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tick, tick…Boom!
Book, music & lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Directed by Ilesa Duncan
Musical Direction by William Underwood
At Pegasus Players
Truman College
1145 W. Wilson
Chicago, IL
Call 773-878-9761, tickets $17 - $25
Thursdays thru Saturdays at 8 PM
Saturday matinees on June 17 & 24 at 3 PM
Sundays at 3 PM
Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission
Through July 16, 2006
Early pop musical from RENT creator pleases
Before he wrote RENT, Jonathan Larson wrote and performed tick, tick…BOOM! as an autobiographical look at his dream of leaving his mark on musical theatre. Some would argue that tick, tick, BOOM! is Larson’s best work even though RENT is his most well known rock opera. I like tic, tic…BOOM! better than RENT mainly because it is structured more like a traditional Broadway musical.
tic, tic…BOOM! is a musical look at holding onto dreams in the modern world when all your friends are ‘selling out’ to lucrative corporate careers and abounding the arts. We meet Jon (Michael Ingersoll) and his best friend Michael (Quinton Guyton II) and Jon’s girl Susan (Jess Godwin) just before Jon’s thirtieth birthday and his showcase of his new musical, Superbia. Jon is desperate to make it on Broadway as a playwright but impending marriage, career changes and his girl’s desire to live in suburbia all threaten his ‘real’ dream. Does he sell out or persevere?
tick, tick…BOOM! has an impressive large circular set complete with watch-like leavers suggesting the movement of time as in the tic, tick…boom of our lives. Set design by Richard & Jacquelinf Penrod. Set in 1990 in New York City, this youthful, endearing and insightful pop-rock musical has a varied score filled with clever Broadway styled numbers with alluring melodies. There are enough pop and rock tunes to suggest Larson’s rock interests. There is a Sondheim influence that serves the work well. tic, tick…BOOM! isn’t a great show, yet it is an entertaining early look at the struggles of chasing one’s dreams.
The three performers do yeoman work with Quinton Guyton II and Jess Godwin presenting various characters and singing up a storm. Michael Ingersoll, as Jon, the playwright, has enough charm and empathy to make us care about him but he lacks the vocal depth to effectively sell the emotions of several numbers. He gets drowned out by Godwin and Guyton in the harmonies when a stronger voice needs to dominate. Ingersoll is a fine actor and a serviceable Jon and he sells his songs with everything he’s got.
tic, tic…BOOM! unfolds as an ode to Jonathan Larson and to all struggling artists who steadfastly hold onto their dreams. Pegasus Players’ production is smart, engaging and tuneful. It hints at the style that would make RENT into a hit rock opera. Pop rock musical fans will enjoy this show. I found it serviceable and quaint.
Recommended
Tom Williams
Tom99@chicagocritic.com for comments
Talk Theatre in Chicago podcast
Date Reviewed: May 22, 2006
Jeff Recommended
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