"Tick, Tick... Boom!" is the sound of your next musical obsession.
Directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the upcoming film is the long-awaited adaptation of the
classic off-Broadway musical and tells the semi-autobiographical story of Jonathan Larson,
a young theater composer living in New York City in 1990.
There are some exciting details you need to know about this exciting new musical before
you check it out, from the creative talents involved to the true story behind the film.
Here's what you should know before you watch "Tick, Tick... Boom!"
Two Broadway icons collide in "Tick, Tick… Boom." The first is Jonathan Larson, the composer
behind "Tick, Tick... Boom!" Of course, Larson is best known for writing "Rent,"﻿ ﻿which
became an era-defining, Tony- and Pulitzer-winning smash after his death in 1996. His groundbreaking
musical about a diverse group of New York artists chasing their dreams opened Broadway
up to people and stories that had never been there before. It was also a huge influence
on Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda told the New York Times that he saw
"Rent" on his 17th birthday in 1997, and it inspired him to start writing one-act musicals.
How so? Because "Rent" meant Broadway had room for the different things -- both formally
and culturally -- that Miranda wanted to do. He was again inspired by Larson when he saw
"Tick, Tick... Boom!" during its initial off-Broadway run in 2001. Miranda, of course, went on to
create "In the Heights" and "Hamilton," which also changed what's possible on Broadway.
And like Larson, Miranda won the Tony for Best Musical with his Broadway debut.
Now, Miranda is making his feature directorial debut with the adaptation of "Tick, Tick...
Boom!"
Lin-Manuel Miranda and producers Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, and Julie Oh have assembled an
impressive cast for "Tick, Tick... Boom!" For proof, look no further than the lead character.
"Hello. Hi. Welcome. I'm Jonathan Larson." ﻿Jonathan Larson is played by Andrew Garfield,
the Oscar-nominated, Tony-winning star of films like "The Social Network," "The Amazing
Spider-Man" and the 2018 Broadway revival of "Angels in America." Ever the professional,
Garfield learned how to sing for the film, telling Stephen Colbert that the decision
to test his range "was kind of a shot in the dark."
﻿So how did Miranda learn about Garfield's secret skill? Well, the two ﻿were connected
by their mutual massage therapist, who told Miranda that Garfield had a beautiful singing
voice ... even though he had no idea if the actor could carry a tune. But after training
for a year, he certainly shows off a powerful singing voice in the movie.
The cast also includes Alexandra Shipp as Jonathan's girlfriend Susan, a dancer who's
considering taking a job in the Berkshires because she's tired of paying New York City
rent, as well as three-time Tony nominee Robin De Jesús as Jonathan's best friend, Michael.
De Jesús appeared in the Broadway production of "In the Heights," and also recently starred
in the Broadway revival and the film adaptation of "The Boys in the Band."
The supporting cast features musical superstar Vanessa Hudgens, Emmy-nominated "Pose" star
Mj Rodriguez, and Tariq Trotter of The Roots. Plus, Bradley Whitford appears as legendary
Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. The theme of "Tick, Tick... Boom!" is about
chasing your dreams and doing what you're meant to do with the limited time you have
in life. "You need to ask, are you letting yourself
be led by fear, or by love?" And it's a theme made extra poignant by the
tragic death of Jonathan Larson. He died suddenly at the age of 35 to undiagnosed Marfan syndrome
... on the morning of the first off-Broadway preview for "Rent." After years of hard work
and self doubt as he struggled to bring his vision to the world, he became the success
he'd always dreamed of being, but he didn't get to experience it.
But the man who wrote the song "No Day but Today" made the time he did have count, impacting
the lives of millions of people through his work -- even years after his death. And that
legacy continues with the upcoming movie. The film adaptation of "Tick, Tick... Boom!"
is coming out over 30 years after Larson pioneered it as a solo work, 25 years after his untimely
death, and 20 years after its off-Broadway premiere. ﻿As Jonathan's father, Allan Larson,
told Playbill in 2016: "We constantly get reminders that Jonathan
has influenced, not just Lin-Manuel, but a whole generation of theater people, creators
and the actors, and to me, that's a hell of a legacy."
It certainly is -- one that will be continued thanks to Miranda, Andrew Garfield and the
entire cast and crew of "Tick, Tick… Boom." Thanks for watching. Click the links in our
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