Danger. Espionage. Intrigue. Femme fatales. Betrayal. Nazis. These are just some of the classic spy tropes that the Tin Can Brothers play with in their comedy musical, Spies Are Forever. Created by and starring comedy trio Corey Lubowich, Joey Richter, and Brian Rosenthal (who you might remember from Team StarKid, a.k.a. the team behind the Very Potter Musical trilogy), Spies Are Forever is an absurd romp that skewers the spy genre while still delighting in its absurdity. And after a wildly popular run in Los Angeles, Spies Are Forever is coming to YouTube!
The musical follows Agent Curt Mega (played by Glee‘s Curt Mega), a James Bond-esque spy with more than enough swagger and arrogance to go around, who retires after a sour job turns tragic. But of course, he’s pulled back into the game after years away. Somehow, Mega finds himself entangled with Cold War politics, a mysterious Russian femme fatale, and a supervillain hell-bent on rebuilding the Nazi empire. “With a license to kill and the voice of an angel, Mega must stay alive, complete the mission, and prove to his enemies that the deadlies weapon of all is a little song and dance.”
Spies Are Forever also stars Mary Kate Wiles (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Singing in the Rain), Lauren Lopez (Team StarKid), Tessa Netting (Bunk’d, OBC Billy Elliot), Joseph Walker (Team StarKid), and Al Fallick (Seriously. Not a Joke.) with original music and lyrics by “New York-based, shimmering electro-pop band” TalkFine (Clark Baxtresser and Pierce Siebers). And after its successful Kickstarter campaign and show in Los Angeles, the musical will be released in its entirety June 21st on YouTube.
We had a chance to see the show while it was in Los Angeles and had its songs stuck in our heads for weeks. The show is uproariously funny, slyly clever, and a blast to watch. If you’re a fan of any of musicals, espionage films, absurd comedy, or any of the talented YouTubers at the helm, you won’t be disappointed.
Check out the teaser for Spies Are Forever above, plus more photos of the show in the gallery below, and let us know in the comments what your favorite spy trope is!