Valerie Gibbs
DAN 111
Jonathan Gonzalez
Introduction to Trevor Boffone's TikTok Broadway offers a compelling look
at how digital culture—especially TikTok—has transformed the experience of
musical theatre fandom. What struck me most was the framing by Boffone of TikTok
not just as a social media app but as a new kind of performance space, one that
emerged almost accidentally during the pandemic. Reading about the sudden
shutdown of Broadway in March 2020 reminded me of how deeply the arts suffered
during COVID-19—but also how creative communities found ways to survive.
Instead of disappearing, musical theatre migrated online, and TikTok became the
"stage" that kept the spirit of performance alive.
A big theme that really resonated with me was democratization: Boffone posits
that TikTok democratizes musical theatre even further than Broadway ever could,
given the latter's geographic and fiscal limitations. This really hit deep because it
spoke to how digital spaces can eliminate barriers in a way that no physical space
could. Anybody with a phone can: dance choreography out of A Chorus Line,
cosplay as a character from Six, or share musical knowledge. It made me think about
all the young performers who maybe would have never found a community or an
audience without TikTok giving them a platform.
I was also struck by Boffone's framing of TikTok as a site of fandom where fans
can belong-a "digital place for us," if you will, borrowing from West Side Story. His
personal account of keeping his love of musicals in hiding as a young person seemed a
powerful counterpoint to the more open and expressive fan culture today. TikTok
seems to provide exactly what previous generations were missing: a very visible,
supportive community where musical theatre nerdiness is embraced and celebrated.
DAN 111
Jonathan Gonzalez
Introduction to Trevor Boffone's TikTok Broadway offers a compelling look
at how digital culture—especially TikTok—has transformed the experience of
musical theatre fandom. What struck me most was the framing by Boffone of TikTok
not just as a social media app but as a new kind of performance space, one that
emerged almost accidentally during the pandemic. Reading about the sudden
shutdown of Broadway in March 2020 reminded me of how deeply the arts suffered
during COVID-19—but also how creative communities found ways to survive.
Instead of disappearing, musical theatre migrated online, and TikTok became the
"stage" that kept the spirit of performance alive.
A big theme that really resonated with me was democratization: Boffone posits
that TikTok democratizes musical theatre even further than Broadway ever could,
given the latter's geographic and fiscal limitations. This really hit deep because it
spoke to how digital spaces can eliminate barriers in a way that no physical space
could. Anybody with a phone can: dance choreography out of A Chorus Line,
cosplay as a character from Six, or share musical knowledge. It made me think about
all the young performers who maybe would have never found a community or an
audience without TikTok giving them a platform.
I was also struck by Boffone's framing of TikTok as a site of fandom where fans
can belong-a "digital place for us," if you will, borrowing from West Side Story. His
personal account of keeping his love of musicals in hiding as a young person seemed a
powerful counterpoint to the more open and expressive fan culture today. TikTok
seems to provide exactly what previous generations were missing: a very visible,
supportive community where musical theatre nerdiness is embraced and celebrated.
