The Book of Rannells: Vampirina: Season 3, Episode 23 – “The Curious Case of the Giggles / International Treasure” (2021)

Yep, we’ve got more kids’ TV voiceacting here. Welcome to the Wayne definitely remains my favorite kids’ show Andrew Rannells has been in, but Vampirina always seems to make good use of him when he pops up, which I appreciate.

In “The Curious Case of the Giggles,” Vampirina is visited by Dr. Heidi Jekyll (get it?), a young monster scientist who asks for her help in mixing a new potion. Vampirina is eager to help out, but she’s concerned when she notices how upset Heidi gets over an unusual condition she has, turning into a troll whenever she laughs. And in “International Treasure,” King Pepi excitedly/anxiously prepares for an important ceremony naming his niece Nefi his heir, but he’s not sure she’s ready to handle it. When a crucial ceremonial headdress goes missing, Vampirina and her friends pitch in to help search for it scavenger-hunt-style.

This is pretty standard Vampirina, which is enjoyable for what it is. It’s crammed full of puns – in addition to Heidi’s punny name, she also consults the “Feariodic Table” of monster elements – has obvious but earnest lessons to teach, and features a couple entertaining songs. This episode gets extra points for its smart-girl guest stars. While Heidi is a monstrous STEM whiz, King Pepi’s niece Nefi has been studying up on all things ancient Egypt, which comes in handy on their historical scavenger hunt. Both girls are also a little heavier than Vampirina and her slim friends, and body diversity is always nice to see, especially in kids’ TV.

As usual, Rannells is a lot of fun here. In addition to playing the vain and excitable pharaoh, I enjoy seeing him framed as the doting but slightly nervous uncle. Rannells plays off of his young costars well, especially the girl playing Nefi.

One of the best things that Rannells’s appearances on Vampirina have to offer is that the show never neglects him when it comes to the songs. This time around, he’s got a quick ditty about the importance of tradition among mummies. It’s cute, Rannells sounds great as usual, and it includes the amusing line,  “So come on, let’s all party like it’s BC 95!” Take note, Ridley Jones: this is how you cast Andrew Rannells as an animated mummy on a kids’ show that includes singing (which is weirdly specific but definitely true.)

The Book of Rannells: Vampirina: Season 2, Episode 12 – “Face the Music / Fright at the Museum” (2019)

While I generally keep an eye out for new Andrew Rannells projects on the horizon, this one snuck up on me. When I was checking his IMDb for the next piece in his filmography, I discovered that his turn as a proud but snazzy mummy on Vampirina wasn’t a one-off. He’s actually appeared on the show a couple times since then, the first being this season 2 episode.

In “Face the Music,” Vampirina and her friends are practicing to perform at the school talent show as their band the Ghoul Girls. When Vampirina worries that she won’t be able to learn her difficult solo, a ghost friend of the family enchants her spookelele (so many puns on this show) to give her a helping hand that doesn’t exactly turn out the way he intended. In “Fright at the Museum,” Vampirina and her friends need help getting ready for their school presentation on dinosaurs, so they decide to have a sleepover at the museum with their old friend King Pepi. When a another well-intended bit of magic goes awry, the girls and the mummy have to pull together to keep a rampaging fossil from destroying the museum.

I won’t say much about the first story, just that I appreciate any kids’ entertainment that features girls in rock bands and that the solution is obviously about the power of friendship/working together instead of trying to go it alone or resort to magical shortcuts. It’s cute. As I said when I reviewed Rannells’s first Vampirina episode, kid me probably would’ve been all over this show.

“Fright at the Museum” is fun. It features action, dinosaur facts, more puns, and a slumber party at a museum hosted by a pizza-serving mummy – which, isn’t that basically the dream in the primary-school years? Like the first story, this one also emphasizes the importance of friendship/teamwork. Obvious, sure, but it’s innocuous enough, and I’m all for anything that promotes kids working together and supporting each other.

Andrew Rannells remains a mild delight as King Pepi. I enjoy his vocal performance, which is regal, very gung-ho, and just slightly full of himself. He gets to lead another song in this one – while not as cool as the fun Elvis-inspired number from his first episode, this one has plenty of dinosaur rhymes, so make of that what you will.

Even though it’s mostly just a nice bit of fluff, I enjoyed stumbling upon new Rannells content I hadn’t been aware of. The past year has served up a pretty-impressive level of projects from him, including two theatrical adaptations, new seasons of Big Mouth and Black Monday, and a brutal animated superhero drama, not to mention a few appearances that I can’t access at the moment because I don’t need anymore new streaming services right now. :shakes fist as Apple TV and Peacock: Still, it was nice to browse IMDb to see if anything was coming up and discover there was something that was already out!

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Excellent (spoilery) article on Wenwu and the “Asian Dad” as a Marvel supervillain. I love the observations made/parallels drawn here, and there’s of course plenty of high praise for Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s performance.

The Book of Rannells: Vampirina: Season 1, Episode 4 – “The Plant Predicament / Mummy Mayhem” (2017)

Before we get started: Raya and the Last Dragon trailer! I am so here for it - looks amazing.

Another voiceover appearance for a kids’ show, one I’ve never heard of before but probably would’ve loved if it had been around when I was a kid.  It’s corny but cute.

The eponymous Vampirina is a young vampire who’s moved with her parents “from Transylvania to Pennsylvania.”  There, she learns about human ways and in turn introduces her human friends to different aspects of monster culture.  Like a number of kids’ shows, this one splits the episode into two separate stories.  In the first, “The Plant Predicament,” hijinks ensue when Vampirina’s mom tries to help a neighbor with her garden and accidentally winds up planting some of her own snapping-monster plants.  “Mummy Mayhem,” meanwhile, finds Vampirina and friends meeting an old (literally) buddy of her parents – the mummy of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh – on a museum field trip.

It’s very kiddish, with somewhat slapdash just-go-with-it plots and more goofy monster puns than I could count.  While there are a few cleverer jokes and references, I can’t imagine it’s a show that appeals much to adults.  That said, it seems like a perfectly-serviceable kids’ show, and I read enough Bailey School Kids books when I was young that I’m sure I would’ve been all over it.

Andrew Rannells is in the mummy portion of the episode, playing the mummy himself.  King Peppy was hot stuff back in ancient Egypt, but now that he’s a museum exhibit, he keeps getting passed over for dinosaur fossils.  Vampirina, feeling sorry for the pharaoh, takes it upon himself to make King Peppy feel appreciated.  Rannells is well-suited to voice-acting and plays the part well.  There’s something different in his voice here, a lofty quality he’s giving it to play the nice but full-of-himself king.

The best part of the episode is definitely the song King Peppy sings, lamenting the boring, unlauded life of a museum exhibit.  It’s better than the majority of the songs I’ve encountered that were written for a TV show Rannells appears in – the melody is simple but decently catchy, and some of the rhymes are pretty clever (probably the best writing in the episode.)  And Rannells himself sounds great.  Again, this is some of the best singing I’ve heard from him in a non-Broadway role, mainly because the song gives him room to show off a little (fitting for a self-impressed pharaoh.)  Elijah’s audition piece on Girls probably has the edge, but this one is quite a bit longer.

Recommend?

In General – Not for adults, but I’m sure kids will like it.

Andrew Rannells – Possibly, if only for that fun song.

Warnings

Maybe a few scary moments for kids in the first story.