Written by orange• June 1, 2025• 6:58 pm• Musical, Review, Uncategorized

Claire Trevor School of the Arts presents: Starmites @ UCI – Review

Photo credit: Jeanine Hill

Written by Patrick Chavis

Starmites is playing now at UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts from May 30 to June 7, 2025.

To understand starmites, you must first get a grasp on Newtonian physics and…. Ignore that for another time! The review begins below.

The spectacle of Starmites, which is a spectacle for sure, is undeniably entertaining, but the spectacle can overpower the story. At the very least, it isn’t dull; it’s a delightful romp with some choice dancing.

Starmites is a musical about Eleanor (Jack Stoler), a geeky teenager who loves sci-fi comic books and fantasizes about being immersed in that world, a far cry from her everyday life, where she has a strained relationship with her mother (Elle White). Somehow, Eleanor becomes a part of the sci-fi comic book she loves and joins a group of space heroes, the Starmites, in Innerspace to fight various space enemies and get hold of a dangerous weapon called the Cruelty before their enemies do!

Story:

The play’s story is pretty straightforward. It’s about finding your inner strength and acceptance, gift-wrapped with a fun sci-fi adventure and a mash-up of genre styles, including coming-of-age and sci-fi. Like the many Saturday morning cartoons you somehow found the energy to consume after a long dirge through elementary school classes, the program is full of colorful characters that help our hero on her journey. One of the most visible in this production is the legendary space hero, Space Punk (Nathan Bravo). A performance with strong entrances and excellent dancing, Bravo brings with him the Galaxy with Flash Gordon’s presence.

Space Punk is in Love, and the only prescription is Milady.

What stuck out about this show was not only having an empowered female protagonist but also seeing the growth of Milady (Eleanor) as she finds the confidence to be courageous enough to express herself, but she’s still very shy and awkward, which I loved to see. While there are stories where characters change, they should change. In a way, the show says that Eleanor doesn’t need to change, that the courage was always there, and that it’s more visible now. As the show progresses, Space Punk and the other Starmites begin to recognize it. When you think about the underlying story, it’s quite touching.

But it doesn’t hit as hard and as comical as I believe it could be. Even though it was a Broadway musical, this might actually do better in a more intimate space. The metaphor of it all being in the mind fits better in the smaller but thought-through space. The space seemed so unutilized at times. The lighting was effectively utilized by using distance and lighting with particular sequences to create a unique moments.

Directed and choreographed by Nikkin Snelson, this piece definitely gets style points for the campy outfits and 1980s nostalgia featured on the posters on Eleanor’s wall, as well as the rainbow sleeves she wears on her galactic journey. The show has serious 80s vibes, and the music follows suit with an eclectic mix of Broadway, of course, old-school hip-hop, pop-rock, and acoustic folk.

Song:

The songs in this show were quite catchy. Much of the dancing in this production was a chef’s kiss and a lot of fun to watch. Hearing the vocalists, even close up to the stage, was a challenge in several songs, even with the amplification of the mics. That being said, “Afraid of Dark, where Eleanor proclaims her courage in spite of the journey ahead, was soulful and empowering.

The play’s upbeat title song, Starmites, and the ’70s disco-esque tune Diva, with a full banshee dance crew getting down, is always a good time, and Diva(Elle White), defietely brings the noise.

Acting:

Stoler has an obvious talent for belting these tunes. With exceptional focus, Stoler brought an awkwardness in their posture and movement that made their performance as Eleanor as much as any of the words that came out of their mouths.

Megan January’s portrayal of Canibelle, one of the Bashees, was infectiously goofy, which translates into everything they do.

There’s something so cool about how malleable this show is, and I think much of Snelson’s vision comes through.