Yesterday, one million dollars were raised for The Actors Fund by the initial stream of Ratatouille the TikTok Musical - a production that defied every standard logistical boundary associated with putting on a musical. A triumph of collaboration, it brought together collaborators from across the globe to create a piece of unrepentant glee.

That feel-good atmosphere permeated every moment of the production - from Kevin Chamberlin’s home printed book cover for Anyone Can Cook to the Queens of SIX’s (Adrianna Hicks, Andrea Macasaet, Nicole Kyoung-Mi Lambert, Brittney Mack, Courtney Mack, Mallory Maedke, Abby Mueller, Samantha Pauly, Anna Uzele) earnest dedication to the Rat Queen choreography, what was most remarkable about the production was how much fun everyone was clearly having. The Ratatouille musical cleverly walked the line of earnest sincerity without ever feeling saccharine.

Not one person approached the project as if they had to apologize for their unabashed enjoyment - in a decade permeated with fights over what constitutes valuable art, Ratatouille washed its hands of the idea that high and low art should be stratified. Acceptance of all was at the core of their story, and they positioned themselves there from the outset when creator Emily Jacobsen opened the stream with a short prelude speech.

“Tonight is a moment for Broadway to look forward to 2021 and beyond. Together, we imagine a Broadway that celebrates the artistic brilliance and historic work of everyone in our community, especially theatre workers that are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. A Broadway that uplifts the voices of women and queer artists. A Broadway where even Remy, our tiny rat with a huge dream, has a seat at the table.”

Adam Lambert, Tituss Burgess, and Wayne Brady

Ratatouille was supported by an orchestra consisting entirely of women - something that has never been recorded as having occurred on Broadway, London’s West End, or in any union national tour. The Broadway Sinfonietta is an orchestra of all women, with a majority of performers being women of color.

In the discussion of gender and race disparity on Broadway, the pit has been ignored by many proponents of change in favor of fighting more visible fights, but Ratatouille made a concerted effort to be diverse in all levels of the production, from the pit to the performers to the producers (Jeremy O. Harris, actor, and playwright of this year's Tony-Nominated Slave Play, served as one of the Executive Producers of the project).

The original songs contained within the show came from incredibly different sources - some from trained musical theatre aficionados who intend to make a career in the industry (R.J. Christian, composer of Anton Ego’s title song, is a composer by trade), others from procrastinating college students (Sophia James’ “I Knew I Smelled A Rat” was written while putting off an essay). What united them all was the fervent delight they contained.

I dare you to watch Priscilla Lopez slink her way through a minute-long rewrite of “What I Did For Love” from A Chorus Line without cracking a smile. Watching Andrew Barth Feldman jerk his way through the hair puppeteering learning curve is an immediate source of mirth, and Wayne Brady cradling a homemade SPAM can guitar as he air shreds the closing “Ratamix” is a vision that will not leave my mind for months to come.

One of the pleasures I miss most from the “before times” was watching performers have the time of their lives telling a story, and “Ratatouille: The Tiktok Musical” gave me my first taste of that paradise in nearly six months. Aside from a few sticking points (there was some trouble with Gabbi Bolt’s video sync in the finale, and Mary Testa’s diction left something to be desired in the villainous etude “I Think I Smelled A Rat”), Ratatouille clearly figured out their format of digital theatre.

Too many productions have been focused on capturing in-person theatre on a screen, but Ratatouille fully committed to the digital TikTok aesthetic, to immense success. Of course, they did not eschew all traditional hallmarks of a musical from the before times - Remy’s “Remember My Name”, as masterfully performed by Tituss Burgess, wisely reinvented Jacobsen’s original TikTok track into a well crafted I Want song, and Adam Lambert’s Emile was given the standard pop/rock sidekick song common in many contemporary musicals post RENT.

The moment that will remain in my heart long after the end of Ratatouille’s streaming period will unquestionably be Andre De Shields’ performance as Anton Ego. In a marvelous sequined suit jacket, he captured the caustic charm of the show's climactic character - his opinion holds all, and he relishes in the title track, making a meal of every nuance surrounding the dish before him. His surety and sincerity made me believe that perhaps, 2021 will in fact be better than 2020. That after a year of digging in the dirt, we will finally begin to see our efforts sprout.

Ratatouille was a triumph of collaborative creation. When I first covered its ascent in November, a production of this scale seemed out of the question - now, I find myself eagerly considering that this 60-minute piece could transfer to one of the Disney Parks as an in-park production (and with Disney collaborator Tituss Burgess on board, I wouldn’t put an even larger production out of the question).

“The world can often be unkind to new talent and new creations; the new needs are friends. Last night, I experienced something new. An extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. I now know not anyone can cook, but a great cook can come from anywhere.” - Anton Ego

“Ratatouille the TikTok Musical” will be available for streaming until 7pm EST January 4th on TodayTix.com. Donations are still being collected at ActorsFund.org/Remy.

Review: "Ratatouille the TikTok Musical" is theatre for modern times

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