TICK TICK BOOM!

 

Tick Tick Boom!. Music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson. Revised script by David Auburn.

Directed by Nikki Fitzgerald. Musical direction by Callum Tolhurst-Close. Choreography by Nathan Rutups. Stage Manager Lucy van Dooren. Costume design Fiona Leach. Lighting design Nikki Fitzgerald. Sound design Nathan Patrech, Lucy van Dooren. Set realisation Nikki Firtzgerald, Cole Hilder and Aaran McKenna. Production photography Jenelle McMenamin and Michael Moore. Presented by ACT HUB. December 11-21. Bookings at enquiries@acthub.com.au or phone 0402 809762 Box Office

 Reviewed by Peter Wilkins

Susan (Taylor Paglia), Jon (Alexander Unikowski) and Michael (Dave Collins)

 

I watch ACT HUB’s production of Jonathan Larson’s Tick Tick Boom! with a sense of loss and a feeling of admiration. The loss is because  of composer Larson’s  untimely death the day before the opening of what would be his highly acclaimed and successful rock opera Rent. The admiration is at Larson’s passion for his art and perseverance to achieve his dream. Tick Tick Boom! began as a rock monologue, a new genre that spoke for the artists struggling to succeed. Originally performed as a one person show by Larson in workshop,  Tick Tick Boom! was worked on by David Auburn to include three actors two of whom  play multiple characters throughout the show. Jon (Alexander Unikowski) is a young composer about to turn 30 in 1990 (30-90) He is working on an original rock opera, Superbia but facing a crisis of confidence. Jon is facing the questions that many aspiring artists confront as they strive to achieve their dream. It affects his relationship with his girlfriend Susan (Taylor Paliaga), his childhood friend and successful corporate employee Michael (Dave Collins) . 

 

Alexander Unikowski plays Jon

In Johnny Can’t Decide, Jon, Michael and Susan express the conflict that many aspiring professional artists face whether to continue to struggle or take the easy options of financial security, family and a steady relationship. Or does Jon settle for work in a restaurant (Sunday)? It is his attraction to one of his own and a singer in Superbia, Karessa (played by Paglia) and his contact with Michael’s corporate world that Jon resolves to continue with his workshop of Superbia, and accept his age. Tick Tick Boom! is a clarion call to all artists to live your dream. It helps of course if you manage to get the support of Stephen Sondheim!

 Director Nikki Fitzgerald’s production bears all the earmarks of an off-Broadway production. The staging is intimate at ACT HUB. The band members under the musical direction of  Callum Tolhurst-Close are visible at the back of the stage, where we can see a very effusive Tolhurst-Close enjoying the rock rhythms on his keyboard. Fitzgerald has blocked her actors well on the lower stage at the front and Nathan Rutup’s choreography is simply staged to suit the actor’s moments and inject a mischievous humour into their movements. Larson’s early work is an actor’s piece. As Jon, Unikowski is instantly likeable. His excitement and his frustration exude a boyish innocence. Unikowski is a triple talent. He sings, plays the piano and acts with skill and ebullience. Only his voice at times on the gentler rock numbers loses projection in the reprise of 30-90. Unikowski is perfectly cast to take on the role of Larson in this autobiographical work. Collins and Paglia take on all the other roles, deftly transitioning between characters. Collins is a natural comic. He fills the stage with charisma in such numbers as No More and Why and it is worth a visit to Tick Tick Boom just to see Collins and Unikowski defy conformity and expectation in No More. Collins also demonstrates his versatility and a poignancy at Michael’s admission of his illness.

Dave Collins plays Michael

 Jon’s workshop production is attended by his idol of the music theatre world. It is obvious that Larson was mentored by Sondheim and he has dedicated Sunday to Sondheim as an homage to the finale of Sunday in the Park With George. There are also references in Why and I am again reminded of what might have been. Everyman’s production of Tick Tick Boom! pays allegiance to the tradition of Off Broadway combined with the promise of a Broadway season. 

Larson never lived to see a revitalized Tick Tick Boom! or Rent achieve his dream and ACT Hub’s faithful and finely staged  production is a worthy tribute to  talented composer Jonathan Larson’s gift to the world of music theatre. Make a visit to Tick Tick Boom! a pre-Christmas treat.