INTERVIEW: Live long and prosper at this new ‘Star Trek’ musical parody
Photo: Khan!!! The Musical! stars, from left, Laura Whittenberger, Crystal Marie Stewart, Julian Manjerico and Lindsey M.E. Newton. Photo courtesy of Carol Rosegg / Provided by Kampfire PR with permission.
Khan!!! The Musical! must hold the record for most exclamation points in the name of a musical. This Star Trek parody, presented by Peekskill Productions, runs through June 4 at the Players Theatre in New York City. The show centers around the android Data writing a musical about a cat-and-mouse game between Captain Kirk and his nemesis Khan — harkening back to the days of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, probably the best Star Trek movie in history. Other beloved characters include Sulu, Chekov, Bones, Scotty, Spock and Uhura.
This world-premiere musical comes to the stage courtesy of Brent Black, who is billed as co-writer, composer and lyricist. Alina Morgan, a co-conceiver, offered additional material, while John Lampe serves as director.
Recently Black whisked Hollywood Soapbox away to 2366 to learn more about Khan!!! The Musical! He is the writer or co-writer of seven musicals, according to his official biography. His roster of shows include I’ll Be Damned, which played the Vineyard Theatre in New York City. He’s also the creative force behind Brentalfloss, a YouTube musical parody channel. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How much of a Trekkie / Trekker are you?
I’ve been a big fan of the franchise ever since I started watching the Star Trek movies. From there, I went through and watched at least part of every classic Trek series, and it was only a matter of time before I was going to want to create some kind of tribute to the franchise. I’m not an encyclopedic Trekkie when it comes to quoting every line of every episode, but what I like most is Gene Roddenberry’s vision of a future where humans have set aside their petty differences and begun to work together toward the greater good rather than only looking out for themselves as individuals.
Would you say this musical is best for Star Trek fans or anyone?
Over the course of writing and rewriting, I realized I’d rather make a show that anyone could enjoy even if there are Star Trek references they may not understand. A big part of that is just establishing the characters for people who don’t know Star Trek so they can enjoy their mannerisms even if they’re not familiar with them before the show starts. On top of being a show with fun Easter eggs for Trekkies, it also has a lot of cheeky references for musical theatre fans, since the premise of the show has Data writing a musical after studying classic Broadway shows. But even then, it’s designed so that if it were somehow mounted, performed and watched entirely by people who had neither seen Star Trek nor a single musical, they would still have a great time.
Being a parody, you were fine using these characters, right?
Absolutely! Before I even finished the first draft, I started working with an IP lawyer to craft the show in a way that satisfies legal precedents for parody. And in the big picture, parody musicals have become a big part of the off-Broadway landscape in recent years. The copyright holders of the properties adapted in these parodies generally seem to understand that the shows are brand enhancers rather than copyright infringement, and as long as the shows stay within the bounds of parody, they’re free to run as long as audiences keep buying tickets.
With so many villains to choose from, why Khan?
Khan is easily the best Star Trek movie villain, largely because you can really see how he is the good guy in his own mind; he truly believes he has been wronged and deserves vengeance. But from a purely practical standpoint, the Star Trek movies rarely include antagonists whose stories really “sing.” Trek movie villains range from a satellite in a cloud to a bunch of vaguely malicious Klingons to a giant cylinder who wants to talk to whales. In the context of the movies they work great, but they don’t inspire the more dramatic take you would expect from a singing Khan.
Are you a fan of the new Star Trek shows on Paramount+?
I’ve dipped a toe into NuTrek here and there, and I love how much new Star Trek content has come out in recent years. But having worked constantly on a Star Trek-themed work for a while now, I’ve actually been waiting to binge Strange New Worlds and Picard: season 3 until after this production is off and running. With that being said, I’m excited to share we’ve got a voiceover cameo by friend Bonnie Gordon, the voice of the ship’s computer on Nickelodeon’s Star Trek: Prodigy!
Have you been delighted by the success of Brentalfloss?
I was extremely lucky to be at the right place at the right time with YouTube. It gave me a chance to start my career making comedy songs for nerds (which may make it a little less surprising that I found my way toward writing a show like Khan!!!). I’ll always be thankful for the fans who enjoyed my weird little videos and bought my albums, and I hope to make them proud with this show!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Khan!!! The Musical! continues through June 4 at the Players Theatre in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
