After a fan-made TikTok musical won an actual real-life Grammy last week, the app is now beginning to invest in its creators. The video making app, which became many people’s source of entertainment during COVID lockdowns, has inspired a ton of short, quirky musicals which have attracted stars like Adam Lambert and Tituss Burgess, who starred in a live stream of Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical in early 2021 (really). Now that creators have established they are able to write, produce, and edit full-fledge musicals on the app, the company is looking to get involved.
TikTok, which is majorly popular with Gen Z, has commissioned its first official musical, titled For You, Paige, a play on words on the app’s “for you” discover page. Daniel Mertzlufft, who gained fame for his work on the Ratatouille musical is the creative lead behind the new production. It features original songs by Mertzlufft, with work from other well-known creators and artists, Julia Riew, Katherine Lynn-Rose, RJ Christian, Blake Rouse, Morgan Reilly, Alex Engleberg, Kate Leonard, and Gosz & Fotos.
For You, Paige will be available to livestream on the official TikTok account on Thursday, April 14, at 7 p.m. ET, performed at a theater in New York City. Mertzlufft posted an extremely quick explanation of the musical:
@danieljmertzlufft “For You, Paige” plot summary! #projectbroadway #musicaltheatre #foryoupaige #tiktoklive #musicals #broadway
TikTok’s official announcement of the musical:
TikTok has become a home for Broadway and musical theater lovers and performers to share their talent, creativity and passion for live theater. With popular hashtags like #Broadway, #Musical, and #TheaterKid receiving 4.4B, 6.5B, and 582.4M global views to date, TikTok’s thriving creator community has helped turn creative ideas like Grammy Award-winning album The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical into reality by providing a global stage with the potential for more than one billion fans in the audience. Now, TikTok is embarking on a new stage in redefining entertainment with For You, Paige, the first commissioned TikTok musical. Performed LIVE from a theater in New York City, For You, Paige will be available to watch globally only on @TikTok on April 14 at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
Now that TikTok is actually investing in creators, there is truly no limit on what they might make next. Why stop at Ratatouille? Why not produce the actual musical from Monsters Inc? The sky is the limit!