A Very Potter Musical is a musical with music and lyrics by Darren Criss and A.J. Holmes
and a book by Matt Lang, Nick Lang, and Brian Holden. The story is a parody based on several
of the Harry Potter novels, particularly Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter
and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling as well as their film counterparts.
A Very Potter Musical tells the story of Harry Potter's return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft
and Wizardry, the trials and tribulations of adolescence, his participation in the House
Cup Championship, and the return of the dark wizard Lord Voldemort to power.
The musical was performed in April 9–11, 2009, on the University of Michigan campus
and is currently available to watch online. It was produced by StarKid Productions and
directed by Matt Lang. The musical starred Darren Criss as Harry Potter, Joey Richter
as Ron Weasley, Bonnie Gruesen as Hermione Granger, Jaime Lyn Beatty as Ginny Weasley,
Lauren Lopez as Draco Malfoy, Brian Rosenthal as Quirinus Quirrell, and Joe Walker as Lord
Voldemort. In late June 2009, the group put the entire musical up on YouTube, and it became
a viral video, obtaining millions of views. The musical also allowed StarKid to create
subsequent musicals: Me and My Dick, A Very Potter Sequel, Starship, Holy Musical B@man!,
and Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Visier. A third installment called A Very Potter 3D:
A Very Potter Senior Year premiered at LeakyCon on August 11, 2012. The cast agreed to release
its script, then album, and finally the videos themselves on March 15, 2013.
Synopsis Act I
Harry Potter, the legendary "Boy Who Lived", rejoices that he is entering his second year
at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with his best friend Ron Weasley and frumpy
nerd Hermione Granger. Headmaster of Hogwarts Albus Dumbledore welcomes everyone back, skips
the Sorting Ceremony and introduces the House Cup Tournament, in which a champion will be
chosen on behalf of each House to fight for the House Cup.
The names are chosen out of a magical trophy by Master of Potions, Severus Snape, with
Harry being chosen for Gryffindor. The other champions are his crush Cho Chang, her current
boyfriend Cedric Diggory and Harry's obnoxious rival, Draco Malfoy. Hermione then voices
her concern about the bloodstained history of the House Cup Tournament but no one can
drop out due to the enchantment on the trophy from which the names were drawn. Draco attempts
to intimidate Harry by claiming that he will transfer to a prestigious wizarding academy
on Mars called Pigfarts, but Hermione threatens him and forces him to back off.
Meanwhile, Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher Quirinus Quirrell is secretly conspiring to
revive the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who is parasitically attached to the back of his
head after Voldemort's previous defeat by an infant Harry Potter. They bicker about
this arrangement, which causes inconvenience to both of them due to their conflicting personalities.
Harry convinces Hermione to do all of his school work for him while he writes a love
song intended to win the heart of Cho Chang. He tests out the song on Ron's younger sister
Ginny, while being oblivious to Ginny's own crush on him. Harry, Ron and Hermione use
his Cloak of Invisibility to sneak off and investigate what the first round of the House
Cup Tournament could entail, leaving Ginny alone to lament her unrequited love.
Voldemort convinces Quirrell to go out and celebrate the progress of their evil plan
instead of grading papers. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discover that the first round will
involve dragons, while also eavesdropping on a conversation by Malfoy that hints at
an unrealised crush on Hermione. Voldemort and Quirrel return from a night of drunken
escapades, reminiscing on past events and how they have become friends from their time
spent together"). Harry continues to neglect his preparation
for the tournament, and is caught completely off-guard when he is forced to face a deadly
Hungarian Horntail in battle. With no other choice, Harry summons his guitar and serenades
the dragon into submission, allowing him to move on to the next round of the competition.
The annual Yule Ball is announced, and Ginny attempts to ask Harry to be her partner. Unfortunately,
Harry is dead set on asking Cho and unknowingly rejects Ginny, causing her to run off in tears.
Harry plays his song for Cho") but is rejected because Cho has already agreed to go with
Cedric, leaving him and Ron as the only two male students without partners. Quirrell relieves
Voldemort of his worries surrounding their master plan as the two weigh the pros and
cons of their upcoming physical separation. At the Yule Ball, the normally-unattractive
Hermione suddenly shows up with a gorgeous makeover, causing Ron and Malfoy to suddenly
realise their feelings for her. Harry develops an attraction to Ginny and asks her to dance,
leaving Ron to get "drunk" on Butterbeer and fight over Hermione with Malfoy, causing her
to lash out at both of them. Harry pulls back from a kiss with Ginny, stating that they
cannot be together because of his friendship with Ron. Ginny leaves in tears and a flustered
Harry attempts to regain his dignity by cutting in with Cho, causing him to get into a fight
with Cedric. As Harry grabs for a weapon, he touches the enchanted ladle that Quirrel
had planted earlier, teleporting both Cedric and himself to a mysterious graveyard.
Quirrel appears, killing Cedric with the Killing Curse and using the full Body-Bind curse on
Harry. Snape then appears; while Quirrel and Voldemort submerge themselves in a large cauldron,
Snape uses his own hand and Harry's blood to complete a ritual that successfully revives
Voldemort, who joyfully celebrates with his Death Eaters. Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange
arrives to welcome back her master and former lover, and reveals their plan was to use Quirrell
as a scapegoat for the murder of Harry. Heartbroken at the betrayal of their friendship, Quirrell
falls out with Voldemort and is taken to Azkaban. Before Voldemort can kill Harry, Harry manages
to use the ladle to escape back to Hogwarts, where he exclaims in horror that Voldemort
has returned. Act II
The Minister of Magic is in disbelief of Voldemort's return, despite evidence such as Voldemort's
new video blog and his review of 17 Again, starring an idol of the show, Zac Efron, Zefron.
