Reddit users are claiming that a viral Christmas video that appears to show passers-by interacting with a remote controlled piano is fake — in that the passers-by are played by actors.
The YouTube account RobBlissCreative uploaded a video called "Chicago's Magical Piano" earlier Thursday, earning more than 200,000 views. The video, supposedly sponsored by Amtrak, captures travelers in Chicago's Union Station playing with a remote-controlled piano, dancing and performing duets.
About two hours after it was shared on Reddit, a user named schwagro claimed in the comments that the video was fake. Schwagro posted a link to a notice about an Amtrak casting call for a video in Chicago's Union Station with a "magical piano around Christmastime that seems to be truly alive."
One of the examples given in the notice is that an actor might "play 'Chopsticks' ... and we turn it into a duet," which is exactly what happens to a young girl at the beginning of the video.
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The casting call notice was taken down shortly after Schwargo posted it, but jl45 posted an Imgr link to a picture of the notice.
Bliss admits that his group did send out the casting call, but insists that the video was not scripted. "We simply told people the idea of what was happening and invited them to come check out if they wanted to," he said.
Amtrak representatives could not be reached for comment.
Image: YouTube, RobBlissCreative