This is a fan forum to discuss Darren Criss\'s career and his public activities, including his theater, film, and TV projects, his music and musical performances, charitable work, interaction with fans, and interviews.
Aw, it was wonderful to see Darren at the Democratic National Convention tonight. I really enjoyed watching most of the evening' s speeches.
The performance of "What the World Needs Now" was beautiful and inspiring. Loved it! So many beautiful voices and souls singing their hearts out. I loved seeing Seth Rudetsky there in the middle of the line-up, conducting. Really truly heartwarming.
Great video posted by dailydarrennews (thank you!):
A slightly longer video posted by CBS, the camera pans down the line-up of singers, so we see Darren again clapping enthusiastically.
link to video (via dailydarrennews)
Rehearsal video:
sethrudetsky: Sound check for #dnc2016! Juli Wesley is Audra’s understudy for rehearsal! (via dailydarrennews)
Another rehearsal video:
Courtney McGregor .@idinamenzel, @DebraMessing, @DarrenCriss, @heatherheadley just slayed their sound check! #DNCinPHL (via dailydarrennews)
Cute and funny "rehearsal" videos of Darren and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Here is the link to the video:
Darren Criss Warming up at #DNC @bstokesmitchell dailydarrennews
Another funny "warming up" video:
Darren Criss Getting high with @bstokesmitchell backstage at #DNC (via dailydarrennews)
Darren followed Rebel and a Basket Case, Skeery Jones, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Joe Biden and Tim Kaine on Twitter.
[HQ] A host of Broadway stars performed the hit Broadway for Orlando single “What the World Needs Now” July 27 at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. | Playbill.com (via dailydarrennews)
I would love to see that too, Jeremy! The question is would he be a sweet clown, a goofy clown, a scary clown, an angst-ridden/sad clown, or another type of clown?
"The Prince of Egypt" Reading. February 6, 2016.
It was interesting that Darren took part of a reading for "The Prince of Egypt," on February 6, 2016, given that on October 26, 2015, he sang a medley of two songs from the film, "The Prince of Egypt" ("The River Lullaby" and "All I Ever Wanted") at the Dramatists Guild Fund: Lucky Stars Gala, where Stephen Schwartz was also present at the gala. (Go here for Dramatists Guild Fund: Lucky Stars Gala.)
From dailydarrennews:
fabiaguirrebway: My little brother Moses is all grown up now! Happy Birthday @darrencriss! It has been so much fun doing Prince of Egypt with you! #Moses#youngMiriam#princeofegypt
Chris Dilley: Had to grab, berate, and throw a mudball at this guy - and he took it like a champ. Darren Criss, awesome working with you! #princeofegypt — with Darren Criss at New 42nd Street Studios.
fallenjunkie: thearmfeldtfamilymanse: There can be miracles (like high belting at 10am!) when you believe. Thanks for a fun morning @pepamama @darrencriss @starkweather @nikkimjames @slipsgoblue @chelliebrd @dialkyle #funwithclients#goblue
darrenkey: Bruce T. Sloane: Love the “Prince of Egypt ” reading today With Darren Criss, Stark Sands, Chris Dilley, Stephen Schwartz, Scott Schwartz.
DCN garglerspy: A very starkid reunion - so stoked!
Cute little video from Darren (he looks adorable with the Harry Potter lightning drawn on his forehead), posting the link until I practice Lin's awesome tech skills of embedding the video:
DarrenCriss: A Very StarKid Reunion. It’s happening. Right. Now. DCN
therealteamstarkid: GO BLUE!!!!! #AVSR @umichsmtd DCN
umichsmtd: Team Starkid - A Totally Awesome show! Thanks for coming back to join us for the Dept. of Theatre & Drama’s 100th birthday! DCN
An edit: x DCN
A Very Starkid Reunion | October 8, 2015 DCN
[HQ] Alums Joey Richter, Darren Criss, and Lauren Lopez perform at “A Very Starkid Reunion” in honor of the 100th anniversary of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance at the Power Center on Thursday. | Source
DCN
Note: The Source listed has a photo gallery, for anyone interested.
badgersinbowties:
14 year old me is crying. 21 year old me had an incredible time with alums from her school and is so happy she got to catch up with an old friend (and also got to party with the radest people alive). Team Starkid– thank you for being so fucking great. Can’t wait for the next time
DCN
dylansaunders: I’m heading home and am still pinching myself. So many incredible memories, loves, smells and milestones came flooding back to me this week. My artist-self came of age in Ann Arbor, and to be back performing where it all started was a beautiful, humbling and hilarious experience. It wouldn’t be accurate to say this school changed my life–it defined it. Feeling eternally grateful for the time I had at the University of Michigan, and for the friendships I forged there. Happy 100th Birthday to my beloved Department of Theatre & Drama, and thank you for continuing to lead me down the greatest artistic path a fellow could ask for. #GoBlue#Theatre100#AVSR @umichsmtd @uofmichigan @therealteamstarkid DCN
tmierno: Check this cutie out DCN
janel-moloney: 100 Years of Theatre: Alumni Reflections with StarKid DCN
hedwig-darren: 100 Years of Theatre: Alumni Reflections with StarKid DCN
nikkihorowitz: Check out this video Marisa Diamond and I made for The Michigan Daily about 100 Years of Theatre at U of M and StarKidPotter!! Special thanks to Alison Hacker for being the best interviewer, Nicky Lang, Darren Criss and the rest of Starkids. What a great weekend!
slowpez8: #tbt to last week and the exact moment when we realized that we are POSSIBLY too old for college parties.
