In March 2020, Broadway shut down as a precaution against the COVID-19 pandemic, with hopes to reopen in a few months. The New York theatre industry was on ice - along with the chance to bring new shows to Broadway. But during lockdown, some musical theatre creators discovered Tik Tok... and fans discovered these creators.

Along the way the Ratatouille Tik Tok musical became "Ratatouille: The Tik-Tok Musical" and Daniel Mertzlufft and Kate Leonard found themselves creating an original - and fair to say, iconic - new musical, as part of a team of newbies and Tony-winners writing, recording and performing entirely remotely and extremely online.

From there Mertzlufft and Leonard have kept very busy creating theater, pandemic-themed and otherwise, and we are fortunate to be able to welcome them to SaksWorks - in-person and together - for a conversation about creating during lockdown and what we may see from them now that the curtains are coming up.