With theaters across the country idle because of the coronavirus, some actors, producers and prop designers have found an unusual outlet for their talents: a musical version of the animated film "Ratatouille" that is playing out in 60-second increments on TikTok.
Starting in October, thousands of TikTok users have paid homage to the 2007 Disney Pixar film about a rat who dreams of becoming a French chef by creating their own songs, dances, makeup looks, set designs, puppets and Playbill programs.
The result is a virtual show unlike anything else. There is no director, no choreographer, no stage crew. It has come together organically on TikTok, where users have only a minute to catch people's attention.
In the film, Remy the rat follows the example of a famous chef who says "anyone can cook." It is in that spirit that professionals and amateurs alike have taken up the "Ratatouille" musical challenge, said Brandon Hardy, a puppet designer whose Broadway credits include "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "The Pee-Wee Herman Show."
"He never limited himself on his vision," Hardy, 30, said of Remy. "We just fell in love with this, and we don't want anyone to stop us."
The project began in August, when Emily Jacobsen, 26, a schoolteacher, Disney fanatic and theater lover from New York read about a "Ratatouille" ride that is scheduled to open next year at Walt Disney World in Florida.
As she was cleaning her apartment, she started singing a song about Remy. Adopting a high pitch, she recorded what she described as "a love ballad" for the rat and posted a video of it on TikTok.
Daniel Mertzlufft, 27, a New York-based composer, orchestrator and arranger, was tagged in Jacobsen's video. Last month, he used a computer program to enhance her original post, adding a French horn, trumpets, vocals and strings to create a big Disney-style finale.
