Jonathan Larson wrote and composed the rock musical Rent in 1996. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, Tony for Best Musical, and be one of the longest-running shows ever on Broadway (12 years). Larson died of an aneurysm the night before Rent opened Off-Broadway. tick, tick…Boom isn’t about Rent and doesn’t dwell on his gut-wrenching death but it’s a foreboding presence in the film as Larson throws himself into writing his first musical.
tick, tick…BOOM is a musical drama directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights) in his debut as a film director. In a nutshell, it’s a movie musical based on a stage musical about writing another musical, all under the shadow of the upcoming iconic musical. Yes, it sounds like an unfilmable mess. Surprisingly, it’s a fun, infectious and vibrant account of a young theater composer’s journey through love, friendships, and the stress of life in NYC.
Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man) plays Larson in a Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated performance. It’s been quite a year for Garfield as he also gained acclaim for his role as Jim Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye. It’s 1990 and he’s working at the Moondance diner while preparing for the workshop of his play Superbia; a sci-fi musical eight years in the making. He needs to come up with a new song for a critical moment in the play. Deadlines and his 30th birthday approach (his hero Stephen Sondheim had his theater debut at 27, thus the ticking time bomb.) While his friends are getting “real” jobs, Larson is mentally blocked and thinks he’s a failure. As a playwright, he’s “one of the last of my species.” His selfish, compulsive behavior strains relationships with girlfriend (Vanessa Hudgens, High School Musical) and best friend (Robin de Jesus, The Boys in the Band). He finally composes a good, fitting song and the workshop is well received, but no offers to produce Superbia.
It’s a musical so the singing performances better be good, and in this case, they are. The songs are funny, moving, and uplifting. Garfield turns out to be a capable singer and energetic dancer. Sondheim’s “Sunday” at the Moondance enlivened by Broadway legends embodies the joy of musicals. It’s Miranda’s love letter to Broadway. tick, tick…BOOM is a must-see for Broadway musical lovers and entertaining for the rest of us. It may also renew your interest in Rent. I just noticed that the 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour is coming to my town in April. I’m in luck.
D² Rating ◼◼◼☐☐
Trivia: Andrew Garfield made his feature-film debut in what 2007 film directed by Robert Redford and starring Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, and Redford?
Answer: Lions for Lambs