Monstrous Musicals: Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Team Starkid is  massively popular musical theater company who first rose to fame with A Very Potter Musical.  They are best known for their parodies but they have also dabbled into the world of the horror with their Hatchetfield series.  These contain three stage musicals plus a web series,  and while these do have a loose connection to each other, they can be watched in any order. From what I understand, each of these shows is set in its own universe.

The last Hatchetfield show which is the one I’m looking at today fits the narrative of high school horror.  What do you do when you get fed up with the bully being a monster? (heck one of the songs is called Literal Monster). This show looks to that question as a bunch of losers and outcasts get fed up with how their bully has Ben treating them and ruling the school with an iron fist.

Well, they decide to prank him at an old abandoned house and for once the bully seems scared.  Yet in a tragic moment, he thanks the geeks for scaring him as it’s the nicest thing anyone has done but then he dies from falling through a creepy floor.   

Weeks pass and the town seems and is much happier without his presence.  That speaks volumes to how bad this bully was. Yet in death, he’s even worse as he returns from the dead seeking revenge against those that had wronged him.  This is what puts our nerdy friends in danger as the bully is now much more powerful in death than he was alive. How will they stop him? Well, let’s find out!

High School Is Killing Me

Our opening number that helps to establish the show and it opens with two of the characters that will later be offed, Richie and Ruth.  This is quite a fun number as we are introduced to our characters and taps into the zeitgeist of their lives.  It’s a bit of a lengthy number but kinda has to be as we are introduced to everyone who will be important.  A rundown, I already mentioned Ruth and Richie who are losers and outcasts. Then we have Steph, who is the mayor’s daughter and a bit of an outcast.  Then Pete, a nerd who has bit more social skills. And finally Grace Chasity, a repressed Christian girl who well kinda starts the events of this musical in motion.

One of the best things you’ll see about this musical is that each character gets a song that lets stand out.

Literal Monster

Ah, the song that introduces us to the bully/villain of this show, Max Jagerman.   As I mentioned in the plot synopsis, Max rules the school with an iron fist and determines where and when everyone can go.  He’s a Gaston type of villain, he’s just as dumb and chases after a girl he can’t have, Grace.  He knows he is a monster and he relishes in it.

Cool As I Think I Am

I’m pretty sure this was one of the first songs I heard from this show and this is why Pete is my favorite character from this show.  Sure, it’s pretty nerdy but look at the title of the show and Pete is a giant nerd who throughout the course of this musical is becoming more assertive in who he is.  This song is the first step in Pete becoming more than he is. For as funny as this musical, one of the things I love about it is the depth the characters have.   Especially our lead couple.

Dirty Girl

So, as I mentioned Grace is a repressed Christian eighteen year old girl who is having sexual fantasies about Max. And she can’t help it as it goes against her teachings. Her repression is played for both laughs and as we will see at the end of the musical, her downfall.  This admittedly isn’t one of my favorite songs from the show but it is important in exploring Grace’s characterization.

Bully the Bully

Like I said,  Grace sets the plan in motion to scare Max.  Each of them have their reasons from hating Max.  So, they take him to an abandoned house, the old Waylon Place to scare him.  The harmonies in this song are great and shame two of these characters will die soon but that comes with the territory of horror musicals.

Bury The bully

This song comes after Max has died and yeah, the kids decide to hide the body and not tell anyone and cut up his body. Can’t say I blame Max there but again imo, Grace has most of the blame as this was her plan.

Go Go Nighthawks!

So this song is a few weeks after Max was offed and Hatchetfield and especially the high school is a better place without his monstrous behavior running the place.  It’s a catchy song that if you didn’t know the context of what it was from would come across as a cheerful number but well this is a horror musical.

Nerdy Prudes Must Die

Ah now the title song and Max’s big villain song which alas means we must say goodbye to one of our nerdy prudes as this is Richie’s final bow.  Max has come back stronger from the dead and has a vengeance to rid the world of as he says nerdy prudes.  Even in death, he’s a bully and now in many ways, he’s the ultimate bully.  There was another any shot at  redemption.

 

Also I find it interesting how Richie tries to stand up to Max but he ends up losing his life.   Earlier in the musical when Pete tries to meet Steph for a study date, Max beats him up showing how Max can’t handle those who stand up to him.

Hatchet Town.

Interestingly parts of this song on the soundtrack and on the proshot are different as the proshot references a druggy killing whereas here, it’s a guidance counselor.   I’m not sure which was recorded first but that is interesting.   Looking at this through the lens of what the musical is, it’s a paranoia song much in the same vein as something like Your Fault.

Instead of protecting the town and especially the children, it’s easier to pass the blame around instead of coming together to put a stop to the killings.  It is a funny song but it’s also a poignant commentary about how we never accept the responsibility.

Just For Once

So here, we have a song from a play within a play as this is from a play the drama club is rehearsing called The BBQ Monologues and here we have Ruth (our second nerdy prudes to be offed) singing a song of a life as a middle aged mother.  This song has a tragic irony to it as this is a life that Ruth will never get considered she is wedgied to death.  Ruth dying at a young age means she won’t even get the chance to be bitter about the things she is singing about.

  Again, this show is a comedy but it doesn’t shy away from the tragedy and we feel that here.   IMO,  this is the most tragic song in the show.

If I Loved You

Oh hey a happy song,  we kind need that after the last few.  I love Pete and Steph as a couple, they are so adorable and bring out the best in one another. This song is so cute with them trying to downplay their interest in one another but their chemistry is oozing off the screen.   I adore this song and I adore these characters.  I’m so glad they get to live to the end (spoilers I know) but they deserve each other.   Also, it’s a nice breather song before everything gets heavy.   

The Summoning

Okay, a little backstory. The Lords in Black are demonic gods that are part of the other musicals in this series.  Heck, Wiggly is the main antagonist in the musical that precedes this.  So, that’s the one area where some context is needed.   Steph’s dad who is the mayor who knew about and gave the remaining kids a black book that could be used to summon them.  The way the Lords in Black are presented is meant to be unsettling and as though the kids are making a deal with the devil which well they are.   We will come to that with the next song.

 

Cool As I Think I Am (Reprise)

Oh this song just breaks my heart every heart every time. Pete and Steph have finally opened up about how they’re feeling.  But The Lords in Black want what Steph cherishes most and that’s Pete. To stop Max, she has to kill him.  This song just breaks my heart into a million little pieces as these kids shouldn’t have to be going through something like this.  Pete is ready to give himself up but Max stops the bullet and this is the one time, that’s a bad thing.

 

Oh you need to watch this animatic based on this song.  Again gah, I love this show and especially these characters.  Oh don’t worry, Max is defeated by Grace giving up her virginity and making out with him.   

The Best of You

Nerdy Prudes is the only show in this trilogy to have a happy ending. This song is fine. Not my favorite but it’s whatever.   I’m glad the kids got a happy ending because after everything they went through they deserve it.

Dirty Dudes Must Die

This song is really nothing more than a tease seeing how the book that was used to summon the Lords in Black has corrupted Grace and now she wants to kill anyone she considers dirty.   It’s just meant to be a horror end but’s a whatever ending.

I adore this show so much and I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading about it.  Join me next time as I’m joined by a friend to look at stage show based on something I have no clue about as I look at the stage adaption of…

Death Note

About Author