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How "Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical" Became The Viral Sensation We Needed This Winter!
“Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical” (yes, you read that correctly) started as a meme on the social media platform when TikTok creator Emily Jacobsen (@e_jaccs), a 26-year-old schoolteacher from Hartsdale, New York, uploaded a squeaky-voiced ballad dedicated to Remy the Rat from the Pixar movie, Ratatouille. The ballad, composed by Jacobsen while she was cleaning her apartment, went viral.
@e_jaccs A love ballad #remy#rat#ratatoille#disney#wdw#disneyworld#ratlove#ratlife#rats#Alphets#StanleyCup#CanYouWorkIt
♬ Ode to Remy - Emily Jacobsen
Other creators on TikTok “dueted” the song, adding new music or melodies, dances, and some even built panoramas of a moving stage. Another TikTok user designed a fake Playbill to accompany the concept. The social media platform made it easy for creators to use their imagination and come up with a full musical. By October 2020, “Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical” had its account on the platform, and by December, Seaview Productions joined in on the fun to make the musical into a one-night-only virtual event.
@danieljmertzlufft Remy: The Musical OG Song @e_jaccs add. Vocals @cjaskier #remy#ratatouille#musicaltheatre#broadway#singer#musical#disney#fyp#disneymusicals
♬ original sound - danieljmertzlufft
But, to ensure there would be smooth sailing, producers brought on professionals from all levels, ranging from costume designers to choreographers and actors -- Broadway star Tituss Burgess as the budding chef Remy, Wayne Brady playing his father Django, and Andrew Barth Feldman as Linguini. Kevin Chamberlin, Tony Award winners Andre De Shields and Priscilla Lopez, and Adam Lambert also play a part in the musical.
The rat's out of the hat! Say "bonjour" to the cast of #RatatouilleMusical! ?? Get your tickets today to Ratatouille: The Ticket Musical, produced by @ThisIsSeaview, only on @TodayTix to support @TheActorsFund. https://t.co/3YxozrE7Hdpic.twitter.com/rxKmHiWovm
— Ratatouille Musical (@ratatousical) December 28, 2020
Along with Broadway stars, director Lucy Moss, who will be the youngest woman to ever direct a Broadway show, stepped up to lead the musical. The show’s music was adapted from the songs created on TikTok by the show’s music director, Daniel Mertzlufft.
@siswij The #ratatouillemusical marketing department is brainstorming visuals #playbill#musicaltheatre#remytheratatouille#photoshop#graphicdesign
♬ original sound - danieljmertzlufft
The show’s premiere via TodayTix on January 1 helped raise over $1 million in ticket sales, and the encore performance on January 10 increased that number to $2 million. All the funds raised were donated to the Actors Fund to help Broadway performers who are out of work due to the pandemic.
We're overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who joined the @ratatousical family & shared their support for our work helping those in need in the #PerformingArts! Look what we were able to do, together! #HowToHelp #StrongerTogetherhttps://t.co/9dheFCyNEC
— The Actors Fund (@TheActorsFund) January 12, 2021
“Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical” proved that some of the most creative ideas come from the most unexpected places to bring back the spirit of Broadway during an unconventional time.