BWW Exclusive: Meet the Makers of RATATOUILLE: The TikTok Musical- Katie Johantgen
Katie was the co-writer of "Ego's Flashback"
By: Nicole Rosky Jan. 07, 2021
When Broadway is dark, all that it takes is one little rat and a team of up-and-coming theatre makers to save the day. Over the weekend, the Actors Fund revealed that, on its premiere night, Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical generated more than $1 million in ticket sales, to benefit The Actors Fund.
Presented by the Tony Award-winning theatrical production company Seaview, in association with TodayTix Presents and TikTok, Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical streamed for 72 hours only over the weekend, featuring content created by members of TikTok's #RatatouilleMusical Community, whose collective work has earned the engagement of more than 200 million fans around the globe.
Check out what the critics had to say about the incredible musical event and catch up on what Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical is all about!
Below, BroadwayWorld is catching up with one of the creators, Katie Johantgen, who wrote "Ego's Flashback" with Danny Bernstein.
The response to this project has been insane from the beginning- what has it been like taking it all in on your end?
It has been absolutely incredible. I feel so honored to have been included in this project, and as an out of work actor myself, it is so meaningful to me to have raised so much money for our community. This entire project speaks to the resilience of artists and the power of our community.
Can you tell us more about your inspiration and the work that went into getting it to the finish line?
I was inspired by all of the brilliant Ratatouille TikToks I had been seeing. People were creating some AMAZING work and I wanted to be a part of it! I picked my favorite moment in the film and tried to figure out how we could tell the story of Anton's flashback and transformation in less than 60 seconds. I wrote the lyrics, contacted my dear friend and talented composer Danny K. Bernstein to write the music, and asked my fiancé to take on the iconic role of Anton Ego. Next thing we knew we were asked to be a part of this awesome event and of course we said yes! The rest was all up to the brilliant team at Seaview and all of the amazing musicians, performers, and editors who brought it to life!
@katiejoyofoshoRatouille the Musical: "Ego's Flashback" music by the brilliant @dannykbernstein lyrics by me ? #ratatouillemusical #antonego #ratatouille
a?? original sound - Katie Jo
What are your hopes for the future of Ratatouille?
I mean, obviously the dream is a fully staged production, or maybe even a cast album, but even it only ever exists in its virtual form, I think this is an exciting sign of things to come in the theatre world.
What do you think about the future of TikTok as a starting point for other musicals? Do you think this is wake-up call for producers and other theatre makers to take content on this medium and other social media seriously?
Absolutely I think it is a wake-up call. TikTok is the closest thing we have to the magic of in-person collaboration right now, and the fact that all of this talent and creativity came out of a social media app at a time when the theatre world is completely shut down is extremely inspiring. I don't think this will be the last time we see musicals crop up on TikTok, and I think that's amazing because it takes away a lot of the gatekeepers that prevent new and fresh creatives from getting a chance to show their work. You don't need out of town tryouts, huge budgets, and years and years of rewrites, a massive venue- sometimes you just need good songs and an audience, and that's what TikTok provides.
What else are you working on right now?
I am working on new TikTok videos of course, and writing a musical of my own! This whole experience has inspired me to take my musical theatre writing more seriously, and to continue collaborating with all of the talented people I have had the pleasure of meeting throughout this whacky process.
Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical starred Wayne Brady (Django), Tituss Burgess (Remy), Kevin Chamberlin (Gusteau), Tony Award winner André De Shields (Ego), Andrew Barth Feldman (Linguini), Grammy Award nominee Adam Lambert (Emile), Tony winner Priscilla Lopez (Mabel), Tony nominee Ashley Park (Colette), Owen Tabaka (Young Ego), and three-time Tony nominee Mary Testa (Skinner), with Cori Jaskier, Talia Suskauer, Nikisha Williams, JJ Niemann, John Michael Lyles, Raymond J. Lee, and Joy Woods as the ensemble.
For more information, please visit Ratatousical.com.
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