By Sandi Masori
SAN DIEGO — For all of us in our adult life, there comes a time in our life when we weigh our dreams against the practicality of paying the bills. This is exactly the theme of Tick Tick … Boom!, which is currently playing at Cygnet Theater.
The three-actor play is an autobiographical piece by composer Jonathan Larson, who was best known as the creator of the play Rent. The time is 1990 in New York City, and Jon (AJ Rafael) is just about to turn 30 and is preparing to present his new play Superbia in a workshop to theater notables, perhaps even including his idol Stephen Sondheim.
Jon frets about whether to continue to chase his dream, or to get a j-o-b like his friend and roommate Michael (Leo Ebanks), who now has a nice apartment that he’s about to move into, and a Mercedes. Adding to the pressure is Jon’s girlfriend Susan (Emma Nossal) who wants to move to Cape Cod and settle down.
I liked the play, found the story cute, and, overall, I enjoyed the performance. The theme itself is super-relatable, not only for those moving from their fun 20s into their serious 30s but for all of us who are at crossroads and evaluating or reevaluating our life’s choices.
The real Jonathan Larson was a Jew from White Plains, New York, who died of an aortic dissection the night before Rent opened Off Broadway. That play went on to become a major hit. In the movie version of Tick Tick … Boom!, directed by Lin Manuel Miranda, (which I haven’t seen yet,) the Yiddishkeit and Jewishness of the character and theme were punched up (at least according to Kveller and Hey Alma).
However, in the play there’s no specific mention of Jewishness. Minus Jewish angst and nuance, Rafael’s performance felt flat and lacking emotional range. To portray a Jewish character, Rafael may benefit from watching a Woody Allen movie or two.
Ebanks delivers a solid performance in his role of best friend Michael and others. Both Ebanks and Nossal play not only their main parts, but also several bit characters, like Jon’s father or his agent. The on-stage band (Dr. Randi Rudolph, Danny Chavarin, PJ Bovee, and Christian Reeves) deserves kudos for their performance, both for the music itself and also for their cameo parts in the play.
Scenic Designer Yi-Chien Lee once again builds an immersive and detailed set of the apartment interior, with a clever window that converts into a bodega storefront for one scene.
The staging makes use of the shape of the theater, which allows the actors to go out into the audience for some of their lines. That makes the performance feel more intimate and personal. Rafael’s breaking of the fourth wall to address the audience adds to this effect.
The show moves quickly and runs 105 minutes with no intermission. Tickets can be purchased for performances through August 4.
*
Sandi Masori is a theater and restaurant reviewer for San Diego Jewish World.
I read all of Sandi’s reviews and respect her honesty, enjoy her discussion of themes and how it’s seen through a Jewish lens. I thought the lead’s voice was outstanding and he did a good job. Even though I may not always agree with her reviews, they’re thoughtful and balanced. To call her a racist because she didn’t think someone’s acting was up to par is unfair.
Considering you were not familiar with this poignant & significant work; And did not know much about Jonathan Larson, according to what you posted on your socials, this review is disturbing to me. Annie is a “cute” show, whereas Tick…Tick…Boom is moving, touching and relevant. As a Jew, I am offended by your suggestion of Woody Allen as a role model for how a Jewish person should be portrayed. As a People, Jews have long been advocates for diversity & inclusion. As a gay man who is married to a gay Filipino Jewish actor, I couldn’t be more excited or proud that Cygnet chose to cast AJ Rafael in the role of Jon. AJ’s talent, charisma and vulnerability were perfectly aligned to what the creatives envisioned. As a patron of the arts, I am thrilled to see more people of color and diverse backgrounds in significant roles which reflect our society, and drive us to think about how anyone can relate to another’s struggles and triumphs. Your apparent vision of stereotyping roles is narrow minded and flat.
It’s very interesting that you didn’t feel like a Filipino actor played the role the way you wanted when you made a very similar comment about the Filipina actress playing who played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde a couple weeks ago. And went so far as to say you’d rather see her white understudy in the role. Like that’s a bit tone deaf to the world we are currently living in.
Woody Allen is a really weird… choice for suggestion. Really out of touch. I’m sure you were also upset at the lack of white people in Hamilton.
Woody Allen… really?
This review is a joke, you are obviously biased against AJ. Please do not mention Woody Allen either he is terribly controversial.
I personally feel like you’re attacking the Asian community by giving a lackluster review. I was there opening night as well, and I was blown away by everybody’s dedication to the play! You are a clown go back to playing with balloons!
Although written by Jonathan Larson, and knowing his story adds a layer of sadness and tragedy to the story, there is NOTHING in the script that indicates that the CHARACTER of Jon is Jewish at all. To play the role as a portrayal of the actual Jonathan Larson is certainly a choice, but the script never dictates that that is the only choice when interpreting this script. The role of Jon is a universal character confronting a pivot point in his life that most of us can relate to irregardless of our ethnic backgrounds. At Cygnet, we aim to create theatre that showcases actors of diverse backgrounds, talents and ethnicity to not only present stories in non traditional ways that allow us to see the world differently, but to also create job opportunities for actors of all backgrounds. AJ is a Philapino actor who brings his beautiful voice and talents to his portrayal. He certainly does not need to “study Woody Allen” movies to fulfill your absurd desire to see him play Jon in the stereotyped and possibly racist portrayal you would have preferred. Artists put their hearts and souls on the line when we work. If or when you don’t care for a performance, PLEASE remember we are vulnerable, some of us read what you write and you can be at least polite but at the least not be so very rude.
This review is quite biased and a bit racist. Just say you wanted to see a white man play Jon Larson. To call his work and one of his most vulnerable pieces of art “cute” without knowing the background is also quite insulting. I watched this opening night and it was incredible.
What an accurate and enjoyable review of this delightful musical. The songs were performed well and that kept the pace moving along nicely in light of there being no intermission.
This comment is giving generic auto fill. Did you read the review?