TikTokTikTok has become a home for Broadway and musical theater lovers and performers to share their talent, creativity and passion for live theater. With popular hashtags like #Broadway, #Musical, and #TheaterKid receiving 4.4B, 6.4B, and 574.4M global views to date, TikTok's thriving creator community has helped turn creative ideas like Grammy Award-winning album The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical into reality by providing a global stage with the potential for more than one billion fans in the audience. Now, TikTok is embarking on a new stage in redefining entertainment with For You, Paige, the first commissioned TikTok musical. Performed LIVE from a theater in New York City, For You, Paige will only be available to watch globally on @TikTok on April 14 at 7pm ET/4pm PT.
Daniel Mertzlufft, the lead creative and brain behind For You, Paige is no stranger to TikTok musicals, having started the Grocery Store Musical trend (based on the viral song "New York Summer'' by Louisa Melcher) and the wildly successful Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical (based on the song by Emily Jacobson). For You, Paige is part of TikTok's #ProjectBroadway, which celebrates and supports all things theater, musicals and Broadway; initiatives like last year's Broadway is Back featured LIVE performances from The Lion King, Waitress and Wicked, behind-the-scenes content and stage tours, as well as multiple streams of the Ratatousical which helped raise $2 million for The Actors Fund. #ProjectBroadway and For You, Paige are just a few examples of how TikTok continues to change the way people are entertained - by connecting people and communities, empowering creative expression and democratizing experiences and opportunities that may not otherwise be available.
Setting the Stage
In a story inspired by real TikTok creators, teenage music nerd Landon (played by Roman Banks) collaborates with his best friend Paige (played by Sri Ramesh) on a TikTok song inspired by her favorite book series. Landon’s TikTok goes viral, thrusting him into the spotlight — and leaving Paige behind. When a producer offers Landon the opportunity to adapt the book series into a musical, Landon discovers that the glory of doing it all himself isn’t worth the stress and enlists the help of Paige and the TikTok community to turn the show into a huge success.
For You, Paige will also feature James Henry as Tyler, Krystina Alabado as Kaia, JJ Niemann as Jarek, and others, with songs written by Daniel Mertzlufft, Julia Riew (who recently wrote her own musical), Katherine Lynn-Rose, RJ Christian, Blake Rouse, Morgan Reilly, Alex Engelberg, Kate Leonard and Gosz & Fotos. Maria Goulamhoussen and Emily Maltby will co-direct the LIVE, with Emily and Katie Spelman choreographing and musical direction by Patrick Sulken. The score will be performed by The Broadway Sinfonietta, the acclaimed all-women and majority women of color orchestra founded by For You, Paige orchestrator Macy Schmidt. Check out #ProjectBroadway in-app for more exciting cast announcements, behind-the-scenes content, and more!
Since January 2022, Daniel has been going LIVE to document the creative process behind For You, Paige, from writing and arranging songs, creating the plot, chatting with songwriters and cast, and revealing the behind-the-scenes of how a musical goes from an idea to reality. The show features numerous references to TikTok trends and communities, some of which even inspired storylines (Paige’s obsession with fictional YA series Utopia is a nod to #BookTok). With original songs like "Playing in My Key", "Out of My Mouth", and "Beyond the Dome," we can't wait to see the community's creative takes on this and these songs once it's released on the platform!
Tune in on April 14 at 7pm ET/4pm PT to watch For You, Paige performed LIVE in New York City, only available on @TikTok.
