History Theatre / Ani

* FanDisservice: Chris Allen in a bikini.

-->'''Obi-Wan:''' [[Film/ThePhantomMenace The Clone Wars started when my friend Qui-Gon and I went to the planet of Naboo to settle a trade dispute that had broken out between the Trade Federation and the planet. You see, the Trade Federation had put a blockade around the systems so that... they could, uh...]] (suddenly falls asleep, then waked up half a second later) I'm sorry, I fell asleep because that was so boring.

* TheCloudcuckoolanderWasRight: Ani's dumb joke about making two Death Stars so they can pose as GagBoobs turns out to actually be the reason the Emperor commissioned them.

* GagBoobs: Pappy designed the Death Stars to look like boobs, so he could have two planet-sized boobs in space.

!!''Ani'' provides examples of the following tropes:

-->'''Tarkin''': Say, do you know an Obi-Wan Kenobi?\\
'''Obi-Wan''': Of course I know him, he's me.

* AdaptationalVillainy: [[spoiler: Obi-Wan. He kills Jar-Jar, blaming him for Qui-Gonn’s death and admits that he plans to raise Vader’s son in ignorance so he can kill him later on.]]

* TheAlcoholic: [[spoiler:Obi-Wan.]]. ''Big'' time.

* AllKnowingSingingNarrator: An extreme example -- all of the songs are sung by Clark Baxtresser and Pierce Siebers from offstage, as part of the band. WordOfGod was that rather than a Broadway musical this show was meant to evoke the style of a film soundtrack with pop songs playing over montages (a la "Gonna Fly Now" in Film/{{Rocky}} or "Eye of the Tiger" in Film/RockyIII).

* BadBoss: Ani and Pappy, of course. Just like in the main Star Wars universe, they're prone to [[YouHaveFailedMe torturing and killing subordinates who disappoint them]]. The trope is played with a bit, though: both of them make real attempts to be genial, and no one on the Death Star is even sure if Ani ''is'' their boss.

* CanonImmigrant: Mara Jade, who only appears in Franchise/StarWarsLegends, is treated like she's just as important as the movie canon characters (and anyone who doesn't recognize her "doesn't know dick about Star Wars").
* CannotTellAJoke: No one gets any of Ani's Star Wars jokes.

* CelebrityParadox: Ani's dead wife Padme is never seen, but he does people a photo to prove she "looks just like Natalie Portman".

* {{Deconstruction}}: The show deconstructs Jar Jar's role as TheScrappy, and how it affects him emotionally. The universal hatred towards him had completely obliterated his self esteem, causing him to develop alcoholism, depression, and suicidal thoughts.

* GagBoobs: Pappy designed the Death Stars to look like boobs, so he could have 2 planet sized boobs in space.

-->'''Bartender:''' I think you've had enough.
-->'''[[spoiler:Obi-Wan]]:''' I'll tell you when I've had enough!
-->'''Bartender:''' You'll tell me when you've had enough!

--> "[[DontExplainTheJoke That's a joke, because he's always naked.]]"
* IncrediblyLamePun: Ani runs off of them.

* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: During the cantina scene the [[AudioDiegesis normally non-diegetic band]] puts on sunglasses and headpieces to make themselves look like the Star Wars cantina band, and briefly interact with Ani.

* MsFanservice: Denise Donovan as Mara Jade and Meredith Stepien as Oola, reflecting their characterization in canon. Also a surprising MrFanservice with Creator/JoeWalker as Tarkin.

* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Ani's voice is very much based on that of [[Creator/PatrickWarburton Patrick Warburton's]]. Also, the Emperor sounds an awful lot like Creator/GilbertGottfried.
* NoFourthWall: Ani is constantly telling "Star Wars jokes" and telling people they "don't know dick about Star Wars" even though they're, you know, characters in Star Wars.

* RunningGag: "Don't you know dick about Star Wars?"

* SportsStories: The concept of this show is redoing Star Wars as an '80s sports movie, reimagining the podracing scene from Film/ThePhantomMenace as the most important event in the saga.
* StraightMan: Creator/JoeWalker is PlayingAgainstType here with Tarkin serving mostly as a Straight Man to, alternately, Ani, Pappy, or Obi-Wan, after playing a LargeHam in a ridiculous costume in most of his past roles.

-->'''Obi-Wan''': [[Film/ThePhantomMenace The Clone Wars started when my friend Qui-Gon and I went to the planet of Naboo to settle a trade dispute that had broken out between the Trade Federation and the planet. You see, the Trade Federation had put a blockade around the systems so that...they could, uh...]] (suddenly falls asleep, then waked up half a second later) I'm sorry, I fell asleep because that was so boring.

