When fans of Broadway musicals hear the name Jonathan Larson, they usually think of Rent. The musical that continues to come back after being retired over and over again. But Larson’s own story, that he turned into a musical of its own tick, tick…BOOM! is arguably more interesting and one that doesn’t get the attention it should.
With the directorial debut of Lin Manuel Miranda, tick, tick…BOOM! is finally getting a film adaptation and one that fans are going to love. It’s the autobiographical monologue that Larson made before Rent, and had a lesser effect. You can see the base of his more popular title-building throughout the story and the topics drive the heart of the story.
tick, tick … BOOM! Follows Larson (played by Andrew Garfield) as he develops and brings to life his musical he’s worked on over 8 years. With his 30th birthday looming, he is looking for some proof that he’s made a difference in his life. In a coming of age story that brings to life the musical that put Larson on the map, his autobiographical monologue-driven performance. But it tackles a lot of things happening at the same time in the 90’s in New York, the way the city and life changed around him. From his friends getting sick and coming down with AIDs, struggling relationships and not making enough to pay the bills. While not every part of Larson’s life is something we can relate to, but that impending doom of aging and things changing is something absolutely relatable.
The movie is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut, and with it comes all of the parts of a musical that you would see on the stage. From singing, dancing, the city sets magically turn into sets for dance numbers. He injects a bit of Broadway magic into the film, one that is still missed by several fans who are unable to go see theater shows.
The songs will have you dancing in your seat, and Garfield’s performance is amazing. While you may not be able to go to see tick, tick… BOOM! on Broadway, the show will be streaming on Netflix and will quickly become one of those musical movies you put on again and again. With a show that brings you on an emotional journey, it is one that you’ll be glad to watch over, and will leave you wanting more.
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About tick, tick… BOOM!
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature directorial debut with tick, tick…BOOM!, an adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, who revolutionized theater as the creator of Rent. The film follows Jon (Academy Award nominee and Tony Award winner Andrew Garfield), a young theater composer who’s waiting tables at a New York City diner in 1990 while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical. Days before he’s due to showcase his work in a make-or-break performance, Jon is feeling the pressure from everywhere: from his girlfriend Susan, who dreams of an artistic life beyond New York City; from his friend Michael, who has moved on from his dream to a life of financial security; amidst an artistic community being ravaged by the AIDS epidemic. With the clock ticking, Jon is at a crossroads and faces the question everyone must reckon with: What are we meant to do with the time we have? tick, tick…BOOM! stars Academy Award nominee & Tony Award winner Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Tony Award nominee Robin de Jesús, Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry, Emmy nominee MJ Rodriguez, Emmy Award winner Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter, with Emmy and Tony Award winner Judith Light, and Vanessa Hudgens. The film is written by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson, and produced by Academy Award winners Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Entertainment, Julie Oh, and Lin-Manuel Miranda