This article is about the short film. You may be looking for the in-universe musical.
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Workin' Boys is a short film set in the Hatchetfield Universe. Written by Nick and Matt Lang with music and lyrics by Jeff Blim, the short film was created as a backer reward for the Starkid 10niversary Kickstarter that was used to fund both StarKid Homecoming and Black Friday. The film was released on October 13, 2023 as part of the Hatchetfield Halloween Party and launched on YouTube on April 27, 2024 as part of the "A Pit Stop in Hatchetfield" livestream promoting the Cinderella's Castle Kickstarter.
Summary[]
Alright, boys! Go long! The stage is set and Professor Henry Hidgens (Jeff Blim) has been waiting in the wings. When the Starlight Theater agrees to produce Henry's new musical as part of their local writers' workshop, they get a show stopping number that's more than they bargained for. Now the people of Hatchetfield are up to their ass in shit, and five-o-clock can't come soon enough!
Synopsis[]
In the Starlight Theater, Professor Henry Hidgens pitches his show "Workin' Boys" (Made It Work). After the pitch, Workin's Boys is picked to be the Starlight Theater's first original show in over 50 years, but Hidgens is told that some "minor changes" must be made in order for it to be allowed to perform. One of these changes is for the main characters to be women instead of men. One of the actors, Ruth Fleming, asks Hidgens about the story of her character, Secretary #4. Mad, Hidgens threatens Ruth that no one will see her body if she improvises. After that, a montage happens (It Takes Balls) of the actors rehearsing the show. Then its opening night. Among the audience there's Gerald and Linda Monroe, Ted Spankoffski, Bill Woodward (who dragged Ted there as his daughter, Alice, didn't want to go), Grace Chasity, Richie Lipschitz, and Officer Bailey. Before the show begins, Hidgens tells the actresses about how he's disappointed in them (except for Zoey, who he previously had a liking for, saying "At least we got one fucking actor"), and says that he made the show as an inspiration of his own college friends, who died after being struck by lightning. As the show plays, Hidgens does not like how the audiences react to it, saying that they're laughing at the wrong jokes. He then apologizes to his dead friends, who all appear before him, except for Chad, who's running late. They tell him that they're disappointed in the show, as well as Chad, and that he knows what must be done in order to fix it, and to do before Chad arrives at 5:00. After Act 1 ends, Hidgens confronts the girls with an axe, saying that "he's decided to make some last minute cuts." As the curtains open for Act 2, Hidgens is carrying away a body, with body parts and blood on the stage, as he killed all the actresses. Hidgens, also covered in blood, apologizes to the audience about what they had to witness, and starts to perform the entire show all over again. The audience realize that what's happening is for real. Hidgens threatens them and forces them to stay in their seats. Ted makes a run for it, but is shot in the head by Hidgens. While hiding, Grace sees that Officer Bailey is also hiding. Saying that he has a gun, Bailey decides to give Grace his gun. As Hidgens performs the title number, Grace shoots him in the chest multiple times and dies. The audience, except for Linda who starts clapping, start to panic, as Hidgens smiles, seeing this as a "standing ovation."
Development[]
The short film was first announced on April 11, 2019, as a backer reward as a stretch goal for StarKid's 10niversary Celebration!. The goal of $350,000 was reached and allowed every backer of the kickstarter to gain access to it. The film was due to be filmed in early 2020 but was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] On August 26, 2022, it was announced that the short film would be filming in March/April 2023 with Nick Lang taking on the role of Professor Hidgens. A short trailer for the short film was also released.[2]
A number of the songs from the Workin' Boys short film were revealed on the Nerdy Prudes Must Die livestream as part of the StarKid Returns campaign.
Filming for the short film began in August 2023 at the Hudson Theatre, Los Angeles with Jeff Blim as Professor Hidgens. A trailer for the film was released for backers on October 4, 2023 and on YouTube on October 6, 2023. The film was released as part of the Hatchetfield Halloween Party on October 13, 2023 and released to backers on October 20, 2023. Following the Obsidian tier being reached during the Cinderella's Castle Kickstarter, the film was released on YouTube on April 27, 2024.
Cast[]
Creative Team[]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Director | Nick Lang |
| Writing | Nick Lang |
| Matt Lang | |
| Music and Lyrics | Jeff Blim |
| Music Production | Matt Dahan |
| Jeff Blim | |
| Score | Matt Dahan |
| Director of Photography | Curt Mega |
| Production Coordinator | Paul Gabriel |
| Camera Operators | Curt Mega |
| Justice Hardy | |
| Patrick Conroy | |
| Boom Operator | Becky Clark |
| Makeup | Gabriela Vega |
| Costumes | Nick Lang |
| Editing | Matt Lang |
| Producer | Nick Lang |
| Choreography | Lauren Lopez |
Songs[]
Gallery
 Click here to view the gallery. |
Trivia[]
- The song "Made It Work" makes reference to a "beat up old house on Ann", referencing the real world location of E Ann St. in Ann Arbor, MI, and the "Musical Theater house" (now houses) where Musical Theater students have passed living spaces down from class to class for generations. Catherine St. and State St. are also real world locations.