Ratatouille the Musical: how TikTok users have reimagined the Disney movie starring Remy and Chef Linguine with original songs and set designs

But could we end up seeing the beloved tale of Remy the rat conquering the Parisian kitchen on stage?

Here’s the story of how a spark of creativity on social media prompted worldwide collaboration - and what it could lead to.

What is the ‘Ratatouille the Musical’ TikTok trend?

The idea for ‘Ratatouille the Musical’ was born in August 2020. User @e_jaccs posted a video on TikTok, singing in a high pitched voice about Remy, the main character in Ratatouille.

The 16 second video showcased the first appearance of the surprisingly catchy lyrics which are, “Remy, the ratatouille, the rat of all my dreams, I praise you, my ratatouille, may the world remember your name.”

In an interview with Broadway World, the self proclaimed “rat queen”, Em, explained that the video was inspired by her longing for Disney World during the quarantine in August.

She said, “I had been reading an article about the new Ratatouille ride in EPCOT. Using the article as inspiration, I just began singing this on-the-spot song around my house about Remy. I found it particularly catchy and couldn't get it out of my mind, so I decided to post a funny slideshow compilation of Remy with my song in the background.”

Thanks to the video racking up over 350 thousand views, other musical theatre loving TikTok creatives helped take the song to the next level.

But it wasn’t until user @danieljmertzlufft worked some magic on the original video that the viral musical anthem was born. Adding an orchestral backing track, four part harmonies and stage instructions to create a full scale Act II finale, Ratatouille finally had a musical number worthy of a standing ovation.

Listen to the showstopper here.

From Tango-inspired duets to Sondheim classics

Other TikTok users joined in, and soon there was more to the imaginary musical than just a rousing finale.

Tough and fiery chef Collete received a host of potential songs, including a tango-inspired duet with main character, Linguini. TikTok user @nataliecatalie16’s creation features the original film’s famous “How do you tell the bread is so fresh?” line. Watch here.

That wasn’t the only song to give Linguini’s introduction to the kitchen the musical treatment. A duet between users @aaacia_ and @blakeyrouse makes for incredible listening.

It wasn’t all fun and games, though, with some songs looking to pull on the heartstrings. This rendition of Anyone Can Cook by @rjthecomposer felt right out of Sondheim classic, with lyrics like, “Anyone can cook, all it takes is courage, all your sweat and tears are like oil in the pan.”

It wasn’t long before all elements of the musical theatre community began to get involved, with stage and lighting designers, costume makers, and choreographers joining the stream of videos, and using the hashtag #ratatouillethemusical.

User @shoeboxmusicals showcased the impressive set design potential for the show using a turntable and cardboard cutouts to reveal how songs could look on stage. Catch a glimpse of the incredible designs here.

‘I don’t know how, but we’re gonna do this’

At the end of October, a dedicated and collaborative @ratatouillemusical user account was created on TikTok.

Fronted by a performer called Josh, the profile has amassed 133 thousand followers since its creation. In the first video, Josh gives an open call out for all “actors, musicians and techies” to help out and try to make the musical a reality. The channel also created an email for the musical, allowing creatives to send in their suggestions, songs and ideas for the show

Speaking about making the musical a reality, Josh said, “I don't know how we’re gonna do this, but we’re gonna do it.”

The channel also distanced itself from Disney, saying, “We are no way affiliated with the Walt Disney/Pixar company”, stressing that the endeavour is strictly a passion project.

In a second video, the Ratatouille Musical account put out a call for auditions, saying that anyone hoping to get cast in the musical will be able to audition through the TikTok app.

Future concept album?

The third video posted from @ratatouillemusical explained some possible avenues that the TikTok musical could go down.

The first idea is to create a ‘Ratatouille - The TikTok Musical’ concept album that will feature original music from the users. From there, the group hopes to create a full virtual production.

Some of the best Ratatouille the Musical TikToks

Not all choreography in musicals has to be showstopping tap numbers, with this TikTok showcasing an ensemble dance to Collete’s training number. Check out this work of colaboratation here.

There is a lot of love for Remy’s dad, and the amount of potential his character has in producing some hit songs. Look out for this song after it went viral on the app.

One of the most popular videos on the trend is this choreography by @alleykerr to @fettuccinefettuqueen’s incredible song as Remy’s dad.

Last but not least - could Hamilton legend Lin Manuel Miranda eventually star in Ratatouille the Musical? Find out here.