* YouBastard: Tarkin reminds Ani that everyone hated J.J. and wanted to see him dead. Ouch.

* AbsenteeActor: As of 2018, this is the only [=StarKid=] show not to feature Jamie Lyn Beatty, since she was in ''Theatre/TheTrailToOregon'' at the same time.

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Unlike other Starkid productions, this is not a traditional musical. The songs are instead performed by a band who sits just offstage.

*** Ani tells Mara, "[[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Take it from an old spectator: life is not a spectator sport.]]"

* CanonImmigrant: Mara Jade, who only appears in the Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse, is treated like she's just as important as the movie canon characters (and anyone who doesn't recognize her "doesn't know dick about Star Wars").

*** Ani tells Mara, "[[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame Take it from an old spectator: life is not a spectator sport.]]"
*** Tarkin orders Ani to return to the Death Star and "just be... well, just be... [[Disney/TheLittleMermaid miserable for the rest of your life]]."

* AdaptationalVillainy: [[spoiler: Obi-Wan]]

* ADayInTheLimelight: One reason for the controversial "non-musical musical" concept was to give stage time to Creator/TeamStarkid members more known for their acting than singing ability, most notably Chris Allen and Nick Lang. (On the flipside, this musical also allowed Starkid's longtime musical director and band leader Clark Baxtresser to sing in a show for the first time instead of just providing accompaniment.)

* BreakingTheFourthWall: The characters frequently interact with the band

* PetTheDog: Pappy's relationship with Ani

* TakeThat: Several to the prequel trilogy, particularly Attack of the Clones.

Another parody musical by Creator/TeamStarKid, this time focusing on ''Franchise/StarWars'' and 80s sports movies, ''Ani: A Parody'' focuses on Darth Vader between the original and prequel trilogies. Vader (who goes by the name "Ani" here) is going through a midlife crisis, missing his time as a podracing champion in his youth. When he is offered a chance to leave the Empire, he leaps on the chance to return to Tatooine. Cue obscure Star Wars jokes and more [=StarKid=] {{Invoked|Trope}} AlternativeCharacterInterpretation. It was staged using about half of the [=StarKid=] cast, with the other half doing ''[[Theatre/TheTrailToOregon]]'' on alternating days at the same theater.

* AbsenteeActor: As of 2018, this is the only [=StarKid=] show not to feature Jamie Lyn Beatty, since she was in ''[[Theatre/TheTrailToOregon]]'' at the same time.

* TheFaceless: Emily and the other stormtroopers, Boba Fett, and the Emperor (whose eyes and forehead are InTheHood). In Emily's case the helmet even stays on ''during the BigDamnKiss with Tarkin''. Averted with Ani, who, unlike his canon incarnation, wears a helmet that reveals his face.

Another parody musical by Creator/TeamStarKid, this time focusing on ''Franchise/StarWars'' and 80s sports movies, ''Ani: A Parody'' focuses on Darth Vader between the original and prequel trilogies. Vader (who goes by the name "Ani" here) is going through a midlife crisis, missing his time as a podracing champion in his youth. When he is offered a chance to leave the Empire, he leaps on the chance to return to Tatooine. Cue obscure Star Wars jokes and more [=StarKid=] AlternateCharacterInterpretations. It was staged using about half of the [=StarKid=] cast, with the other half doing ''[[Theatre/TheTrailToOregon]]'' on alternating days at the same theater.

Another parody musical by Creator/TeamStarKid, this time focusing on ''Franchise/StarWars'' and 80s sports movies, ''Ani: A Parody'' focuses on Darth Vader between the original and prequel trilogies. Vader (who goes by the name "Ani" here) is going through a midlife crisis, missing his time as a podracing champion in his youth. When he is offered a chance to leave the Empire, he leaps on the chance to return to Tatooine. Cue obscure Star Wars jokes and more [=StarKid=] AlternateCharacterInterpretations. It was staged using about half of the Starkid cast, with the other half doing ''The Trail to Oregon'' on alternating days at the same theater

* CastShowOff: Denise Donovan is a dancer in RealLife and has worked as a choreographer on several Starkid shows. Her self-choreographed dance audition as Mara Jade is a highlight of the show.

* MsFanservice: Denise Donavan as Mara Jade and Meredith Stepien as Oola, reflecting their characterization in canon. Also a surprising MrFanservice with Creator/JoeWalker as Tarkin.

* TheFaceless: Emily and the other stormtroopers, Boba Fett, and the Emperor (whose eyes and forehead are InTheHood). Averted with Ani, who, unlike his canon incarnation, wears a helmet that reveals his face. In Emily's case the helmet even stays on ''during the BigDamnKiss with Tarkin''.