Jonathan Larson, the musical genius behind the successful production Rent. His life was full of struggles before he made his mark, working tirelessly on his musicals at all hours of the night and during the day waiting tables, doing anything to earn a living to feed his passion. In his very short life he wrote three musicals.
Larson’s second production Tick, Tick… Boom! has been made into a movie, streaming on Netflix and directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The only way to describe this moving production is semi biographical and a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, as Larson was a huge fan.
Jonathan Larson played by Andrew Garfield, is chasing his dream of writing musicals. The reality of an artistic existence is that you have to maintain two or three jobs to chase your dream, as is the case with Jonathan, who has a job at the famed Moondance Diner in Soho.
Desperately working at night, sometimes by candlelight, writing and composing his musical, Jonathan’s brain is constantly at work, thinking of lyrics and riffs, much to the annoyance of girlfriend Susan played by Alexandra Shipp.
Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tick, Tick…Boom! is the perfect musical. It is romantic, tragic and you can’t help but get caught up in the story. There is something so captivating about this production. The music is joyous and will pull at your heartstrings. The story is relatable as Jonathan is quickly approaching his 30th birthday and desperately hoping his next musical will bring him success, but also very mindful that his idol Stephen Sondheim has his first success in his early 20s. There is something for everyone in Tick, Tick… Boom.
You can’t write about Tick, Tick… Boom! without mentioning the Sunday scene at the Moonlight Diner where any Broadway fan will get excited with the surprise performances by Chita Rivera, Bernadette Peters, Bebe Neuwirth, Phylicia Rashad, Joel Grey, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Stephen Schwartz, just to name a few. It is a stunning surprise that will make you smile and remind you everything you love about the Great White Wave in Manhattan.
Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson deserves every award possible. His performance is flawless. There is something about his portrayal of Jonathan Larson that hits the mark about the struggles artists go through before they have their success, sometimes they just keep on riding on the hope. Don’t be surprised to see Andrew Garfield nominated for a number of awards this award season.
Robin de Jesus as Michael, the best friend of Jonathan Larson, is another standout performance. You will get all the feels watching this characterization. Robin de Jesus is another underrated performer who needs to be seen in more productions.
Tick, Tick… Boom! is a remarkable film and one that reminds you how trying and tough life can be, especially when self-doubt creeps in and the idea of chasing a dream starts to fade. But what is nice about this film is that you see the talent of Jonathan Larson slowly develop and celebrated by his family and friends. It is a film that will make you fall in love with the art that is musical theater but also understand the inspiration for Jonathan Larson’s major hit Rent.
Tick, Tick… Boom! is currently streaming on Netflix.
