Remember: the same musical that has the verse "But wishes are dreams, and dreams are pretend, so science and reason win out in the end" is the same musical that has the verse "I want to live on the moon, and eat it in a pie, and keep it as a pet, and wear it like a gemstone in my hair"
@@CrustBoy58it’s that song that is sung by that one guy!! I can’t remember who he is though, he’s always been such a joke anyway so it probably doesn’t matter Oh look a tiger that’s strange 🐅🐅🐅 I heard he really likes them
I didn’t realize it, but I think that line is a riff on a scene from it’s a wonderful life where Jimmy Stewart says that he’ll not only lasso the moon for her but also feed it to her and a couple other things too
I love how unapologetically this show can go from the Sultan joking about inverting his penis to Jafar singing his entire heart out within the span of 5 minutes
"Science says you're dead and gone forever, reason says i'm talking to the air But something in my heart, some secret hidden part Illogicaly insists you're there somewhere" Unironically give me chills every time
There are way too many lyrics from this musical that give me chills. Such an underrated gem, I'm glad Mortius is reacting to it and bringing more attention to it
I wouldn't say that Twisted doesn't put its best foot forward. The feet are just best at different things. I think the first few songs excel at comedy and at references. You just happen to resonate more with the romantic and beautiful song that excels at a different aspect of the show.
Also to say that twisted doesn't put it's best foot forward for episodic content really kinda misses the point that it's a full musical meant to watched through on stage in one sitting
One half is deconstructing Aladdin/Disney, the other is building up Ja'Far as someone we care about. It makes sense that everything is stupid, because that only makes us empathize with the only voice of reason around -- our protagonist.
The whiplash from crude jokes to emotional torment is the key staple of Starkid, ever since "A Very Potter Musical". Everyone who watches them very much knows it and expects it
Dylan goes SO hard in this song. Real tears, but it doesn't affect his singing voice? That's so incredibly difficult, and really speaks to his depth of skill.
“Science says you’re dead and gone forever, reason says I’m talking to the air… but something in my heart, some secret hidden part, illogically insists that you are there…” I haven’t been the same person since I first heard that one. At all. That’s just… pffffffffffffff. (“pffffffffffffff” is the sound of my heart deflating like a balloon)
"Foreshadowing is a dramatic device when an important plot point is brought up earlier in the story to return later in a more significant way!" "Perfect, Miss Granger. 10 points from Gryffindor!"
4:20 I mean, just from a historical point of view, having a dude there to say "hey everyone, shut up, the boss is talking" makes a lot of sense. It prevents the ruler having to fight for everyone's attention or having someone speak over them, which both degrades their image as this great and almighty figure, and probably rubs their ego the wrong way. So I think the vizier doing this part makes complete sense (though I'm not a history nerd, this is guesswork from me)
1:30 that's totally Team StarKid's style. They love writing beautiful stories but also love just having fun and doing something insane so they always start with utter chaos and comedy so you don't expect anything serious and then they hit you with the most incredible character development and magical lyricism.
Starkid's specialty imo is their incredible ability to balance absurd comedy with some of the most tragic stories--they do it so well and i love them for it.
Mortius, listening to the Sultan's Story: "After 'Sands Of Time' I don't think I can take any more emotional whiplash." Me, knowing that "If I Believed" is next: "Oh boy, are you NOT ready for what's gonna happen."
If the show started with a big, deep, meaningful, insightful, poetic song, would these last couple of songs hit nearly as hard? I think you the dumb "why don't you teach [your parrot] these words, then? F*ck you, Jafar. Marie! The baguettes! Hurry up!" is the two soft, predictable jabs that lower your defenses and leave you open to the full force of the haymaker that is "I never cared for stories, until you entered mine. And now my only wish is that our plots may intertwine"
Fun fact because full version of the musical has subs and subs in different languages too! Which creates beautiful differences in lyrics! "Science says you're dead and gone forever, Reason says I'm talking to the air, but something in my heart some secret hidden part Illogically insists that you are there." Got translated to finnish as "Science says the dead will not come back, reasoning, nobody hears me, but my heart tells me, a little wish hiding, convincing that you're with me." Then "After all I must be pretty great" got subbed as "Like you said, I guess I am wise." :D
I think it's important to remember that Starkid Musicals are first and foremost Comedy musicals (and if you're not into the comedic aspect as a selling point, that can be why the beginning felt weak to you. I personally LOVE it just as much as the more emotional second half), and their earlier works are a lot of parody and satire, both making fun of a criticizing the source material. But they' also tend to have a deeper story/message/emotions behind them to tie everything together, it's what really takes them from "I love this because it was hilarious and the songs banged" to "Oh my god this is my favorite thing ever."
