Places on Critical Role CEO Travis Willingham’s show wish list

• Critical Role’s animated series The Legend of Vox Machina is back for its third season.
• CR’s co-founders say they are overwhelmed by the international response.
• CR has a list of locations where they want to host their show – and Singapore is now on board, said CEO Travis Willingham.

Nearly a decade ago, eight nerds started playing their Dungeons & Dragons game in a studio in Los Angeles and streaming it live on Twitch.

Now, this “D&D” game has been adapted into the Amazon-backed animated series The Legend of Vox Machina, which is returning for its third season.

In addition to working on their Prime Video animation, the eight cast members of “Critical Role” are now selling out their live shows. In day-to-day business, they manage the company of the same name with investments in an in-house game publisher and new radio plays. But while most of their work remains stateside, they have their eye on their international fans – as similar Nerdworld companies expand beyond their original countries.

During an interview with CEO Travis Willingham and his co-founders Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray and Ashley Johnson, BI asked the group what they thought about watch parties for “The Legend of Vox Machina” in Singapore and other international locations.

“We all know how important stories – and other people’s stories – have been to us personally,” O’Brien told BI. “To know that we are able to create a story together that is now so valuable to people around the world is simply a gift.”

Now they have a wish list of venues that could host their live shows in the coming months and years, Willingham said. This list includes South America and Australia, where her fan base has grown. And now they’re putting Singapore on that “big list.”

“We’re going to have a big party,” Willingham added. “Tell us where we eat and drink, we’ll throw it.”

Critical Role’s live show in 2023 at London’s Wembley Arena was sold out. And recently they brought their live show to the Greek in Los Angeles, their hometown. Those shows — where a crew plays “D&D” in front of an audience — continue to draw comparable crowds to the biggest names in music. In January, CR’s colleagues, the Brennan Lee Mulligan-led Dimension 20, are playing Madison Square Garden in New York.

10,000 miles from Los Angeles, a beacon of Critical Role fandom

At the TableMinis gaming store in Singapore – a world away from Los Angeles – over a dozen CR fans flocked to the venue’s lounge to watch the new season of “Vox Machina” together.

Farez Najid, co-owner of TableMinis, said he started playing “D&D” years ago because of CR.

“CR opened us up to the idea that this game of ‘D&D’ is more than just something you play in a basement – it’s now a lifestyle,” Farez told BI. “People come together to watch a story unfold and they become attached to the characters.”

He added that CR – and Game Master Matthew Mercer – inspired him to start his own gaming company. Today he makes a living by developing “D&D” games for gaming groups.

The second installment of “The Legend of Vox Machina” is now here. Episodes will be released weekly in batches of three on Prime Video. In this week’s release, Vox Machina battles a dragon (voiced by O’Brien) and battles the demon Zerxus Ilerez. And as the season nears its halfway point, cast members Laura Bailey and Taliesin Jaffe’s characters, Vex’ahlia and Percy, are falling deeper and deeper in love.

Episodes in the second installment contain key campaign moments – such as half-elf Vax’ildan’s (also voiced by O’Brien) heartfelt hot tub conversations with Percy.

Revisiting the hot tub scene, a highlight of CR’s first “D&D” campaign, was “so great” and a “beautiful” point of the season, Bailey said.

“The relationship between Vex and Percy is one of my favorite things about Campaign One,” Bailey told BI. “I loved all the really intimate moments. I loved all the really tragic moments. It was terrible and wonderful to be able to go down this path again.”

Ephraim Chua, 32, told BI he was excited to see how CR adapted its core campaigns for the animated series. Bhavna Vasnani, 34, is looking forward to watching the crew’s epic battle with the dragon Raishan.

CRs Johnson, a BAFTA-winning voice actress, told BI she thinks international watch parties and other events are a wonderful way to “connect with the world.”

Willingham told BI that when it comes to CR content, “there is a seat at the table for everyone.”

“Everyone can have their own adventures and also create their own groups,” Willingham said. “And if we helped, we’re even happier.”