Image: Tick, Tick…Boom! Cast; Photograph courtesy of Pursued By Bear
Turning thirty is tough. It’s a right of passage fraught with anxiety, expectations and complicated emotions – “what am I doing with my life?” If you are a person attempting to forge a path in the arts it can be an even more terrifying experience as you yearn to achieve the practically unachievable; a creatively fulfilling and financially sustainable life pursuing your passion. This is the dilemma at the heart of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical Tick, Tick…Boom!
Larson is the man behind the game changing 90’s megahit Rent who tragically (and famously) died the night before the show opened off-Broadway. Tick, Tick…Boom! is based on his one-man ‘rock monologue’ which was in turn developed into a small scale musical by playwright David Auburn in 2001. The show follows a week in the life of Larson (simply called Jon in the piece and played by Luigi Lucente), his dancer girlfriend Susan (Angela Scundi) and corporate climber best friend Michael (Quin Kelly). Jon is stressing over an upcoming workshop of his musical ‘Superbia,’ Susan wants to leave New York to settle down and Michael is hiding a devastating secret from everyone.
This rarely performed piece has received a beautiful and understated production by Pursued By Bear. The entire cast and creative team clearly have a profound respect for Larson, his legacy and the themes of the show. This sense of love and appreciation came through crystal clear on opening night and the audience were more than happy to reciprocate those feelings.
The small loft space at Chapel Off Chapel has been cleverly transformed into a kind of deconstructed SoHo apartment consisting of wooden floorboards, bare light bulbs, an upright piano and a few chairs. The floor is littered with discarded pages of sheet music and stacks of suitcases are piled around the space. These design elements by Sarah Tulloch are simple and practical yet clever and evocative. A large central backdrop is brilliantly lit by Jason Crick throughout the show and becomes essential to the world being created on stage. This is a gorgeous production to look at.
Lucente takes centre stage as Jon and the role allows this exciting performer to demonstrate the full range of his talents. He plays the piano throughout the show, sings the rock-inflected score thrillingly and creates a character who is restless, neurotic and full of doubt. Lucente’s performance is full of fierce energy and heartfelt passion; he is simply wonderful.
In addition to portraying Susan, Scundi also plays several supporting roles as well, such as Jon’s agent and a young performer in the workshop scenes. Scundi’s versatility is impressive and her performance of ‘Come To Your Senses’ is a musical highlight.
Kelly plays Michael as more of a materialistic boy than a complete sellout and his performance has some wonderfully funny moments, however his vocal strength is not really up to the same level as the rest of the cast. This could have just been a case of opening night nerves and hopefully his voice will settle as the run continues.
Director Paul Watson has avoided the potential clichés inherent in the material to create an accomplished and cohesive work in which every element on stage is serving the overall artistic vision. Oftentimes musical theatre performances can be flashy and histrionic but Watson’s cast offer refreshingly naturalistic performances closer to contemporary screen acting than anything else. The songs are wonderfully staged, particularly the hilarious Sondheim parody ‘Sunday’ and the argument song ‘Therapy.’ Watson and his team are serving the story at all times and this shows a deep respect for the material and the audience.
Tick, Tick…Boom! could very easily become alienating for some audience members as there are a lot of references to musical theatre personalities and shows, but this production succeeds brilliantly in opening up the autobiographical story to a wider frame.
The themes of ageing, creative fulfillment and personal connection in Larson’s own narrative are universal to us all and watching this young artist struggle with his talent and his place in the world allows the audience to reflect on their own lives; and that is what all good theatre should do.
Rating: 4.5 stars out 5
Tick, Tick…Boom!
Presented by Pursued By Bear
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Script Consultation by David Auburn
Directed by Paul Watson
Musical Direction by Jess Barlow
With Rebecca Heatherington, Quin Kelly, Luigi Lucente, Mitch Roberts and Angela Scundi
Chapel Off Chapel
21 April – 2 May
