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BWW Exclusive: Meet the Makers of RATATOUILLE: The TikTok Musical- RJ Christian
RJ wrote the song "Anyone Can Cook."
By: Nicole Rosky Jan. 08, 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. Last 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 last 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, RJ Christian, who wrote Anton Ego's number, "Anyone Can Cook".
The response to this project has been insane from the beginning- what has it been like taking it all in on your end?
I don't think I've ever gotten as many DM's, mentions, or emails from people I don't know before this moment. It's kind of overwhelming tbh. But the joy that my work has brought to people is the reason I got into this line of work to begin with. I'm honored to be where I am right now.
Can you tell us more about your inspiration and the work that went into getting it to the finish line?
When writing Anton Ego's song, a couple things came to mind. The main thing being that Anton Ego as an entity is scary and brings terror everywhere he goes and so his music had to reflect that. He's also extremely intelligent with thoughts are very structured and a very complicated lexicon. It made sense to borrow from Stephen Sondheim's book for how to approach the song. I also tried to capture the many emotions in the scene; the feeling of insult at this peasant dish, the disbelief, the nostalgia, all into one minute. Luckily the moment became complete when it was combined with Katie's song.
@rjthecomposerI worked way too hard on this ##ratatouille ##ratatouillethemusical ##musical
a?? Anyone Can Cook - RJ Christian
What are your hopes for the future of Ratatouille?
I think Ratatouille was a proof of concept for a lot of theatre to come. I think in terms of the show itself, it probably ends here, which I'm ok with since it was never really ours to begin with. But, I don't think this will be the last collaboration like this nor will it be the last high profile virtual production. Plus, the creator that have been able to be featured (myself humbly included) are finally able to get the visibility and recognition that they deserve and wouldn't get otherwise. Ratatouille the Musical is a milestone and a turning point and what's lies beyond is gonna be beautiful.
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?
TikTok houses some of the best talent on the Internet. Full stop. Many people (including myself) were very hesitant or even resistant to joining TikTok because of their conceptions of what actually goes on in the app. I think now that a real production company has proved that the work that is produced on TikTok can hold up to scrutiny, this won't be the last time it happens. And if Disney is reading, I'm very down to be a staff writer. You know how to contact me.
What else are you working on right now?
Besides trying to finish my degree (AHHH!!!!) I'm working on a couple things right now. I've got my own musical I'm developing right now based loosely on the myth of Icarus, I've got some original music I'm planning on releasing, I'm planning to start a YouTube channel this year, as well as working on some collars with my newly made ratatouille friends. Of course I'm still gonna go strong with my TikTok page as well. 6 months ago I never would call myself a content creator and now here I am. 2021 is the year of too much RJ!
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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