The fact that the opening number is all haha look at all these people who have unrealistic dreams, and we empathize with Ja'far for his having to stay realistic throughout. And then this song has Ja'far wishing he could be more like those people whom we were just laughing at/annoyed by. Because if he believed that magic was real, then he could believe that he might see her again, that there was something magic could do. But it's hopeless because he doesn't believe in wishes/dreams/magic
One thing about Team StarKid is that they know how to push and pull you through the emotions. One minute you can be laughing and the next, wanting to cry. I don't know how they do it, but they do. If you watch even more of their shows after this one, you will see that their ability to make you go on an emotional rollercoaster is standard for them. It is one reason why they are appreciated so much.
I held off saying it in the last episode because I didn't want to spoil any of your viewers who are seeing the show for the first time with you, but Ja'far and Scherezade are probably my favorite Starkid romance which always amazes me with how little time they had to snag you. Starkid had one short scene and song to get you to fully buy into their relationship before using it to devastate you, and _hot damn_ did everyone involved understand the assignment.
Not me waiting all day just to watch your reaction as soon as it's up... Emotional whiplash is absolutely a specialty of Starkid musicals, especially the early stuff that leans on parody of established franchises. They get you laughing with clever commentary and catchy songs, then punch you in the gut. It helps when they have Dylan Saunders who, as you noted, pours his heart out onstage for this song.
Starkid emotional whiplash is so real swearrrrrrr, they're so good at making musicals that absolutely are so comedic and make you feel all happy and laugh and then boom there goes the most emotional thing you'll hear sung by an absolutely angelic voice
@Mortius Let me tell you the secret about Nick Lang, the Co-Owner, Co-Founder, Co-Primary-Script-Writer, and Primary Director for Team Starkid. Yes, everything he writes is comedic, he and Team Starkid specialize in comedic parodies. However, everything he writes, ultimately, has Heart. LOTS of Heart. And he is such a genius writer that most people don't realize it until it's too late, and by that point, they are a blubbering mess on the floor. Nick is the undisputed Master at writing great characters and properly developing them throughout the story. The Heart he injects into his stories, usually, comes in the form of one or more relationships within the story. Everyone who has ever written for Team Starkid and its off-shoots are no different. And that's because they're all Founding Members of Team Starkid, are best friends with Nick, and have all learned at his feet. And this is what keeps me coming back to their projects. Because I know I won't find the kind of Heart that Starkid brings anywhere else and the music and lyrics will just drive it home hard. THAT is the Core of Team Starkid. Build up the characters and relationships, then drive that emotional stake through your heart with the perfect song. I have never seen anyone be able to accomplish what they have before or since I discovered them. And they do it CONSISTENTLY. Not a single one of their musicals doesn't have Heart. Not a single one of their musicals doesn't rip your heart out and stomp all over it by the end of the show. And I love them for that. Welcome to the fold, Mortius.
UPDATE: last night I joined on Patreon so I could see the Act I finale right away. Then I stayed up until midnight watching the entirety of Act II reactions. No regrets.
It is honestly the ridiculous combination of dick jokes and heartbreaking lines I love so much about Starkid. And like, even the silliest jokes often serve a purpose for the story. Like, the information about the inverted penis comes into play later on.
Not gonna be specific cause spoilers, but a lot of the comedy of Starkid is just their great handling of foreshadowing. Some jokes are cheap but most of them come back around when you have already forgotten about them and then Starkid twists the knife. Love it. Looking forward to the rest of the reaction and if you wanna hear more of Dylan Saunders amazing voice, go check out the Starry musical
I have not listened to Twisted in over 3 years, and I forgot how genuinely beautiful so many of these songs are. This show is constantly switching between ripping my heart out and being the silliest thing I've ever seen. I'm glad Mortius started reacting to it so I could reexperience this strange and amazing show.
I ADORE your editor. Their taste is unmatched. Even with all that comes in Act II, "If I Believed" remains my FAVORITE song in Twisted, and that "SOMEWHEEERE" has lived in my head rent free for a decade. The "best note in the musical" counter had me laughing in frustration and saying YES! YES IT IS THE BEST NOTE! I LOVE YOU EDITOR! Mortius is right - Dylan Saunders puts 113% into EVERY WORD on stage, which is a big reason why the pathos in this story reads so well. He transitions effortlessly from comedy to tragedy, and his voice is just so effin good. Real sweat and tears from this man in every second of his performance. Augh!!! Also the Starkid brand is pretty much creating silly things with absurdist humor that eventually trickle in genuine depth and emotion until you're a sobbing mess at the end. If this is one's first experience with this company, I GUESS I can understand being underwhelmed or put off by the whiplash, but for veterans it is expected and cherished. This musical started out a 10/10 for me and kept it up throughout. Not a weak opener at ALL in my opinion.
