Yahoo Lifestyle Man Surprises DoorDash Driver with Extravagant Home Christmas Production of 'The Polar Express' (Exclusive)
Kyle Philippi posted a TikTok of his loved ones recreating the iconic 'The Polar Express' song for a DoorDash driver
All aboard!
One friend group pulled out all the stops to spread cheer this season — by performing extravagant, holiday-themed, in-home flash mobs for unsuspecting DoorDash drivers.
In a video posted to his TikTok, Kyle Philippi and a group of friends and family gather together to put on an over-the-top musical performance to the iconic "The Polar Express" song from the classic children's Christmas movie of the same name.
But for Philippi, 37, and friends, this isn't just another attempt to create a viral, trending moment — it's a chance to perform some acts of kindness for unsuspecting DoorDash drivers.
In the video, the group can be seen waiting in the front entryway of Philippi's home as a DoorDash delivery driver approaches the door to deliver food. When she rings the doorbell, the group breaks out into a choreographed song and dance number complete with live music, costumes and DIY set pieces.
Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Philippi shared that this latest musical delivery is part of a year-long series of front-entryway productions that he and his friends and family have orchestrated — and that were inspired by Philippi's own time driving for Uber.
"To help someone who is a DoorDasher ... was just something that would be fun, and would bless someone," Philippi tells PEOPLE. In addition to performing for the drivers, the group also tips them $100 each.
Over the last year, Philippi and crew have put on 11 productions for DoorDashers — beginning on New Year's Day of 2024 with a recreation of "The Circle of Life" from The Lion King. “It started a lot more low-key, but it has built and built," he says.
The process for each production is nothing short of theatrical: “We pick a song, and then about five days later, we do it,” Philippi says. The team orders costumes, builds sets — thanks to a friend, Justin, a budding set designer — and gathers their musically gifted friends to learn songs. Philippi says of his contribution to the productions: "I just bring the chaos."
On performance night, everyone meets at Philippi’s house around 5 p.m., and by 11 p.m., the production is complete. And luckily, Philippi adds, everyone is diligent about helping with cleanup.
"Sometimes we have to call multiple drivers," Philippi said of the group's unsuspecting participants. "Sometimes they don't want to be on TikTok, and sometimes they just stare at us. Reasonably so, and we still tip them $100. But we're like, let's do it again."
Reactions from the drivers have ranged from disbelief to delight: “One guy showed up with just his top button of his shirt buttoned, and he just started dancing with us; he spilled our drinks everywhere. But we didn't care; it was such a vibe," Philippi recalls.
But his favorite reactions have been from drivers telling the group how much their support means.
"The girl from the other night was like, 'I was just trying to make 20 bucks for Christmas plans, and now I don't have to DoorDash the rest of the week now because you guys gave $100,' " he says.
The same woman also made a point to come back and knock on the door to ask Philippi for his TikTok handle, a moment captured on a video camera doorbell and shown at the end of the "Polar Express" video. Other drivers have publicly recognized Philippi and approached him to thank him — weeks or months after their performance.
The performances have become the norm for Philippi's friends, family — and their kids. "I mean, this year we've done 11 songs, so [the kids are] just like, 'Oh, we're having another night where we sing to a delivery driver, okay, cool.' "
Some of Philippi's favorite performances have included a Fourth of July rendition of Beauty and the Beast's “Be Our Guest,” which, fittingly, featured fireworks. Philippi jokes that it had to be done over the holiday so his HOA wouldn't "kill him." Another favorite was a performance of “Remember Me” from the Disney movie Coco, featuring a giant foam bell that "crushed" Philippi — a nod to one of the movie's scenes.
The group has plans to expand their productions, which are currently funded out-of-pocket. They hope to get restaurant sponsors to help them build bigger, more professional sets and be able to tip the drivers even more.
While DoorDash has commented on their videos, the platform hasn’t officially reached out. “They left us on read,” Philippi jokes.
But that isn't stopping him and his crew from growing their performances.
“I think it's going to happen step by step," he adds.
Read the original article on People
