayal. She plays Buggette, a bug who’s in a helpless one-sided romantic relationship with Bug, and then two seconds later Lopez transforms into Taz, a kickass Latina Starship Ranger with excellent comedic presence and the undisputed leader of the group before Up regains his confidence as commander.

Starship is very unique in that about half of the characters in the show are portrayed by puppets, which themselves are incredibly designed, but unlike other productions that use puppets, they do not detract from the actor’s performance of the character. StarKid did a very good job in ensuring that the puppets are not a gimmick, but rather a compliment, to their individual actor’s portrayal of the character. All actors who play puppet roles do such a great job of vocalizing their character that, despite the design of the puppet not having the ability to change facial features, make the puppets feel so alive that it’s almost like watching a live-action animated movie (the good kind we’ve yet to experience, not the Disney kind). If there is any one thing that Starship represents for the company as a whole, it’s that character creation and embodiment make up the heartblood of the performances. Aside from the vocal performances, the facial expressions and physicality of the performances add so much to the puppetry performances, even when the focus on the character isn’t their physical representation but their dialogue and place in the plot. Regardless of whether or not the recording is emphasizing the puppet itself during a scene, the actor controlling the puppet is using perfect facial expressions and has matching body language with the puppet, which not only helps the actor stay in character, but gives more life to the puppet itself.

While I am eternally grateful that StarKid to this day ensures that their musical productions are put on YouTube for free, there are two very clear downsides that make themselves especially present in the recording. One is that, unlike in live theatre where any audience member can choose who and what to look at onstage at any given time, the camera is the one dictating what each audience member can focus on. Generally speaking, that isn’t too much of a detriment as most of the shots StarKid uses tend to showcase the most important characters during each scene, which any audience member would do if they were to attend a production live, but because StarKid members are so adept at character performance, it really makes me wish that I can look more at the ensemble’s performances during group scenes, or secondary character’s reactions during smaller scenes in which their character may not be the main focus.

Another thing was the general editing style. Though it did not necessarily take away anything from the performance itself or make watching the recording any less enjoyable, there were some editing choices that I felt were too distracting for what the scene called for in the show. For example, when Crayonder mentions to Taz that he thinks that Commander Up has “gone soft” since the injury he sustained in the Robot War, twice does the camera pause on his face and a record scratch and ‘booooo’ track is heard overlaid onto the scene. I understand the comedic nature of that bit in retrospect, but for a viewer, regardless of whether or not they are watching the show for the first time, it’s very distracting and forcibly shifts the audience’s focus on the story and the characters to a one-off joke. For a first-time viewer, that editing choice especially does not have as much impact as it does for a recurring viewer, as at that point in the story, the audience is only just being introduced to the characters and has no personal connection to Up and his backstory, making the effect of the joke less successful. As well, throughout the recording, and during the first act in particular, the show has a lot of quick and experimental cuts in the frame that I feel don’t allow the audience to sit enough with the action and the performance happening onstage, instead making the audience pay more attention to quick facial gestures rather than allowing the audience to take in the performance of an individual actor or an entire scene as a whole. Overall, the editing just reminds me that I am watching this beautifully done live-performance through a screen rather than being there for the performance in person, and lessens the potential impact of the recording as a whole.

Regardless of the editing, Starship still has some of the best character performances and musical numbers in StarKid’s production history. One that really stood out for me during this rewatch was Denise Donovan’s portrayal of February. Her character gets introduced as a classic ditzy character who initially doesn’t have a lot of agency in the story, but through good writing and likable performance, grows into the most sympathetic and dynamic character in the show. Donovan’s performance makes February more human than the trope she represents, and plays off her character so well that her jokes make her more endearing than a throw-away character that’s used just for laughs and a love-interest. Starkid tends to do this with a lot of the trope-y roles that they write for their productions . The writing and the direction have a very unique way of taking seemingly predictable, one-dimensional characters and fleshing them out into entire human beings with backstories and arcs, making their comedic impact all the more enjoyable because the audience genuinely likes them.

#@TeamStarkid #for my independent study #starship #team starkid #starkid productions #starkid musicals #starkid #musical theatre #musicals #theatre #@stillunsteady #thank you!

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