In any other version of reality, Ratatouille the TikTok Musical would not exist. However, after many months of quarantine, the concept for a musical based on the Pixar animated film was born and quickly developed a following across social media platforms. Created by artists of all ages across the world, the "Ratatousical" attracted the attention of Broadway artists both on and off stage, leading to a reading on New Year's Day to benefit The Actor's Fund.
Featuring a star-studded cast and young creators from all over the world, it felt closer to a fever dream than a reality. With a script that allowed the audience to be led from the sewers of Paris to the shiny kitchen of Gusteau's, and cleverly executed choreography using what appeared to be typical TikTok cloning filters; the musical managed to elevate itself from the short lived life of a viral video to a production that managed to connect with audiences all over the world. Not to mention the fact that it raised two million dollars for The Actor's Fund to boot.
With the likes of Wayne Brady, Ashley Park, and Mary Testa taking on roles in the show, there is no denying that the "Ratatousical" has captured the attention of Broadway's best and brightest. And, in a way, it captured the ideology of Gusteau himself. If anyone can cook, then anyone can make a musical. Whether the benefit reading was the end of this musical or not remains to be seen, but it certainly will not be the end of the TikTok musical; as songs based on the Netflix show Bridgerton have begun to take over the platform. And who knows? In a world where the next show is uncertain, maybe we can find some excitement in theatre being produced on every level, even if it begins with a singular song on social media.