Meanwhile, Harry is consumed with stress over the situation and ostracises his friends with
his self-centred behaviour. Malfoy attempts to mock Harry, but is humiliated once again
in front of the student body and vows revenge. Ginny attempts to clarify her relationship
with Harry, but he explains that as long as Voldemort is at large, they cannot be together.
As Ginny runs off in tears once more, a disguised Dumbledore summons Harry to his office to
discuss Voldemort. Snape reveals himself as an undercover Death
Eater and meets with Voldemort, who is in a deep depression following his fight with
Quirrell. He brings in Malfoy, who tells Voldemort of a secret entrance into Hogwarts in exchange
for a rocket ship to Mars. Voldemort also makes Malfoy enter into a binding magical
contract to kill Dumbledore for him. Harry, Ron and Hermione arrive at Dumbledore's
office for the meeting. There, Dumbledore explains the horcruxes that sustain Voldemort's
existence, revealing that he has already destroyed five of the six and giving Harry magical equipment
to locate and destroy the last one, which is hidden somewhere in Hogwarts. Just then,
Death Eaters burst into the office and apprehend Dumbledore. Malfoy prepares to uphold his
end of the bargain, but following a pep talk from Dumbledore finds himself unable to strike
the killing blow. Snape takes the initiative and kills Dumbledore himself, which so traumatises
Harry that he declares he must fight Voldemort alone.
Voldemort successfully takes over the Ministry of Magic, but finds that he still pines for
the companionship of Quirrell. Voldemort, Quirrell and Harry all lament those they have
lost. Afterwards, a Death Eater informs Voldemort that Hogwarts has fallen, and Voldemort prepares
to depart to Hogwarts itself. Ginny finds Harry within Hogwarts and attempts
to convince him that he has the power to save everyone; however, Harry is in denial and
bemoans the unrealistic expectations and pressure placed on him as "The Boy Who Lived". Ginny
reassures him that he is not alone in his fight against evil, and he is reunited with
Ron and Hermoine. With the help of Malfoy, who has changed his ways, Harry and Ron head
to Dumbledore's office to destroy the last horcrux while Ginny and Hermione attempt to
contact the Order of the Phoenix. Before parting, Ron apologizes to Hermione for his behaviour
at the Yule Ball and the two share a passionate kiss.
Harry, Ron and Malfoy discover that the last horcrux is Dumbledore's Zac Efron poster,
which attempts to turn Ron against Harry by taking the forms of Voldemort and Hermione
and preying on his insecurities. Ron fights off the deception and destroys the horcrux,
reaffirming his friendship with Harry. A group of Death Eaters led by Bellatrix storm
the office, having captured Ginny and Hermione. Snape reveals himself to be a double agent
and attempts to save the students, but is struck down by Bellatrix. Just then, Ron and
Ginny's mother Molly comes to the rescue and kills Bellatrix. With his dying breath, Snape
reveals that Harry became a seventh horcrux on the night of his parents' death.
Voldemort arrives at Hogwarts and demands the student body turn over Harry in exchange
for their lives. Harry realises that he must die to save everyone and surrenders himself
to Voldemort, who kills him. Finding himself in a realm between life and death, Harry meets
Dumbledore, who explains that Voldemort has inadvertently destroyed his seventh horcrux
by killing Harry. Dumbledore sends Harry back to the realm of the living before departing
to Pigfarts on the back of Rumbleroar, its lion headmaster.
Ron and Hermione rally the remaining students of Hogwarts, their efforts greatly bolstered
with the return of Harry. Voldemort breaks through the students' barricade and is shocked
to find that Harry is still alive. Harry explains that his act of self-sacrifice has rendered
the student populace of Hogwarts immune to Voldemort's magic, and that Voldemort's lack
of concern for others will ultimately be his downfall. Voldemort attempts the Killing Curse,
but Harry reflects the spell and kills him. The student body celebrate the death of Voldemort,
with Dumbledore's will tying up the last loose ends by posthumously awarding the House Cup
to Gryffindor and appointing Harry as the new Headmaster. Harry passionately kisses
Ginny after Ron gives them his blessing, and all the students leave to throw a party.
At Azkaban, Quirrell learns of Voldemort's death and is devastated. However, the last
remnant of Voldemort's spirit arrives to make amends with Quirrell, and they joyfully reunite
with each other"). Cast and characters
A.J. Holmes, the piano player for the show, is involved in the actual musical twice, first
leaving his duties as the piano player to give Ron some Twizzlers, and second being
threatened by Voldemort when he starts playing sad music to accompany Voldemort thinking
about Quirrel. Musical numbers
A rendition of "Granger Danger" performed by Darren Criss is played during the credits
of the YouTube version of the production. Development
While reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Nick Lang and a few others attending
the University of Michigan discussed the possibility of Draco Malfoy having a crush on Hermione
Granger because of him constantly bullying her, and created the concept of a song "Granger
Danger," which led to the idea of making a Harry Potter musical. When the script was
being written, they asked Darren Criss if they could use his songs "Sami," which was
originally written for the web series Little White Lie, and "Not Alone" which they ended
up using as a model for the show. Productions
Harry Potter: The Musical was performed April 9–11, 2009, on the University of Michigan
campus. Soon after, the group posted the entire musical on YouTube. However, it was later
taken down and edited to make it less inappropriate for the younger audiences, but was posted
again, slightly edited and under the new name A Very Potter Musical in late June 2009.
Recording
A cast recording of the production was released in 2009 through the StarKid Productions website.
All of the songs featured on stage are present on the recording. The group also released
the album through Bandcamp on July 29, 2010. Critical reception
Entertainment Weekly named the musical one of "The 10 Best Viral Videos of 2009."
See also Lists of musicals
References
External links StarKid Productions official website
StarKid Productions on YouTube