I know that lots of people are recommending other Starkid shows, but might I put in a vote for VHS Christmas Carol? It's only about 45 minutes long but is well worth the watch. It's A Christmas Carol as an 80's sung-through one act musical, and the version on TH-cam has Dylan Saunders (Ja'far) as Scrooge.
I will never not be broken by that whole section "but wishes are dreams, and dreams are pretend, so science and reason win out in the end. Science says you're dead and gone forever, reason says I'm talking to the air, but something in my heart, some secret hidden part, illogically insists that you are there - somewheeere!" The combination of the musical build and swell, the 1001% vocal delivery, and the perfection of the lyrics... the ridiculousness of the Sultan was necessary between 1001 Nights and this song, otherwise there would be no survivors.
Twisted is one of the best musicals of our time and nothing can change my mind. I'm once again asking you to react to Starship after this, because it has the best villain song of all time and some wonderfully heartwrenching performances
"Nope screw it I'm a go make a chicken bake, then (insert the thing I am not supposed to be doing) and no one can stop me" has now been added to my everyday lexicon
From the release of the Ithaca saga to your Twisted reactions, these past few days have been a dam rollercoaster and i can 100% agree with the 'I'm feeling so many things that i don't wanna feel rn, but i do' part😭😂 I can't wait for the next ones!!
This is the song that resonates with me the most out of all of starkid's work. I always tear up after he sings, "illogically insists that you are there, somewhere." I am definitely guilty of "talking to the air."
It's very normal for Starkid musicals to start off very silly and lighthearted and then suddenly hit you with a powerful song that really makes you feel or think.
if you're loving Dylan Saunders' voice, and enjoying the puppeteering, i'd recommend Starship! it's very much if The Little Mermaid had a baby with Starship Troopers, with one of the best villain songs I've heard. (I also saw the NYC premiere of the online release and met some of the starkid cast so it has a special place in my heart haha)
My favourite song in the entire show. The lyrics! The emotion! The way the melody follows the lyrics perfectly (downwards for negative thoughts, hesitantly upwards for hesitantly positive thoughts, the 'sands of time' melodic reference, yep I once spent way too much time analysing this)! It's so good.
1:30 that can be said about so many other StarKid productions. You can say it’s kind of their style - to present something as silly and goofy and then treat it seriously
I'm loving your reaction to this show so much your sincere and funny moments are wonderful. This musical is so good it should be on Broadway the songs are incredible and the comedy is sharper than a razor. They deserve more recognition for their work. After this definitely would love you to watch Nerdy Prudes Must Die another TeamStarkid masterpiece.
I love how expressive you are while watching, it's such a wonderful feeling to witness someone falling in love with the same musical as we all are 🥰 Honestly, even when you're "not doing much" (not the case in this episode, but in some others yes) it's lovely. Sometimes being invested in something means we will stare at it without even blinking for a few minutes and that's okay x)
i feel like mortius walked out of this song a changed man lol. but honestly starkid is very good at making you believe the musical is going to be silly haha all the way through only to punch you in the gut, rip out your heart, and put it through the blender with the feels
I will say that people watching starkid shows need to kinda go into it with the mindset that the vibes are oftentimes a raunchier muppet movie lol. twisted and the guy who didn't like musicals in particular are very much the "muppets with 1 human actor" formula
i cannot get enough of this song. ive listened to it so many times. but no matter hour many times i listen to it, i ALWAYS tear up at “if you believed in me.” LIKE WHAT A BANGER LINE. THANKS, IM CRYING.
When I first started exploring the StarKid catalog, I soon realized I had a similar reaction to every single one of them: “I dunno if I really wanna watch a full musical right now and this isn’t really grabbing me. *a short time later* This is amazing.”
If I Believed is a very special song in my heart because I've been listening to Twisted for like 6 years but only 3 yeaes ago have I truly understood the grief of losing someone and now it never fails to make me cry Especially the final line. I have terrible self-confidence but the person I lost really believed in me a lot so maybe I should take value in that
The sultan's speech is the one thing that makes this musical so hard to recommend. Having to be like, yes, this musical is so great and soo funny. But there is something inappropriate said by the sultan, and no, you can not skip it cause it is very important information to the plot. No, sorry, I also can't spoil it either.
