Directed by Andrea Grody '11, "Tick, Tick ... BOOM!" tells the story of Jon, a struggling musical composer. In the opening number, Jon (Jonathan Schwartz '10) is dreading his fast-approaching 30th birthday. We are introduced to his girlfriend, Susan (Liz Dengel '10) and his best friend, Michael (Billy Hepfinger '10). The script revolves around Jon's day-to-day life: struggling to get a new musical off the ground, fighting the temptation to "sell out" and find a reliable job like Michael's, and rejecting Susan's plea to move to Cape Cod and settle down.
As I watched a preview of this production, I realized you cannot get a stronger cast for a Princeton musical. All three actors give solid performances, with great voices and commanding presences.
Schwartz, in particular, shines. Not only is his voice beautiful, impeccable and versatile, Schwartz also creates a living, breathing character, making the viewer invested on his fate. Schwartz carries and steals the show.
Hepfinger and Dengel are also noteworthy as the supporting leads. In particular, Hepfinger's rendition of "Real Life" is gorgeous.
But while the cast is wonderful, the show itself is not. "Tick, Tick ... BOOM!" is, to put it simply, a bad version of "Rent." Both script and music are in need of rewrites. Yes, the musical is supposed to center on the mundane aspects of Jon's life, but why did Larson devote an entire song to Susan's green dress? Why do all the characters go temporarily insane and sing about how much they like sugar? Most of the songs are just poorly written, meaningless space-fillers.
The script is no better. Rather than illuminating the relationships between the three characters, it wanders aimlessly from scene to scene, leaving the audience feeling apathetic and skeptical.
Grody's direction and choreography (by Claire-Marine Sarner '10) need to be spruced up as well. The production didn't seem to have an overall vision, and staging was at times awkward and dull. For a number of songs, most of the singing consisted of a tried-and-true technique: Plant your feet forward and sing to the audience. At times, the show felt closer to a staged reading than a full production.
The choice to have the pit onstage in full view alongside the actors was confusing as well. It is easy for the audience to be distracted by the members of the pit, who are fidgeting, watching the actors or spacing out.
It is a shame, too, that the show is in the Frist Film and Performance Theatre. The limited lighting capacity, combined with the low budget for student-run groups, means that the set and lighting, done by Laura Huchel '10, are disappointing.
For its strong cast, "Tick, Tick ... BOOM!" is definitely worth seeing. All three actors are very talented and do their best to make this story come to life. For those of you who know "Rent," however, it may immediately become clear why you've probably never heard of this Larson musical.
"Tick, Tick...BOOM!"
Princeton University Players
Frist Film and Performance Theatre
10/2-4 8 p.m., with an additional matinee 10/4 at 2 p.m.
Tickets available in Frist
$8 student, $10 senior/faculty, $12 general admission
Student Events Eligible
3 out of 5 paws
Pros:
Strong cast, especially vocally
Cons:
Lousy script and music
Bland staging
Weak technical elements
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