It started a few months ago, when a user uploaded a sound to TikTok of an original acapella song about Remy, the rat from Disney’s Ratatouille. The sound on TikTok soon went viral and was used in thousands of videos on the app. Some creative minds joined in on the fun and created orchestrations and harmonies for the song. Soon dozens of original songs, choreography, and even graphic design work for the concept of a Ratatouille Broadway show were created, all on TikTok. The idea eventually caught the eye of theatre producers, and Playbill announced last week there would be a live concert event in early 2021 for Ratatousical that would feature songs from TikTok sung by professional performers.

And Ratatouille was just the beginning. It has since become a trend on TikTok to create songs for other hit movies. In just my experiences on the app, I have seen original songs for The Incredibles, The Bee Movie, and more. So what is it about TikTok that can turn a viral joke into a full fledged musical production?

We probably have COVID-19 to thank for this musical phenomenon. With creatives out of work this year, everyone has much more time on their hands to create at home, and what better way to get attention for it than on an app meant for viral content? Ratatouille and other “new musicals” are paving the way for the way musicals are originated and produced. Like many things this year, we have learned that musicals can be done from home. Maybe one day we will all sit in a cramped theatre in New York City on opening night of Ratatousical. But until then, we can listen to the songs on TikTok and even create our own.