Yes, indeed I did just kill off Darren Criss. *protego*

Darren once said that his music was “music you can be friends with.” This explains, I think, the overwhelming, worldwide response to his recent death- his charismatic attitude and passionate music affected not only those he knew personally, but also thousands worldwide who appreciated him for his works, both theatrically and musically, but missed the caring, kindness, and light, cheerful nature that made him such a great person to have as a friend. I consider myself blessed to have been able to support him when he was in need, for Darren was the kind who would never ask, but instead, always give, even in times of personal crisis. Darren’s talent and fame never tarnished his humbleness, instead, they merely allowed him to achieve even greater goals and improve more lives. In response to a fan telling him how meaningful he was to her, he merely said, “If I have touched your heart, then it is only because you have graced me with the opportunity to do so; thank you.” Darren’s passionate melodies will resonate through our hearts long after his death, and his down-to-earth attitude despite great talent and fortune will inspire us all until our own.

Darren Everett Criss has played a variety of roles in his lifetime, and all of them have reflected his personality and abilities. Some of his most famous roles (Harry Potter, Blaine, and Toby) show him in a way I really cannot. In A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel, the real start of his and Starkid’s fame, Darren plays Harry Potter, the famous, talented, and heavily burdened boy wizard. The show was intended as a parody, something to laugh about and move on, but also has several sad, meaningful parts- Darren sings about how he’s never had a home, cries for his mother and father in the Mirror of Erised, and leaves his friends at the end of the Hogwarts school year to go back to his abusive aunt and uncle. If anyone could balance this mix of humor and reality, it was Darren. Always aware of the needs of others (as Harry is of the Wizarding World), Darren used his guitar and his voice to make others happy, as Harry did in AVPM. The only part of Harry Darren doesn’t mirror is Harry’s total acceptance and appreciation of his fame- Harry uses it, tries to get sympathy, and would abandon his friends for it, but Darren, as I’ve said before, was always shocked at his sudden Glee and Starkid fame, and never valued it more highly than his friends and family.

Toby Phillips, from Little White Lie, is equally similar to Darren as Harry is- maybe even more so. We first meet Toby in the back of a record shop, playing his heart out, singing one of my favorite songs by him, “I Still Think.” We learn that he is an amazing musician, but almost unapproachable, but later learn that he is really quite sweet, willing to help someone he knows very little about, and sympathetic to a girl who claims to feel so alone she has to write a love song about herself from the perspective of a love-struck boy. His kindness is at odds with his current girlfriend, a mean, heartless girl who cares just about herself, and others only when they can help her boost her own popularity. Eventually, Toby realizes this, and leaves her, despite his own feeling of deep guilt that he is hurting her. Darren, too, was always very conscientious of how his actions would affect others, as well as being remarkably sympathetic to those who were less fortunate than himself. He was also just as quick to compliment as Toby, and extremely thankful for his fans and everything they did for him.

Blaine, his most recent and most famous character, perhaps echoes his personality most closely- despite the fact that Blaine, is obviously, out and proud, while Darren is most definitely straight. He has said, jokingly, that he’s “had to come out and say, well, I’m sorry, but I think I’m straight.” Darren, like Blaine, however, doesn’t let sexuality determine who he is, nor does he let those who call him names gain any satisfaction from them. In Glee, Blaine acts as a mentor and an advisor to Kurt, who is struggling with bullies and dealing with a new school. Darren’s friends will be the first to tell you that he is the same. Always eager to help others, Darren often extended a helpful hand to younger students during high school and college, and in his adult life, was just as willing to teach someone the ropes of a particular project, club, or theatrical troupe as he was to perform. I know that he was so excited to join the cast of Glee as this character not only to further his career, but also because, in a world so affected by the abuse of non-straight teens and young adults, he had the opportunity to show them that they were “not alone.”

To sum up a man in a few pages, particularly one so complex and wonderful as Darren was, is an extremely difficult feat, and one I can’t even begin to achieve. Everyone here today has different stories of him, different examples of his kindness and humor and ability to say just a few words and make someone smile. My loss is as nothing compared to that of the greater world, for, as the Roman emperor Nero said, and as Darren never would have, “what an artist the world is losing.”