See Phillipa Soo Salute 'Saff' in Premiere of New Tiger King Ballad

Tony nominee Phillipa Soo is just like us. As the world went into quarantine and Broadway shutdown, she, too, found herself entranced by Netflix's true crime docuseries Tiger King. It wasn't before long that the Broadway community began dreamcasting their own musical inspired by Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, and now, that musical is coming to life (kind of). Tiger King: The Musical (The Parody) has quickly become the hottest show online with Kristen Chenoweth, Andrew Lippa, Will Chase and Ingrid Michaelson all lending their talents. Soo is now the newest star to join in on the fun with "Saff's Song," a fresh tune inspired by Kelci "Saff" Saffery, a veteran who worked as a manager for Joe Exotic's Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park for almost 10 years. Recognized by fans as the "only person in the documentary with common sense," Saffery is the next Tiger King star to be put center stage, this time thanks to Broadway composer Carmel Dean.

Soo and Dean sat down with Broadway.com's Paul Wontorek to chat about giving Saffery's story the musical treatment and how "Saff's Song" came to be.

For Soo, there was an instant connection with Saffery and what he brought to the Tiger King story. "Saff, to me, was one of the most genuine characters on the show," she said. "I often found myself turning to Saff going, 'What does Saff think?' Saff was my reliable source." That reliability stems from Saffery's obvious passion for the animals, which was shown when his arm was bitten off by a tiger. Instead of electing to save the arm, Saffery chose to amputate his forearm for a quicker recovery process. He was back at work within a week.

"Saff really has that spirit of strength," Dean said of choosing Saffery as her subject. "He bounced back so quickly after the horrific accident—purely because he loves the animals so much. I really wanted to preserve and honor that, while keeping the humor. Even though it's a parody, I wanted to be respectful. I dont know if he'll see it or not, but I hope he likes it!"

If Saffery ever sees the song, Soo has one wish; "If Saff sees this, I hope I do him justice. I'm honored to sing his voice."

Check out the world premiere video below!