I love how shook and flabbergasted you look at "if you believed in me" line. You look like someone just shot a puppy in front of you lmao. I enjoy how you look so shook in most of the musical where they drop banger lines and banger notes to be fair, it makes me so giddy to see someone who was so skeptical at first finally so taken with one of the best musical number in the whole show. This, a thousand and one nights, and insert musical title are the 3 songs that are always fighting for the first spot for me. So excited to see you finish this, I wish you could introduce this to Casper or watch the Hatchet Town trilogy on Open Arms together.
Starkid can and will hit you full force with emotional damage and I love them for it. Every show is an amazing rollercoaster of comedy, passion, and just overall packed full of emotional, vocal, and acting talent. I've been lucky enough now to see two of their shows live preformed by them and OMG live theatre doesn't feel the same after seeing them.
I really hope you react to 'Spies are for Forever' at some point. It's a really good indication of the growth of these guys (I know it's not technically starkid but still). The weird and funny balanced with the heartfelt
I would love him to react to "Trail to Oregon" lol. and since there are some recurring actors in main roles it would be cool to hear him compare the vocal styles
i have been waiting for this reaction for weeks. i wish i could forget i watched this musical so i could go through the emotions of watching this bit for the first time again
Eat the rich, and the rich’s cheeses and sweet meats
Remember: the same musical that has the verse "But wishes are dreams, and dreams are pretend, so science and reason win out in the end" is the same musical that has the verse "I want to live on the moon, and eat it in a pie, and keep it as a pet, and wear it like a gemstone in my hair"
Yes I was going to put *a different lyric* here but we aren't at the song I wanted to use YET.
@@CrustBoy58 im assuming nobody rembers ahchmed
@@CrustBoy58it’s that song that is sung by that one guy!! I can’t remember who he is though, he’s always been such a joke anyway so it probably doesn’t matter
Oh look a tiger that’s strange 🐅🐅🐅 I heard he really likes them
I wonder what it says about me that I can _hear_ both of these lines 😅😅
I didn’t realize it, but I think that line is a riff on a scene from it’s a wonderful life where Jimmy Stewart says that he’ll not only lasso the moon for her but also feed it to her and a couple other things too
The whiplash from sweet & happy, a _lil_ detour into absurd & ridiculous, then ruthlessly ripping your heart out
The good ol' Starkid Whiplash™️ never fails
Next week's gonna be just as abrupt a shift w/Aladdin's song🫢
I love how unapologetically this show can go from the Sultan joking about inverting his penis to Jafar singing his entire heart out within the span of 5 minutes
"Science says you're dead and gone forever, reason says i'm talking to the air
But something in my heart, some secret hidden part
Illogicaly insists you're there somewhere"
Unironically give me chills every time
There are way too many lyrics from this musical that give me chills. Such an underrated gem, I'm glad Mortius is reacting to it and bringing more attention to it
I can hear that 'SOMEWHEREEE' in my dreams
@@lorettabes4553Omg yes - Dylan is my favourite vocalist in the Starkid crew and that line rips my heart out every time!
It's actually "illogically insists that you are there *pauses twice * somewhere"
but dreams are pretend 😏
I wouldn't say that Twisted doesn't put its best foot forward. The feet are just best at different things.
I think the first few songs excel at comedy and at references. You just happen to resonate more with the romantic and beautiful song that excels at a different aspect of the show.
So could you say that Twisted takes its foot...its little foot...and with that foot...see how it starts! to! shake!
Also to say that twisted doesn't put it's best foot forward for episodic content really kinda misses the point that it's a full musical meant to watched through on stage in one sitting
One half is deconstructing Aladdin/Disney, the other is building up Ja'Far as someone we care about.
It makes sense that everything is stupid, because that only makes us empathize with the only voice of reason around -- our protagonist.
@@G_Rez That's true too. It takes a lot for an actual live audience member to stand up and walk away from a live performance.
I agree with everyone here
Yes, that's the appropriate reaction one would have to Starkid musicals. Crying from laughter, then crying from pain
lol yes!!! They balance ridiculousness and heartfelt so well ❤
The whiplash from crude jokes to emotional torment is the key staple of Starkid, ever since "A Very Potter Musical". Everyone who watches them very much knows it and expects it
Dylan goes SO hard in this song. Real tears, but it doesn't affect his singing voice? That's so incredibly difficult, and really speaks to his depth of skill.
