Tick, Tick … BOOM! Review
ATYP’s reviewing program was created to give young people a platform to voice their opinions and experiences while developing skills in critical reflection. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of ATYP or its staff.
Tick, Tick…BOOM!, 2024. Photo Credit: Robert Miniter – Old Fitz & Good Time Theatrics.
25.07.2024
‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ is a 130-minute energetic musical that follows an aspiring composer on the edges of the New York musical theatre scene and explores the evolution of relationships through adulthood. This musical, made famous by its film adaptation, captures the raw emotions and realities of life in an engaging way, enhanced by the masterful work of Kurtis Laing and Good Time Theatrics.
The intimate setting of the Old Fitzroy Theatre sucked the audience into the life of composer, Jonathan Larson, and his looming anxiety, the ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’s. We follow as Jonathan is faced with a series of difficult choices, choosing between relationships or his career, and a successful job or fulfilling one’s dreams, all of which are made remarkably harder by his impending thirtieth birthday. The musical highlights Jonathan’s relationships above all and demonstrates their importance to decisions and their outcomes.
Tick, Tick…BOOM!, 2024. Photo Credit: Robert Miniter – Old Fitz & Good Time Theatrics.
The piece prompts reflection on the importance of relationships in your own life and often holds moments of tension and drama. Director Kurtis Laing enhanced these moments by contrasting them with wonderful energy through occasionally melodramatic choreography and a variety of caricatures. The pop-rock band worked seamlessly with the performers and their harmonies, just magical. The musical is staged with minimal props, a set, and a white backdrop which is brought to life by the use of bright colours and the liveliness of the actors on stage. With a cast of only three, the show felt incredibly full of life and energy that was amplified by the live band, filling the space to the brim.
Good Time Theatrics’ ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ feels extremely relevant to all twenty years after its premiere and is a wonderful commentary on life, relationships, resilience, and decisions. Although the plot itself is occasionally seen as somewhat self-indulgent, the production encapsulates the essence of living in a wonderfully energising way.
★★★★1/2
— Isabel