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In October 2018, StarKid Productions began the first theatrical run of The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. This show would later be known as the first production in their Hatchetfield series, a collection of spooky musicals and video specials set in the fictional town of Hatchetfield. Though their shows have not garnered the broad public appeal of popular Broadway plays and musicals, StarKid has carved out a cult following online among theater kids and horror fanatics.
The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals follows Paul, a mundane office worker who is thrust into a sci-fi horror plot as his city is invaded by singing and dancing body snatchers. He is accompanied by barista Emma Perkins, his coworkers Charlotte, Bill, and Ted, as well as the eccentric Professor Hidgens. Despite being crushingly mediocre in almost all regards, it’s up to Paul to save the world.
The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals toys with the typical conventions of the medium while delivering a thoughtful critique of how American society regards difference and individuality. The show has many passionate fans, yet many who enjoy musical theater have never heard of it. The themes, humor, and characters of the StarKid production merit the attention of anyone who appreciates theater and horror.
Humor In Hatchetfield
Much of the humor in The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals references and subverts popular Broadway musicals and tropes. The script’s jokey comparisons between itself and Hamilton (2015) serve to remind the audience that this piece is in conversation with more traditional shows. While many musicals include the protagonist singing an “I Want” song that establishes their desires and objectives, a supporting character infected with the extraterrestrial contagion sings a song about how he wants Paul to want something in a manner befitting a musical’s hero.
Professor Hidgens’ over-the-top demeanor blends the stage presence of a Golden Age Broadway legend with a parody of mad scientists from 1950s science fiction serials. His long speeches about the impending apocalypse are the perfect setup for a quick punchline where he’s just as clueless as the other survivors. His song “Show Stoppin’ Number” (2018) is a fan favorite for the inclusion of Hidgens’ Hallmark-esque idea for an original musical. His pitch for Working Boys: A New Musical is complete with exaggerated, cliché dialogue that pokes fun at Hidgens’ barely veiled yearning for the “simpler times.”
“Oh hey, Greg. I’m swamped… with business. Stocks, bonds, golden parachutes. Remember those days on the football field, Greg? Last weekend feels like ages ago…”1
Paul, though not without his own comedic moments, acts as more of a straight man for the more zany characters to bounce off of. Charlotte’s proclivity for horrible men and Ted’s cartoonishly scummy behavior are made more impactful when compared to Paul’s relative straightforwardness. The most genuine moments in the show come when Paul is with his crush Emma, whose dry humor complements his own personality nicely.
One of the most major comedic motifs in the show is the juxtaposition of upbeat musical numbers with violent and dark lyrics. In the opening number alone, the infected ponder whether or not they should murder Paul for not singing and dancing with them. Perhaps the best example of this technique comes in “Show Me Your Hands” (2018), the number sung by Charlotte’s husband Sam and other Hatchetfield police officers.
"Step away from the vehicle / step away from the vehicle / get back in the vehicle / get back in the vehicle / slowly get out of the vehicle / slowly get out of the vehicle / do the things I say, I'm a cop."2
The song is a satire of American police, mocking hunger for authority, ineffectualness, and, most importantly, the history of police brutality in the United States. In the short term, the song successfully finds dark humor in pointing out the pathetic and ridiculous nature of hyper-violent, power-tripping police officers. For the wider political themes of the show, “Show Me Your Hands” fits in nicely with the points StarKid is making about American society.
Assimilation & Apotheosis
While the tune of the song is bouncy and fun, the subject it ridicules is anything but. The Hatchetfield Police Department’s (HFPD) words and threats are meant to evoke memories of the countless instances of police violence against Black people and other marginalized communities. The police culture in the United States is emblematic of some of the larger issues that the themes of The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals involve.
Perhaps the least subtle political allegory comes with the song “America is Great Again” (2018). The lyrics are an obvious reference to Donald Trump’s reactionary “Make America Great Again” movement that united the nativist right under his banner. This number is performed by the infected members of a government black ops organization that was sent to clean up the Hatchetfield incident. The beat and choreography of the song shine a spotlight on ideas of military masculinity and what it means to be considered American.
"I don't know what you've been told / But Americans should fit a mold / There's a war to be fought in this country / Against those that are far too bold / Two party system, left and right / There's only room for right and wrong / It's me or you or you or me / The loudest become the strong / Yeah, we're great again."3
The obsession with being “the strong” is characteristic of how the American military acts and is spoken of since the end of World War II. Victory is treated as if it can be achieved solely through overwhelming force.4 Any losses or entrenchments in unexpected quagmires are seen as proof that someone in the chain of command isn’t being ruthless enough.5 This same pattern has remained unchanged from the Vietnam War to Iran in 2026.6
The lyric about how “Americans should fit a mold” is precisely what the alien hive mind represents. The infection turns individuals into synchronized, perpetually smiling pawns; each drone loses their identity and only brings it out when it helps spread the plague. The hive mind is conformity to American “ideals.”
"Compromise, conformity / Assimilation, submission / Ignorance, hypocrisy / Brutality, the elite / All of which are American dreams / All of which are American dreams / All of which are American dreams / All of which are American dreams / All of which are American dreams / All of which are American dreams / All of which are American dreams / All of which are American dreams."7
It’s the apparent irony of the hive mind’s love for musical theater that sells the metaphor. Broadway theater, at first glance, is a hyper-individualistic form of the medium. The typical Broadway musical protagonist sings songs about what they want and what sets them apart from everyone else. By the end of the show, they accomplish their goals like a real American hero.