“Science says you’re dead and gone forever, reason says I’m talking to the air… but something in my heart, some secret hidden part, illogically insists that you are there…”
I haven’t been the same person since I first heard that one. At all. That’s just… pffffffffffffff.
(“pffffffffffffff” is the sound of my heart deflating like a balloon)
This hurts so much...
The Sultan is such a silly character and the worst part is the fact that his stupid first line is actually important
But don't tell him yet 😂
@@karentorresalfaro3371he's already WAY ahead according to his patreon, we youtube plebs are behind the curve
@karentorresalfaro3371 Don't worry he's finished watching it at this point
"Foreshadowing is a dramatic device when an important plot point is brought up earlier in the story to return later in a more significant way!"
"Perfect, Miss Granger. 10 points from Gryffindor!"
I bet Mortius isn't even thinking about the implications!!!
4:20 I mean, just from a historical point of view, having a dude there to say "hey everyone, shut up, the boss is talking" makes a lot of sense. It prevents the ruler having to fight for everyone's attention or having someone speak over them, which both degrades their image as this great and almighty figure, and probably rubs their ego the wrong way. So I think the vizier doing this part makes complete sense (though I'm not a history nerd, this is guesswork from me)
Absolutely. Also, the sultan's silly voice is sillier when you just heard it described as "hhhooolllyyy".
1:30 that's totally Team StarKid's style. They love writing beautiful stories but also love just having fun and doing something insane so they always start with utter chaos and comedy so you don't expect anything serious and then they hit you with the most incredible character development and magical lyricism.
Starkid's specialty imo is their incredible ability to balance absurd comedy with some of the most tragic stories--they do it so well and i love them for it.
“I must be pretty great if you believed in me.”
What more powerful way is there to tell someone that you love them?
Mortius, listening to the Sultan's Story: "After 'Sands Of Time' I don't think I can take any more emotional whiplash."
Me, knowing that "If I Believed" is next: "Oh boy, are you NOT ready for what's gonna happen."
5:38 This is THE most important line in the whole show. I will NOT tell you why, nor give any more context clues, just let that simmer for a bit.
I still can't believe how this show took this throw away line and made it actually importent
@@colorqueen_6473Takes real skill, honestly.
A tip for Mortius: don't skip the closing credits! They're accompanied by one of the best songs in the play.
If the show started with a big, deep, meaningful, insightful, poetic song, would these last couple of songs hit nearly as hard? I think you the dumb "why don't you teach [your parrot] these words, then? F*ck you, Jafar. Marie! The baguettes! Hurry up!" is the two soft, predictable jabs that lower your defenses and leave you open to the full force of the haymaker that is "I never cared for stories, until you entered mine. And now my only wish is that our plots may intertwine"
IT’S “PLOTS”? I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS “PALMS”
Fun fact because full version of the musical has subs and subs in different languages too! Which creates beautiful differences in lyrics! "Science says you're dead and gone forever, Reason says I'm talking to the air, but something in my heart some secret hidden part Illogically insists that you are there." Got translated to finnish as "Science says the dead will not come back, reasoning, nobody hears me, but my heart tells me, a little wish hiding, convincing that you're with me." Then "After all I must be pretty great" got subbed as "Like you said, I guess I am wise." :D
Oh, that's beautiful! Thank you for sharing! 😊
Ooh thanks for the fun fact!
Ah yes: the Twisted experience.
-Oh nice, a funny ahah Aladdin parody
-Hang on this is actually pretty good
-Wait fu- IM CRYING???????
12:43 Twisted (the edging saga) 😭 I was waiting for the “SOMEWHEREEEEE”
The editor is so real for putting up a counter for every time he pauses before "Somewhere" I was dying when I watched the raw footage
I think it's important to remember that Starkid Musicals are first and foremost Comedy musicals (and if you're not into the comedic aspect as a selling point, that can be why the beginning felt weak to you. I personally LOVE it just as much as the more emotional second half), and their earlier works are a lot of parody and satire, both making fun of a criticizing the source material. But they' also tend to have a deeper story/message/emotions behind them to tie everything together, it's what really takes them from "I love this because it was hilarious and the songs banged" to "Oh my god this is my favorite thing ever."
The fact that the opening number is all haha look at all these people who have unrealistic dreams, and we empathize with Ja'far for his having to stay realistic throughout. And then this song has Ja'far wishing he could be more like those people whom we were just laughing at/annoyed by. Because if he believed that magic was real, then he could believe that he might see her again, that there was something magic could do. But it's hopeless because he doesn't believe in wishes/dreams/magic
One thing about Team StarKid is that they know how to push and pull you through the emotions. One minute you can be laughing and the next, wanting to cry. I don't know how they do it, but they do. If you watch even more of their shows after this one, you will see that their ability to make you go on an emotional rollercoaster is standard for them. It is one reason why they are appreciated so much.
