How TikTok is Saving Musical Theater
Sarah Parr
COVID-19 is putting a halt on all collaborative arts and live performances, which means it’s giving everyone in this fast-paced, cut-throat industry a break for once. Talent agencies are now sending general audition tapes to their network of casting directors for projects they don’t even know exist yet. We are remembering why live theater can never effectively be replaced. Important people finally have the time to slow down and discover new talent. Things aren’t all bad.
But it’s important to note that the process of getting discovered from your home has changed. Move over, YouTube: TikTok is the new two syllabic way of getting noticed. If you’re a theater kid and want to share your talent, you need to start posting one-minute clips of yourself, like, yesterday. There are tons of TikTok accounts dedicated to musical theater already, whether because users are creating theater-themed sounds following the “put a finger down” game trend for people to use, or they’re participating in riff challenges inspired by Christina Aguilera’s iconic one in Burlesque.
Whether you’re an amateur wannabe or a professional taking us along for the ride, like Mean Girls on Broadway’s Renée Rapp @reneemj, there is a place for you. But going viral is really at the mercy of the algorithm. This article isn’t to help you figure that out. This article is to get you into a TikTok musical or cabaret, or maybe even a real one.
Users @tomkaisr and @eringengleman posted some exciting videos detailing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for aspiring performers after COVID-19 is over (so when it happens is still unclear). Teaming up with New York piano player @tylermcapa (who found them on TikTok, by the way), these two are hosting a competition for 15 amazing TikTok musicians to join them in performing in a concert at 54 Below in NYC. They want people’s voices to be heard, so using the hashtag #CapaCasting, people can submit one TikTok video as an audition, and there are already hundreds of videos with that hashtag. Winners have to get to NYC on their own, but they will get the chance to perform with some special Broadway guests during the concert, as well as become some potential Broadway-caliber ear candy themselves.
If the idea of performing on such a legendary, selective stage scares you (as it should), you might be more interested in a lower stakes, more fun opportunity, popularized by user @alexachalnick. A musical theater college student, most of her TikToks are of her playing favorite musical theater songs on piano, hoping someone will “react” or “duet” with their voice part. One of them actually captured the attention of Waitress’ national touring Dawn and Jenna. She also decided to hop on the trend of hosting TikTok musicals, using the platform to host auditions and cast people—obviously all from the comfort of their own homes (all this happened before COVID19, but thank goodness the framework was built before a time when this is as close as you can get to performing).
“if you’re a 5’4” 21-year old woman who has always wanted to play Lafayette, now is your chance.”
She will be closing auditions for a miscast version of Hamilton (gender swap time!) on April 30, so if you’re a 5’4” 21-year old woman who has always wanted to play Lafayette, now is your chance. She emphasizes that this opportunity is strictly for people to have fun, so regardless of if you hope to actually get cast, react to one of her videos with your best shot. (Or a satirical attitude. We can’t tell you what to do.) Alexa also recently started #SingforAlexaSaturdays, another competition-based performance opportunity to do a monologue or song in front of her as well as Broadway professionals. While rules for submitting are minimal, they are outlined in this introductory video, and thankfully Alexa didn’t shy away from discouraging 12-year olds from singing “Defying Gravity.”
Even though all these opportunities are all we have during this time, I have a feeling they’ll still be “the thing to do” long after we can go to live auditions and theaters again.
Photo: @caitiebrowne