Todrick Hall on Making His New Off-Broadway Musical Midnight Go Viral

"What I know how to do is make things go viral," Todrick Hall tells Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek, speaking to the nontraditional marketing approach behind his new original musical, Midnight. "I wanted to see if there was a way to make a show go viral in 2026." The word-of-mouth strategy proved effective, as the off-Broadway show recently extended at the Daryl Roth Theatre through January 3, 2027.

Hall is a multi-hyphenate to the max, serving as Midnight's writer, director, choreographer and star. While he admits to being "somewhat of a micromanager," it's a result of having to be a "one-stop shop" when producing the YouTube videos that first made him famous. "It's like Drag Race," he points out. "Most of the drag queens I know are great at sewing. They're great at writing their own comedy and skits, building their own brand, doing their hair, doing their own makeup—because it's a form of necessity. They don't have a team of people."

For Hall, the elements of Midnight are all intertwined, because that is his creative process. "When I write a song, I don't just think of the song and the lyrics," he explains. "I think of what the person would be wearing, how the fabric is going to move in their costume, what the choreography's going to be, what the lighting will look like."

Midnight's interconnected characters were inspired by people from Hall's life, while the production itself is an ode to the iconic musicals he loves most. "I set out to write the show that would make me feel like I put Aida, Hamilton, Les Miz, Rent and Hairspray in a blender," he shares. "It's been a long time since I have felt that type of palpable magic in the theater. So many of us were craving that thing that's going to make us believe in musical theater the way that we did the first time."

It was during the pandemic that Hall began writing his opera, challenging himself to craft a story sung through from beginning to end. At the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, a social media post from Michelle Visage caught his attention. "She said, 'Artists, this is the time when we create, because sometimes when words fail, music is the thing that can get us to the next level,'" he recalls. Hall has always loved Broadway—"It's the reason I don't have a partner right now, because they're like, 'I can't compete with Broadway'"—and of course it is a dream of his to bring Midnight to New York's biggest stage. But he's trying to stay present and appreciate the journey. "I could not be more grateful for this chapter, and that people are falling in love with the show just as much as I fell in love with writing it."

Hall has built a company of gorgeous voices, including Jeremy Beloate as Richard, Charlotte Odusanya as Lily Rose and Ayana George as Ethel. "I feel like I found the gaggiest vocalists in New York City," he says. "Their gifts are so undeniable, so they make my music sound even better than it is." As Odusanya puts it, "The throats are throating, okay?"

Beyond rehearsing the material itself, the cast has spoken at great length about its message. "We've had a lot of conversations about what walking a mile in another person's shoes looks like, what that means and how it's different for each person, and the intersectionality of it all," Odusanya shares. "It's really built a community of safety, understanding and listening, and it's really an inspiring place to be."

For George, performing this role "feels like purpose. That's what I'm here for, and the fact that I get to do this every night, it's a blessing." Speaking to the show's themes, she continues, "I love the message of humanity, the message of love. There is a lyric in one of the songs that says, 'We don't get to choose the roles we play. We just get to choose how we play them.' And it's just the way that life is."

The show contains more than one big twist, so Beloate is careful about how he pitches it to potential audience members. His advice is simply to "come with an open heart and prepare to be changed and blown away." Now that the show has extended through the new year, you have a bit more time to visit before the stroke of midnight.

Get tickets to Midnight!