This is a very cute pic of Darren and his friend, Lily Marks. lilyrosemarks: This guy! #tbt @darrencriss #avsr DCN
jlbeatty: A VERY STARKID REUNION releases at midnight tonight! And we all turn back into pumpkins!!! #avsr (Link to purchase)
Link DCN
This is impressive and also very interesting: An article in Forbes about StarKid: Forbes: "Darren Criss and Team StarKid Talk Capitalizing on Viral Success"
Some nice quotes from the the Forbes article, courtesy of DCN:
"My heart will always be in theater; I would always rather do a play – always." — Darren Criss (Forbes.com) DCN
" [Darren] Criss, an original StarKid founder, songwriter, and actor, explains how their pioneering use of the Internet to spread theater was partly a financial decision. “There wasn’t a wave to be ridden; (our initial viral success) was an accident,” Criss said. “We put (AVPM) on YouTube simply because that was cheaper than making DVDs and shipping it out to people.” Most notably, Criss’ work in the AVPM series may have played a role in sparking the attention of director Ryan Murphy and Glee’s casting directors. While he has since soared to Hollywood fame – starring opposite Kristen Wiig in the Girl Most Likely and receiving an Emmy nomination for his original song in Glee – he still returns to his classic theater roots to occasionally perform with StarKid. “My heart will always be in theater; I would always rather do a play – always,” Criss admitted. Most recently, he took his second lead on Broadway in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, after his 2011 debut in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. " — Darren Criss And Team StarKid Talk Capitalizing On Viral Success (Forbes.com) DCN
A very interesting review, with the writer noting Darren's ability to adapt from solo artist to team player. Hypable: "‘A Very StarKid Reunion’ is a nostalgic must-have for fans"
hypable:
‘A Very StarKid Reunion’ is a nostalgic must-have for fans The latest offering from fandom’s most beloved theater troupe Team StarKid is a DVD filmed at their one-off A Very StarKid Reunion, a live concert performed in October in honor of their alma mater’s 100th anniversary.
Some nice quotes from this review:
Hypable Review wrote:Opening with the number that made them an instant internet sensation, Darren Criss leads most of the original cast of A Very Potter Musical in “Goin’ Back To Hogwarts,” in which the entrance of every character is met with wild cheers, and the sentiment “it’s great to come back to where we began” holds a special significance. This is the night’s first moment in which UMich is branded as Team StarKid’s very own Hogwarts, but it won’t be the last.
Hypable Review wrote:. . . for example, Darren Criss introduced Starship, a show he composed but wasn’t able to perform in, and described his odd, and rather sad, disconnect from the group as he was working on the show’s music while filming his first season on Glee.
For StarKid fans — especially old-school StarKid fans — the Darren Criss situation is always going to be weird, and his presence at events like this always has us heaving a sigh of relief. From what we’ve heard from the rest of the StarKid gang, that sentiment seems to extend to them, at times, too.
Hypable Review wrote:Perhaps Criss, like most of the Glee fandom, is still feeling some burnout from the show’s less-than-graceful demise, but regardless, he is a star, and he has the ambition and the resume to prove it. This is a guy who entered a hit TV show as a guest actor and who left five years later as its leading male, who recently carried a taxing one-man Broadway show (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) on his back. He’s an enigmatic solo performer, but one of my favorite things about Criss is that when he’s with Team StarKid, he never seems to pull focus. His number in the A Very Potter Sequel segment (which happens to be one of the best songs he’s ever personally penned) is as show-stopping as anything he’s ever done onstage, and yet even that still doesn’t turn the night into The Darren Criss Variety Hour.
Hypable Review wrote: Criss is excellent at turning on the celebrity factor. He’s also excellent at turning it off. He’s, above all, adaptable, and despite the fact that he appears in this concert as one of its big draws, in the lead role of Harry, his presence feels just as expected, yet just as unremarkable, as any of the returning cast. He’s one of the gang, as happy to dance in back as lead up front, and in the best possible way, he doesn’t stand out. This isn’t new: this is a quality that fans have witnessed every time Criss has returned to perform with StarKid over the past five years, and it makes sense: he’s not competing with these people, there’s nothing to prove and nothing at stake. It’s just what he comes home to.
I love how happy Darren is when he is with StarKids. It really does seem like StarKids is his "home," his safe place, his joyous place. I also love how although Darren does shine as a solo performer, on his own, that he also is just as happy to be a team player, especially when he is with his close friends, those who make up StarKids.
More media coverage of the reunion:
Source (Detroit Free Press) DCN
Same interview of Darren: Detroit Free Press: "Darren Criss shares University of Michigan memories"
Another interview: The Michigan Daily: "My day at rehearsal with StarKids"
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you’re awesome! @TeamStarKid 