I held off saying it in the last episode because I didn't want to spoil any of your viewers who are seeing the show for the first time with you, but Ja'far and Scherezade are probably my favorite Starkid romance which always amazes me with how little time they had to snag you. Starkid had one short scene and song to get you to fully buy into their relationship before using it to devastate you, and _hot damn_ did everyone involved understand the assignment.
"science and reason win out in the end,
Science says you're dead and gone forever,
Reason says I'm talking to the air"
FUCKING LYRICS MAN
Nobody show this guy the Hatchetfield shows, he'll die from overexcitement
But also please do because I’m dying to see him react to more starkid
Let's go! Suffering!
No He already watcht the Thunder Saga. This is Twisted 😂
Not me waiting all day just to watch your reaction as soon as it's up...
Emotional whiplash is absolutely a specialty of Starkid musicals, especially the early stuff that leans on parody of established franchises. They get you laughing with clever commentary and catchy songs, then punch you in the gut. It helps when they have Dylan Saunders who, as you noted, pours his heart out onstage for this song.
I can't wait for when we get the reaction to the song Twisted. In my opinion, it's the best song of the entire musical.
12:05 that's Dylan for you. He's my favorite team starkid vocalist by far.
Yes his song is black Friday!!!! And the villain song in starship !
Starkid emotional whiplash is so real swearrrrrrr, they're so good at making musicals that absolutely are so comedic and make you feel all happy and laugh and then boom there goes the most emotional thing you'll hear sung by an absolutely angelic voice
@Mortius
Let me tell you the secret about Nick Lang, the Co-Owner, Co-Founder, Co-Primary-Script-Writer, and Primary Director for Team Starkid. Yes, everything he writes is comedic, he and Team Starkid specialize in comedic parodies. However, everything he writes, ultimately, has Heart. LOTS of Heart. And he is such a genius writer that most people don't realize it until it's too late, and by that point, they are a blubbering mess on the floor. Nick is the undisputed Master at writing great characters and properly developing them throughout the story. The Heart he injects into his stories, usually, comes in the form of one or more relationships within the story.
Everyone who has ever written for Team Starkid and its off-shoots are no different. And that's because they're all Founding Members of Team Starkid, are best friends with Nick, and have all learned at his feet. And this is what keeps me coming back to their projects. Because I know I won't find the kind of Heart that Starkid brings anywhere else and the music and lyrics will just drive it home hard. THAT is the Core of Team Starkid. Build up the characters and relationships, then drive that emotional stake through your heart with the perfect song. I have never seen anyone be able to accomplish what they have before or since I discovered them. And they do it CONSISTENTLY. Not a single one of their musicals doesn't have Heart. Not a single one of their musicals doesn't rip your heart out and stomp all over it by the end of the show. And I love them for that.
Welcome to the fold, Mortius.
UPDATE: last night I joined on Patreon so I could see the Act I finale right away. Then I stayed up until midnight watching the entirety of Act II reactions. No regrets.
It is honestly the ridiculous combination of dick jokes and heartbreaking lines I love so much about Starkid. And like, even the silliest jokes often serve a purpose for the story. Like, the information about the inverted penis comes into play later on.
Not gonna be specific cause spoilers, but a lot of the comedy of Starkid is just their great handling of foreshadowing. Some jokes are cheap but most of them come back around when you have already forgotten about them and then Starkid twists the knife. Love it.
Looking forward to the rest of the reaction and if you wanna hear more of Dylan Saunders amazing voice, go check out the Starry musical
I have not listened to Twisted in over 3 years, and I forgot how genuinely beautiful so many of these songs are. This show is constantly switching between ripping my heart out and being the silliest thing I've ever seen. I'm glad Mortius started reacting to it so I could reexperience this strange and amazing show.
THE COUNTER! YES, you have no idea how much i yelled at that the first like 5 times I watched it!
I ADORE your editor. Their taste is unmatched. Even with all that comes in Act II, "If I Believed" remains my FAVORITE song in Twisted, and that "SOMEWHEEERE" has lived in my head rent free for a decade. The "best note in the musical" counter had me laughing in frustration and saying YES! YES IT IS THE BEST NOTE! I LOVE YOU EDITOR!
Mortius is right - Dylan Saunders puts 113% into EVERY WORD on stage, which is a big reason why the pathos in this story reads so well. He transitions effortlessly from comedy to tragedy, and his voice is just so effin good. Real sweat and tears from this man in every second of his performance. Augh!!!
