Tick, Tick… Boom!

Triune Entertainment

Photo credit: @triunentertainment on Instagram

“Happy…” Tick.

“Birthday…” Tick.

“To…” Tick.

“You,” BOOM!

Yep. Once you’ve gotten past your twenties, every birthday becomes another tick of life’s relentless time bomb. At least, that’s what penniless composer Jonathan Larson claims to audiences of Triune Entertainment’s intimate, heartfelt production of Tick, Tick… Boom! By the end of the show, the dedicated cast and crew had proven there’s so much that makes life worth celebrating; whether it’s friends, art, love, or convenience store twinkies.

But first, let’s get into everything Tick, Tick… Boom! and Jonathan Larson. 

My 2021 self who watched the Lin-Manuel Miranda movie adaptation on a constant loop during COVID is positively frothing at the mouth to do so.

Tick, Tick… Boom!

Jonathan Larson spent most of his life as any other composer-hopeful would: holed up in a shabby Manhattan apartment, arduously writing and rewriting between grueling shifts at the local diner. For almost eight years, he tirelessly labored over a work he hoped would transform the musical theatre canon forever.

“Oh,” you might be thinking, “surely it’s Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, era-defining, hit rock musical Rent?”

No. 

Try Superbia: a futuristic, 1984-inspired musical about a dystopian society ruled by technology. While it performed a successful workshop and garnered several awards, the show was deemed too “strange” for a commercial Broadway run and never got picked up. 

Tick, Tick… Boom! chronicles Jonathan Larson’s struggle with Superbia, but more importantly, how that struggle began affecting all the relationships in his life. Should he move out to beachy Cape Cod with Susan, the love of his life? Should he stay in Manhattan and make it big in the business world like his friend Michael? Or, should he keep his head down and continue to compose, knowing each new work may never lead him anywhere?

When Superbia failed, Larson pivoted to writing Tick, Tick… Boom!: a one-man, autobiographical rock monologue. Through its creation, he learned the value of writing from his own experiences. This lesson eventually led him to the creation of Rent, which was similarly set in the bohemian days of New York, and drew inspiration from his friend Michael, who tested HIV-positive during the AIDS epidemic.

The most heartbreaking part? Jonathan Larson died the night before Rent began off-broadway previews. He never lived to see the show’s incredible success, Broadway transfer, film adaptation, and subsequent cultural phenomenon. Knowing Larson’s tragic ending really puts his work in Tick, Tick… Boom! into perspective; we can’t live a life always dreading the next “tick” of the proverbial clock, because there’s no way to tell if it might be our last.

On that grave note, let’s shift focus to talk about Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Chances are, if you’ve heard of Tick, Tick… Boom!, it’s probably because of Miranda’s 2021 film adaptation starring Andrew Garfield. Miranda first saw the show as a college student, and immediately related to its themes as a young composer-hopeful. For his directorial debut, Miranda knew he wanted to pay tribute to Larson’s work, and thank him for all he’s done to transform musical theatre into the genre-defying wonder it is today. 

Miranda’s Netflix adaptation was a certifiable success, considering it was named one of the top ten films of 2021 and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture. More importantly, it re-kindled a love for the creative process in artists across the globe who were bogged down by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film and its message couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. 

Now, Tick, Tick… Boom! has become a favorite for small, intimate theaters across the country. Staged in the new Allegro Back Lot Theater, Triune Entertainment’s production was no exception; the company infused Jonathan Larson’s timeless work with hope, heart, and plenty of jazz hands. 

This production

One thing I neglected to mention in the background section of this review was that playwright David Auburn has since adapted Tick, Tick… Boom! from Larson’s one-person monologue into a three-actor musical, which premiered off-broadway in 2001. Triune Entertainment expanded the cast of their production even further, adding an ensemble of six performers who covered the production’s various other roles: Jon’s parents, his agent, the “smoking-hot” actress he flirted with, etcetera. 

While I was initially skeptical about this addition, performers Lianne Aarons, Joseph Allen, Lucia Mattson, Noah Sariñana, Elizabeth Steimel, and Lily VanBrocklin exceeded my expectations: each crafted a remarkably memorable character, and built out a rich ensemble sound (courtesy of music director Cate Murray). Plus, they injected much-needed life into Jon’s memories: their irritated cries for refills and extra sugar packets painted an all-too-real portrait of Sunday brunch, and their curious millings in a convenience store provided the perfect setting for Jon’s guilty-pleasure purchase of Twinkies.

Jake Fleming stepped into the role of our composer-hopeful, delivering a performance layered with palpable passion and velvety vibrato. You can imagine my excitement when I found out Fleming was a published songwriter himself, with an album out on Spotify! Talk about method acting. Ryan Balint, in his delightful directorial debut, opened this show exactly as it should: the stage was completely empty, except for Jon and his piano. Fleming’s piano skills were impressive throughout, especially as he accompanied himself in a moving rendition of “Why” at Jon’s emotional peak. Alongside Marty Kelly’s business hotshot Michael, “No More” became a performance highlight as the two floated on the ecstasy of wealth, bounding across the stage in idyllic, crystal-clear harmony.

Abby Rozmajzl shone in the role of Susan: Jon’s partner who longs to escape the city and start a family. Striking an impressive balance between wistful and grounded, Rozmajzl truly embodied the voice of reason in Jon’s life; while at first she twirled light as a feather in her “Green Green Dress,” Rozmajzl quietly built resolve as Jon’s anxiety grew. By “Come to Your Senses,” her deliberate emotional arc erupted into an unshakeable powerhouse belt. Overall, the vocal harmony between Fleming, Kelly, and Rozmajzl was incredibly powerful, and elevated numbers like “Johnny Can’t Decide” to an entirely new level of urgency.

Finally, I was elated to see that this production had its own live band! The nature of Tick, Tick… Boom! just calls for it; luckily for us, Lori Roddy, Drew Fleming, David Burrelli, and David Morgan carried out the soundtrack skillfully. Fleming and Morgan are even part of their own band, Uncle Drew and the Scoundrels! There’s so much singer-songwriter representation in this production!

Who is it for?

If you’re a fan of Rent, New York, rock music, or just musical theatre in general, you’ll be fascinated by the story and soundtrack of Tick, Tick… Boom!. Bonus points if you love intimate productions, where you’re truly existing on the same plane as the cast. 

From an age standpoint, I’d personally recommend Tick, Tick… Boom! for viewers 12+, since they’ll probably have the best grasp on the musical’s themes of young adulthood. The musical is also set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis, and contains some swearing and suggestive references.  

Overall, it’s clear that Triune Entertainment’s cast and crew of Tick, Tick… Boom! put a tremendous amount of heart into this production. They took a fascinating journey through the mind of a composer, and reminded us all of why we love creating art in the first place. 

Tick, Tick… Boom! runs for one more weekend at Allegro’s Back Lot Theater. Visit https://triuneentertainment.com/ for tickets and more information.