director's note:
The Trail To Oregon! was supposed to be the first ever “Act One Project.” Back when I called it “The Act One Project”, which was grammatically incorrect. This freshman-year dream of mine finally became a reality when my friend Sheridan (who’s performing tonight as the Son) recommended I do it, and I’m so excited to be sitting with you guys, ready to watch this magic happen.
For the people who don’t know the origins of the show, Trail To Oregon! was created by Team Starkid - a student theatre group from the University of Michigan. They created parody musicals of legendary pop culture movies and TV shows, which soon evolved into original works. Starkid posted every musical they created onto YouTube (this was back in like 2009), and each of their shows found success through the platform. This makes Team Starkid (and their musicals) familiar names to millennials and older Gen Z folk.
The show was a hit when it first came out. It currently has 4 million views on YouTube, and is a staple of comedy shows in the theatre community. My mission when tackling the show was to revamp it for a Gen Z audience. Its popularity with millennial folk cemented it into that space, but I wanted to look at it with a fresh, GenZ lense.
On a separate note, I wanted to choose a show that was fun. Our previous projects all had a sense of serious-ness to them, Death and Other Girly Things is a drama and Ghost Quartet is just Ghost Quartet (lol). So looking for a show that was FUN was a priority of mine. I hope you all have as much fun as I did watching the YouTube recording when I was younger!
Also… who doesn’t love the game?! For those of you who haven’t played it, there’s a free online version.
I want to end this note with a TON of thank-you’s to the people who helped make this possible:
Mom & Dad… for allowing me the opportunity to succeed (and fail) at running a theatre company, and always having my back when I need it.
Jeremiah… for jumping into this show with passion. I still can’t believe this is your FIRST MUSICAL. I’ve been blown away by you since auditions, and it’s obvious you have a bright future in theatre. You conduct yourself and your craft like an expert.
Mia… for keeping me up to my standards, and walking into my pivot’s with attention. I know there’s been a lot of “wtf is this now” moments but I’m so proud of the work you’ve put into this show. I hope it sticks with you for the rest of your life.
Kyla… for being the most prepared actor and receptive to coaching. Your ability to take notes and RUN with them is one I’m incredibly jealous of. I’ve loved watching you walk in and out of rehearsals everyday with a smile. I am so proud of you.
Sheridan… for everything with flexibility. I’m so happy you were able to do this show, even if it meant you had 7 million conflicts. Your work and ability to learn material on your own has made you such a strong member of this cast!
George… for the devotion you’ve put into this project. I admire your willingness to be goofy and how you’ve just been a ton of fun to work with. Also… the drive you make for this is CRAZY. So thank you for coming back every rehearsal!
Clay… for that big ol’ boisterous personality of yours. Your confidence in the rehearsal process has made you a leader for everybody. I’m so thrilled to have done this project with you!
I hope you’ve gotten to understand a little bit more about the show. My final words are:
Hoot. Hollar. Scream. Go crazy for this cast!
-KS
