BWW Blog: Going Viral - “Broadway Stars in Shows They Were Definitely Not In” with Maggie Bera

It all started when Maggie Bera realized she could do impressions.

"I saw Ratatoosical and was so impressed." She says, "Art is being created on Tik Tok - whether they are unknown names or Broadway stars. Because the pandemic shuttered theatre doors, I was looking for a way to be creative and continue to stay active. Social media has been a very powerful tool; for education, allyship, and entertainment when we need it most."

Being a die-hard fan of SNL and improv, she says that she loves to create similar material. After Tik Tok became such a powerful platform, she started to create.

It began with different characters, and then she saw the Bridgerton musical created by Abigail Barlow. "After seeing that, I thought, 'what would happen if Broadway stars sing this music? What would it sound like?" She says, "and then, I thought, 'what would happen if Broadway Stars were in shows they would never be in?'"

Thus, the first 16 seconds of "Broadway Stars in Shows They Were Definitely Not in" was born. It went viral on Tik Tok instantly, surpassing 115K views. It features impressions of Sutton Foster in HADESTOWN, Idina Menzel in MEAN GIRLS, and my personal favorite, Patti LuPone in HAMILTON.

The first video was so successful that she went on to create more clips. Her subsequent installments feature impressions of Broadway legends Alice Ripley, Jessie Mueller, Barbra Streisand, Bernadette Peters, Stephanie J. Block, and more.

"If I've made one person laugh during this time, and they've been able to forget about the state of the world for just a moment, I'm happy."

Be sure to follow Maggie on Tik Tok, @maggiebera, and check out this YouTube playlist of all the installments in her Broadway impressions series. Maggie Bera continues to impress!