Also the Starkid brand is pretty much creating silly things with absurdist humor that eventually trickle in genuine depth and emotion until you're a sobbing mess at the end. If this is one's first experience with this company, I GUESS I can understand being underwhelmed or put off by the whiplash, but for veterans it is expected and cherished. This musical started out a 10/10 for me and kept it up throughout. Not a weak opener at ALL in my opinion.
I know that lots of people are recommending other Starkid shows, but might I put in a vote for VHS Christmas Carol? It's only about 45 minutes long but is well worth the watch. It's A Christmas Carol as an 80's sung-through one act musical, and the version on TH-cam has Dylan Saunders (Ja'far) as Scrooge.
12:03 I’d say he puts 1001% into himself
Welcome to Twisted. The comedy parody musical that will make you go “oh why am i crying now”
The actor that plays Jafar indeed puts his all into every performance in this show!
"If I Believed" always makes me tear up. Dylan Saunders is such a gifted performer.
I will never not be broken by that whole section "but wishes are dreams, and dreams are pretend, so science and reason win out in the end. Science says you're dead and gone forever, reason says I'm talking to the air, but something in my heart, some secret hidden part, illogically insists that you are there - somewheeere!"
The combination of the musical build and swell, the 1001% vocal delivery, and the perfection of the lyrics... the ridiculousness of the Sultan was necessary between 1001 Nights and this song, otherwise there would be no survivors.
Twisted is one of the best musicals of our time and nothing can change my mind. I'm once again asking you to react to Starship after this, because it has the best villain song of all time and some wonderfully heartwrenching performances
Yes I love starship 🎉
"Nope screw it I'm a go make a chicken bake, then (insert the thing I am not supposed to be doing) and no one can stop me" has now been added to my everyday lexicon
Nope. Screw it. I'm a go make a chicken bake, then start a revolution and no one can stop me.
"Aaaa and it's gone" is the most wicked and savage title for this part omg 😂😂😂
Comedy is so much better when it has sincerity in its heart.
13:13 _THANK YOU KALEIGH_
From the release of the Ithaca saga to your Twisted reactions, these past few days have been a dam rollercoaster and i can 100% agree with the 'I'm feeling so many things that i don't wanna feel rn, but i do' part😭😂
I can't wait for the next ones!!
This is the song that resonates with me the most out of all of starkid's work. I always tear up after he sings, "illogically insists that you are there, somewhere." I am definitely guilty of "talking to the air."
It's very normal for Starkid musicals to start off very silly and lighthearted and then suddenly hit you with a powerful song that really makes you feel or think.
if you're loving Dylan Saunders' voice, and enjoying the puppeteering, i'd recommend Starship! it's very much if The Little Mermaid had a baby with Starship Troopers, with one of the best villain songs I've heard. (I also saw the NYC premiere of the online release and met some of the starkid cast so it has a special place in my heart haha)
My favourite song in the entire show. The lyrics! The emotion! The way the melody follows the lyrics perfectly (downwards for negative thoughts, hesitantly upwards for hesitantly positive thoughts, the 'sands of time' melodic reference, yep I once spent way too much time analysing this)! It's so good.
Bro is gonna absolutely MELT when *that* song comes up. He is NOT ready.
1:30 that can be said about so many other StarKid productions. You can say it’s kind of their style - to present something as silly and goofy and then treat it seriously
"I fully understand"
You Haven't Even Gotten Into This Episode/Part Yet! You Do NOT " _fully_ Understand " Yet!!
I'm loving your reaction to this show so much your sincere and funny moments are wonderful. This musical is so good it should be on Broadway the songs are incredible and the comedy is sharper than a razor. They deserve more recognition for their work. After this definitely would love you to watch Nerdy Prudes Must Die another TeamStarkid masterpiece.
I love how expressive you are while watching, it's such a wonderful feeling to witness someone falling in love with the same musical as we all are 🥰
Honestly, even when you're "not doing much" (not the case in this episode, but in some others yes) it's lovely. Sometimes being invested in something means we will stare at it without even blinking for a few minutes and that's okay x)
i feel like mortius walked out of this song a changed man lol. but honestly starkid is very good at making you believe the musical is going to be silly haha all the way through only to punch you in the gut, rip out your heart, and put it through the blender with the feels
I will say that people watching starkid shows need to kinda go into it with the mindset that the vibes are oftentimes a raunchier muppet movie lol. twisted and the guy who didn't like musicals in particular are very much the "muppets with 1 human actor" formula
i cannot get enough of this song. ive listened to it so many times. but no matter hour many times i listen to it, i ALWAYS tear up at “if you believed in me.” LIKE WHAT A BANGER LINE. THANKS, IM CRYING.
