Tick, Tick... Boom! tells the life story of composer Jonathan
Larson, who you may know as the creator of
Rent.
Set in 1990s New York, we follow Larson’s struggles as an artist trying
to “make it” in the musical theatre industry and get a glimpse of the
AIDS epidemic at the time. Larson’s anxiety that he isn’t doing enough
to help friends who are affected by the AIDS crisis, as well as his fear
that his own time is running out, is realised as a persistent ticking
sound he hears in his head.
Its themes — the sacrifices one makes to pursue one's dream and
'the ephemeral nature of being alive' — are just as relevant
today. And it begs us to reflect: what do we do with the time that we
have?
Originally performed as a rock monologue by Larson himself,
Tick, Tick... Boom! was recently adapted into a film starring
Andrew Garfield. The film adaptation also marks the directorial debut of
Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of
Hamilton
and
In The Heights).
