Jonathan Larson’s existential angst-ologue “tick, tick BOOM!” is now playing at George Street Playhouse from now through May 19. If you, like me, had never seen it before it will surprise you how a show that is more than 30 years old captures so much of the world as it is today. Larson wrote this as he was looking down the barrel of being 30 years old and wondering where he was going and what he was doing and what should have been a quarter-life crisis seems all the more poignant knowing that his May had more December in it than he had thought. This look inside a brilliantly febrile brain is worth the price of your ticket AND whose ever you take with you. And take some with you, you should and you will.
We meet Jon (Daniel Marconi) in a meta space where he’s speaking to himself and us in a first/third person perspective. Here’s a genius talent in a youthful package who sees his lifelong best friend Michael (John Yi) soaring in the private sector after giving up on his dream of becoming an actor. Gifted though he is on stage and screen, Michael has gone into market research where his thespionic skills are highly sought after and extremely well compensated. It’s nice to live rather than wonder where rent and food will come from and Jon is both happy and a wee spot envious. Susan (Cathryn Wake) is Jon’s girlfriend and she’s a dancer who’s using her skills to educate over-privileged under-achieving wealthy children whose parents want them to learn “dance”. It’s post-modern positive mysticism at its finest as each of them struggles with their own dragons while trying to keep their love for one another alive. When balanced on the razor’s edge of 30, life looks exciting, abysmal and murky and this ragingly talented cast gives us all of that in full measure.
David Saint, GSP’s Artistic Director helms this production, fitting since he worked with Larson on the development of it. Travis George has designed a flexible set that suggests locales in the way a Japanese brush painting details an outline and suggests movement. Flexible set pieces limned by Ryan O’Gara’s lighting designs immerse us in Jon’s mindscape. Lisa Zinni’s costumes are period perfect for that era with a charming found-object old and new feel. Dan Moses Schreier’s sound designs transport and Christopher Rice-Thomson’s choreography have all the verve and charm of youth peeking through the veil to adulthood. Andrew David Sotomayor’s expert music direction is deft and sure and this holistic experience will spark your own memories of that time, if you have them, and your online research if you don’t. This is an on-your-feet look into a vast talent whose time with us was far too short. See this show with as many friends as you can gather. And then gather your friends close. Time is fleeting.
Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick…Boom! is only at GSP until May 19. Visit https://secure.georgestreetplayhouse.org/overview/tick-tick-boom today.