What Makes Paul A Leading Man?
But behind that hero is a chorus of unnamed, unidentifiable characters that are there to prop up the protagonist and antagonist. The truth of the Broadway musical is that it does value conformity among any actors not playing the role of the “Great Man.” American society claims to value individualism, but only the individuality of the rich and powerful that are propped up by the invisible masses. Paul is chosen by the hive mind as their leading man, presumably because he is the guy who didn’t like musicals. And yet, this choice does not fit with who Paul truly is.
Paul has no real ambition. He does not fit the characteristics of a Broadway protagonist. The most desire he feels in the show is his desire to not die and his milder hopes of beginning a relationship with Emma. He does not inhabit the role of a Broadway main character, but Emma does. She has a compelling backstory and a long-term goal of owning a cannabis farm. She would be a much more natural fit, yet the hive mind relegates her to the role of Paul’s love interest.
There is a clear gender dynamic in this dichotomy, and it’s underscored by how the musical body snatchers act in the final scene. The hive mind pretends that Emma has escaped to Clivesdale and no longer faces any danger. The infected Colonel Schaffer sends out the alien duplicate of Paul with the line “PEIP would like to see it become something more,” calling back to when PEIP’s General MacNamara asked Paul if there was a possibility for him and Emma to be more than friends.
For the alien contagion, this is the show’s big happy ending: Paul has accepted the apotheosis and soon Emma will too. The guy gets the girl in an affirmation of heterosexual romance, and everyone is singing and dancing together. For the audience, they see the sole survivor who will surely lose her bodily and cognitive autonomy to the creature wearing the skin of the man she once had feelings for.
Paul himself, in his final moments before attempting to destroy the hive mind, succumbs to the song and reflects on his own misery. He questions if joining the musical willingly, conforming to patriarchal expectations of what he, as an American man, should be, would make him happy.
"I've never been happy / Wouldn't that be nice? / Is this the secret? / Singing and dancing through life? / Is my integrity worth anything at all?"8
This is the ultimate lie of conformity. The hive mind makes life dangerous or unbearable for the people that refuse to join their song and dance, and they promise that anyone who does will finally be happy. But to join the chorus, the person has to harm themself or be killed by one of the infected. So long as the pressure to assimilate exists, peace is impossible.
The Simpler Times
This is not how everyone in the show sees things, however. In the second act, Professor Hidgens turns on the others and gives himself up to the infected. He believes that bending the whole world to the will of this new hegemonic power is the only path to true world peace. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the United States’ global strategy to convert nations into client states from which it can extract resources, and it could be a symptom of Hidgens’ reactionary tendencies.
Despite spending decades preparing for the apocalypse, Professor Hidgens is a man trapped in the past. In his own words, “he can’t help but long for the simpler times.” The relationship between nostalgia and fascism has been widely debated, but the pattern of fascists painting a picture of an imagined ideal past of their nation is undeniable. It certainly connects to MacNamara’s lyrics in “America is Great Again.” Acclaimed author Alan Moore has a particular interest in the ties between right-wing authoritarianism and nostalgia:
“As for the relationship between authoritarianism and our disappointed longing for the way we imagine things used to be, in my short story Illuminations, I have the central character speculating over whether fascism has always been weaponised nostalgia…”9
The very phrase “make America great again” is meant to turn nostalgia into a political tool. It turns the yearning for the simplicity of childhood into motivation to reverse decades or even centuries of progress. Professor Hidgens becomes the hive mind’s ideal turncoat because he falls prey to the propagandistic appeal of sentimentality.
To Join The Murderous Melody
StarKid’s Hatchetfield series has always combined horror, comedy, and musicals with commentary on American culture. Black Friday (2019) tells a story about consumerism through the vehicle of an eldritch horror. Nerdy Prudes Must Die (2023) is a slasher featuring a ghost with toxic masculinity. And The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals aims at the assimilationist values inherent to a country that considers itself a melting pot where every person joins the homogeneous mixture.
A horror comedy musical is a very uncommon combination of genres, but it’s perfect for these stories. While the problems the shows address are serious, nothing disturbs the subjects of critique more than ridicule. Groups that preserve the status quo try desperately to cultivate an image of strength and stoicism. Well-done comedy holds a mirror up to power and displays how pathetic it truly is. The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals blends this with song to create a production that emphasizes the dangers of conformity.
Footnotes
- The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. YouTube, uploaded by Team StarKid. 24 Dec. 2018. ↩︎
- The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. YouTube, uploaded by Team StarKid. 24 Dec. 2018. ↩︎
- The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. YouTube, uploaded by Team StarKid. 24 Dec. 2018. ↩︎
- Hegseth, Pete. “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s State of the Force Address (As Delivered).” U.S. Department of War. 30 Sep. 2026. ↩︎
- Mohr, Charles. “OFFICERS BLAMED IN VIETNAM DEFEAT.” The New York Times. 17 Mar. 1985. ↩︎
- Ackerman, Spencer. “They Really Thought Shock And Awe Would Work.” Forever Wars. 23 Jun. 2025. ↩︎
- “Know Your Enemy.” Rage Against the Machine. Rage Against the Machine. Epic Records. 1992. ↩︎
- The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals. YouTube, uploaded by Team StarKid. 24 Dec. 2018. ↩︎
- Musorrafiti, Dominique. “Alan Moore Interview: Magical Consciousness, Disowned Works, and the Long London Quintet.” RetroFuturista. 5 Apr. 2026. ↩︎