Alright, this is a weird one. Pixar’s Ratatouille is about to make its Broadway debut thanks to a TikTok meme. Presented New Year’s Day by Broadway’s Seaview Productions, Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical is a tale of love, ambition, and a chronic misuse of the word “ratatouille.” Tickets to the livestream start at $5, and proceeds benefit the Actors Fund.
TikTocker Em Jaccs (@e_jaccs) planted the seed for Ratatouille: A TikTok Musical with a short video and song titled Ode to Remy. The song, which is stuck in my head, was then discovered by composer and arranger Daniel Mertzlufft, who contributed a Disney-like orchestral accompaniment to prove that a Ratatouille musical could work. The meme continued to snowball as theater kids and music nerds pumped new songs into the rat-tinted miasma, often while wearing costumes and acting out dramatic parts.
TikTok says that over 200 million users have engaged with the original Ode to Remy, often parodying or contributing to the video using TikTok’s Duet feature. And because traditional theaters are shut down, the TikTok-based Ratatouille is technically the most popular musical of 2020. Turning the meme into a full-sized production is a no-brainer, although it’s surprising to see Disney sign off on fan-made musical for one of its most beloved characters.
It’s not clear who will star in Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, but producers promise that the cast involves Broadway actors and TikTok creatives. TikTok personalities are also working behind the scenes to design the set, the playbill, and other assets.
Tickets for Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical start at $5 and are available at TodayTix. The show premieres New Year’s Day at 7PM EST, although you’re free to purchase and view it on-demand anytime afterward.
Source: Broadway’s Seaview Productions via CNN
