TICK, TICK…BOOM!

A Musical About Musicals

At: The Swift Creek Mill Theatre, 17401 U.S. Route One, Chesterfield, VA 23834

Performances: September 9 – 30, 2023

Ticket Prices: $49. Discounts available for students, seniors, and veterans.

Info: (804) 748-5203 or https://www.swiftcreekmill.com

Set in New York City in 1990, Tick, Tick…BOOM! draws many parallels to the current post-pandemic times. In 1990, AIDS was the great pandemic; 30 years later we had COVID-19. Both brought death and panic – and isolation. How ironic that 30 years proves to be. In Tick, Tick…BOOM! the author, Jonathan Larsen, is about facing his 30^th birthday with fear and dread. Should he give up his dream of being an artist, a composer of rock musicals? Is it too late? Has time passed him by?

Tick, Tick…BOOM! is an autobiographical musical. So, this isn’t exactly a spoiler alert, but if you don’t like autobiographical plays or musicals, this may not be the show for you. Tick, Tick…BOOM! also seems to be somewhat of a departure for Swift Creek Mill Theatre. Producing Artistic Director Tom Width did not direct or even design anything. He invited Dr. Jan Powell to be guest director. Musical Director Sandy Dacus, Scenic Designer W. Reed West III, Lighting Designer Michael Jarett, and Choreographer Kayla Xavier all brought a new aesthetic to the Mill stage. For the first time, the brick walls were exposed, the band was in the open, and the set was minimalist. Jarett, who has lit many Richmond stages, and often designs lighting for dance companies, designed lighting that had the kind of movement one usually expects on a dance stage; it perfectly suited the stark and multi-purpose stage pieces. A piano, for instance, separated into two separate pieces, one of which doubled as a BMW, among other duties.

Larson wrote the book, music, and lyrics for what was originally a monologue, and later became a three-person show – the version we see today. Caleb Wade – who looks much more cheerful on the program cover than he ever looks during the show – plays the lead character, the author, Jon. Malcolm Holmes, making his professional debut, takes on the role of Jon’s best friend and roommate, Michael. Rachel Rose Gilmour shares the role of Jon’s girlfriend, Susan, with Mikaela Craft. We saw Gilmour on opening night. Holmes and Gilmour/Craft play multiple roles: an actor, Jon’s father, Jon’s elusive agent, and other minor characters. One significant character who never appears onstage is Jon’s musical theatre idol, Stephen Sondheim, whose name is only ever spoken in a hushed whisper, reminiscent of the custom of showing reverence by writing G_d…

How does one turn one’s own life into a work of art?

That was the dilemma facing me.

30/90.

– Jonathan Larson

Wade, Holmes, and Gilmour appear to work well together and seem to have good chemistry. The singing is excellent, although the sound seem muffled in some scenes, especially at the beginning on opening night. The crises are genuine: making enough money, holding a day job as a waiter, living in an apartment that is “quaint” rather than modern or luxurious, stay in New York or move somewhere less hectic where it might be easier to raise a family. All this and more occupy Jon’s mind and affect his relationships. Michael turns in his scripts for a management job, that comes with a BMW and a luxury apartment uptown. Michael’s revelation of his own health issues prophetically foreshadows Larson’s own untimely death. You see, Larson emerged from this period of angst and uncertainty and less than six years later produced the dynamic rock musical Rent only to die suddenly the day before the show’s off-Broadway opening – at the age of 35.

In Tick, Tick…BOOM! I noted with some concern that Jon also belittled Susan’s job as a dance teacher, saying something to the effect that she teaches ballet to rich and untalented children, yet she demonstrates admirable strength, maturity, and empathy. At Jon’s birthday party, she presents him with a gift – 1,000 pages of blank sheet music paper – that represents her faith in him, even as she moves on, going on tour with a dance company and taking a new job in the Berkshires. It is not clear if they ever tried to get back together.

There is so much going on in this show that runs just 90 minutes with no intermission – brief for a musical. It is a challenge for the talented cast as well as the creative team. Xavier enhanced the movement and Powell’s seamless direction with perhaps more choreography than prior versions may have called for, and Jarett’s lighting seemed to be part of the choreography. In some ways, it was a challenge for the audience as well, because this is someone’s life, not just a story and there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Yes, quite a departure from the same-old, same-old, and an interesting choice for the opening show of the Mill’s new season.

Oh, and what about that title? Life is truly stranger than fiction. Tick, Tick…BOOM! refers to the “twin ticking clocks of his potential and his friend’s life, both of which he feared might be about to run out.” How could Jon the character have known that just ten days before his 36^th birthday – tick, tick – Larson would suddenly die of a misdiagnosed aortic dissection – something more commonly found in men in their 60s or older. And 30/90? Turning 30 in 1990. BOOM!

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Julinda D. Lewis is a dancer, teacher, and writer who was born in Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Eastern Henrico County.

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TICK, TICK…BOOM!

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson

Script Consulting by David Auburn

Vocal Arrangements and Orchestrations by Stephen Oremus

CAST

Jon ………..……………….. Caleb Wade

Michael, et al. ………… Malcolm Holmes

Susan, et al. …….…….. Rachel Rose Gilmour or Mikaela Craft

ORCHESTRA

Keyboard/Conductor ….. Sandy Dacus or Travis West

Guitar     ……………….………. John White or Ed Drake

Bass     ……………………..…… Alex Kehayas

Drums     ………………………. Bentley Cobb

CREATIVE TEAM

Directed by Dr. Jan Powell

Musical Director  – Sandy Dacus

Scenic Designer – W. Reed West III

Lighting Designer – Michael Jarett

Choreographer – Kayla Xavier

Costume Designer – Maura Lynch Cravey

Technical Director – Liz Allmon

Run Time:

About 90 minutes without intermission

Tickets:

Regular $49. Discounts for Seniors, Military & Veterans

Photos: Louise Keeton