With just two words Tay Tay has saved Australian theatre.
A bunch of Australian acting royalty have convinced the Devine Being Taylor Swift to give them permission to "Shake It Off."
The Belvoir Theatre Company in Sydney was all ready to kick off its new play Seventeen on Wednesday when disaster struck. Unfortunately, the theatre failed to secure the rights to use Taylor Swift's hit song "Shake It Off."
The play is about a group of teenagers on their last day of school, with the characters played by veteran actors including Barry Otto, who is like Tay Tay to Australia. In the script, the actors do a synchronized dance to Swift's tune.
Leading the charge was the theatre's director Anne-Louise Sarks, armed with the hashtag #greygrey4taytay, she tried to get the Queen of the Universe's attention. She wrote a Twitter chain to Swift pleading for her permission to let the cast shake it.
She said: "70-year-old Australian theater royalty playing 17-year-olds on their last day of school. Partying. Dancing. They know the moves, and all the words." Tay Tay could even use it for her next clip.
Hey @taylorswift13 I'm a big fan and I'm facing an artistic emergency I hope you can help with 1/7 #greygrey4taytay— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 I'm a theatre director from Sydney, and we have a big show opening tomorrow night @belvoirst 2/7 #greygrey4taytay— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 It's about the last day of school - only the 17yrolds are all played by 70yrolds 3/7 #greygrey4taytay pic.twitter.com/t3i1JPdZn2— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
. @taylorswift13 (including Barry Otto from Strictly Ballroom which maybe you've seen) http://t.co/cBOHzj4vdp #greygrey4taytay— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 there's this great moment where they Shake It Off, and they know all the words and have amazing moves 5/7 #greygrey4taytay— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 But we've just at the last minute been told we can't have the rights to the song! 6/7 #greygrey4taytay— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
.@taylorswift13 Is there anything at all you can do?!! Thanks for reading! 7/7 #greygrey4taytay pic.twitter.com/pdL1TW1Bv9— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 3, 2015
Sarks also tried to bring in the power of local celebrities, including Russell Crowe, and contacted multiple Taylor Swift fan clubs.
Hi @russellcrowe! Anything you can do to help us get this to @taylorswift13 would be ace! #greygrey4taytay @BelvoirSt pic.twitter.com/UqdQ2OnTv0— Anne-Louise Sarks (@annelouisesarks) August 4, 2015
After seven hours of desperate campaigning, the Swifty goddess awoke from her slumber and came through with the goods. "Permission granted," she wrote. Like no big deal.
Permission granted, @BelvoirSt. Good luck with your opening night :)— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 4, 2015
It's like they had this music in their mind saying "it's gonna be alright."