Dylan is so perfect in this role. The voice, the acting, THE ACTUAL TEARS. He’s brilliant 😍
14:09 …man… ❤
When I first started exploring the StarKid catalog, I soon realized I had a similar reaction to every single one of them: “I dunno if I really wanna watch a full musical right now and this isn’t really grabbing me. *a short time later* This is amazing.”
I agree that the show didn't start on the high level it reaches later on. But I loved it from start, and then it just got better.
When you get to the end of this you find out that the sultans monolgue here is actually plot relevant
If I Believed is a very special song in my heart because I've been listening to Twisted for like 6 years but only 3 yeaes ago have I truly understood the grief of losing someone and now it never fails to make me cry
Especially the final line. I have terrible self-confidence but the person I lost really believed in me a lot so maybe I should take value in that
That final line is great. Condolences for your loss.
The sultan's speech is the one thing that makes this musical so hard to recommend. Having to be like, yes, this musical is so great and soo funny. But there is something inappropriate said by the sultan, and no, you can not skip it cause it is very important information to the plot. No, sorry, I also can't spoil it either.
Okay fine I'll watch the entire Twisted reaction on Patreon AGAIN
I love how shook and flabbergasted you look at "if you believed in me" line. You look like someone just shot a puppy in front of you lmao. I enjoy how you look so shook in most of the musical where they drop banger lines and banger notes to be fair, it makes me so giddy to see someone who was so skeptical at first finally so taken with one of the best musical number in the whole show. This, a thousand and one nights, and insert musical title are the 3 songs that are always fighting for the first spot for me. So excited to see you finish this, I wish you could introduce this to Casper or watch the Hatchet Town trilogy on Open Arms together.
Starkid never fails to deliver in all of their performances hopefully you'll get to check out some more
I'm actually sobbing right now. Dylan's performance is so moving. This song is gorgeous and so powerful
your expressions as you're listening to the song are so fun
Oh boy this song is my favorite from this musical but it is HEARTBREAKING
Yeah half of the show is the most satirical comedy you have ever seen and the other hand is the most hearth wrenching tragedy you ever experienced
one of the best songs they’ve ever written you feel like you’re getting punched in the gut with every word
Starkid can and will hit you full force with emotional damage and I love them for it. Every show is an amazing rollercoaster of comedy, passion, and just overall packed full of emotional, vocal, and acting talent. I've been lucky enough now to see two of their shows live preformed by them and OMG live theatre doesn't feel the same after seeing them.
After this song, I can officially say... welcome to starkid.
I really hope you react to 'Spies are for Forever' at some point. It's a really good indication of the growth of these guys (I know it's not technically starkid but still). The weird and funny balanced with the heartfelt
The actor they got to play the sultan was great. He had such great range.
This song makes me cry every time
The someWHEREEEE I can hear in my dreams
The starkid emotional whiplash effect is so real lol I legit teared up watching this, that's one of my favorite starkid song, so beautiful!
I would love him to react to "Trail to Oregon" lol. and since there are some recurring actors in main roles it would be cool to hear him compare the vocal styles
And every Starkid musical is JUST AS GOOD, if in different ways!!!
It’s SO lovely to see another person absolutely loving Dylan’s singing!!! This man’s a legend
Hands down my favorite song. I had to go rewatch Twisted last week when we stopped right before it. Chills and tears everytime
i rly hope you experience more starkid, theyre such a fantastic group :)
ive been waiting for you to see this part of the show. my favorite song and scene
i have been waiting for this reaction for weeks. i wish i could forget i watched this musical so i could go through the emotions of watching this bit for the first time again
Saw this on the Patreon but I'm here on TH-cam specifically for the editor's commentary. As always, impeccable!
That reaction at the end of this lmao
So perfect
Been waiting for this one since you started. There are many other good/great songs but for part 2 i would say look forward to the title song thr most
You HAVE to watch the guy who didn’t like musicals next it’s so good and one of my fav musicals over all and from the hatchetfield sires 10/10
I'm suing Mortius for psychological damages. What do you mean this musical is actually sad?
It gets worse😊
It's not a Starkid show if it doesn't rip your heart out
I thought that song wouldn’t make me cry if someone was pausing/commentating on it, but nope, I’m sobbing as always. 😅
god i cannot wait for him to reach the beginning of act 2