The public simply can't break its fixation with the Netflix series "Tiger King," and the English National Opera apparently decided if you can beat 'em, join 'em. ENO announced on Nov. 16, 2021, that it will team up with TikTok stars for a production based on "Tiger King" specifically geared for TikTok.
According to the announcement by ENO, "The production will be entirely presented on TikTok, and is set to the music of Bizet’s 'Carmen' performed live in London by ENO’s professional chorus and full string orchestra."
The result? The opera is five acts, but only five minutes long, owing to the constraints of the TikTok platform. The production can be viewed here:
"Tiger King" can be described as a phenomenon of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, during which time members of the public, hunkered indoors, binge-watched how the fantastically eccentric cast of characters had turned their lives upside down.
The series documents how the so-called "Tiger King," a big cat keeper who goes by "Joe Exotic," ended up in prison for a murder-for-hire scheme targeting his rival, Carole Baskin.
The mini-opera was released ahead of "Tiger King 2," the follow-up to the original Netflix series.