Episode 16

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Published on:

30th Nov 2023

TikTok Musicals: "Gen Z set the culture" | with Dr. Trevor Boffone | Episode 16

If you were on the internet at all in the second half of 2020, you probably heard about the Ratatouille musical on TikTok. Before that was the Grocery Store Musical, and after came the Bridgerton musical, but TikTok and musical theatre were entwined well before the pandemic! We talked to Dr. Trevor Boffone, whose research, writing, and of course TikTok videos, make him THE expert to dive deep into the relationship between the theatre industry and TikTok.

  • 03:45 - What we’re enjoying lately: Golden Bachelor, Broad City rewatch, Jane the Virgin
  • 11:10 - Topic introduction: The Supermarket Musical, Ratatouille, Bridgerton
  • 15:40 - Pre-TikTok musical theatre trends on other apps
  • 25:55 - Discussion of the development of the Ratatouille musical
  • 51:01 - Discussion of Bridgerton in relation to Ratatouille
  • 01:04:45 - What would be necessary to continue developing musicals starting on TikTok?

Trevor Boffone went viral in 2019 and hasn't looked back. His work using TikTok and Instagram with his students has been featured on Good Morning America, ABC News, Inside Edition, and Access Hollywood, among numerous national media platforms. His work as a social media expert has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Forbes, The Atlantic, and NPR. Trevor has published two books on social media and popular culture, and has two forthcoming books exploring theatre marketing on social media.

@dr_boffone on Instagram | @trevorboffone on Twitter | Trevor's Website

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Music by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au

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Partial View Podcast
Conversations about the past, present, and future of The American Theatre
Deep dive discussions about the issues impacting the theatre industry in NYC and across the country. Be part of the conversation as we discuss our questions, frustrations, and ideas for how we can all leave The American Theatre better than we found it.

About your hosts

Danielle Feder

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Danielle Feder (she/her/hers) is a dramaturg, producer, writer, and arts administrator based in NYC. She is the co-founder of Hysteria Theatre, and has worked for organizations including Signature Theatre, Premiere Stages, The Interval, Theatre Communications Group, Noor Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, NYMF, 59E59 Theaters, and more. In addition to theatre, she has also worked in nonprofit and political communications. All of her work is driven by a passion for amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities across all forms of media and storytelling. Danielle has an MFA in Dramaturgy from Columbia University and a BA in Dramatic Literature from NYU.

Alexandra Ley

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Alexandra Ley (she/her/hers) is an arts administrator and dramaturg based in New York, NY. As a dramaturg and literary manager, she has worked for Solas Nua, Spooky Action Theater Company, the New York Musical Festival, and The Olney Theatre Center. She considers herself a veteran theatre patron services professional after seven years on the Front-of-House team at The Olney Theatre Center, a season and a half in the box office at Arena Stage, and volunteer usher shifts at multiple D.C. theaters. Alex is also an independent scholar on the intersection between fan/fandom studies and theatre/performance studies; she has been published in the British Fantasy Society Journal and presented research at the Northeast Popular Culture Association conference. M.A. Theatre History & Criticism, The Catholic University of America. B.A. American Studies and Theatre, Barnard College of Columbia University.