Musical’s film version ‘ticks’ all the right boxes

By Mars Madison | For Manor Ink

You may know the famous musical “Rent,” loved by every musical theater fan and even adored by people who dislike the standard song-and-dance fare of Broadway. “Rent” is loved because it is totally different. When it opened on Broadway in 1996, it changed everyone’s view of what a musical could be. The writer, Jonathan Larson, combined classic musical show styles with rock music, a feat that had been done only a few times before.

What most people aren’t aware of is the fact that “Rent” was not Larson’s first musical. He had been working on several other projects that dealt with real world issues and called out people that didn’t want to be called out. No producer ever wanted to stage his work, because they either didn’t understand it or thought it was too “real.”

“tick, tick ... BOOM!” is an autobiographical musical that Jonathan Larson wrote before he sent “Rent” to Broadway. It describes his struggle to get his dystopian musical “Superbia” produced. It also illustrates his struggle to write everything he can possibly write because he feels like he’s running out of time.

I have been a fan of “tick, tick ... BOOM!” for several years now. The musical has only had a few short runs on stage and has never truly gotten the recognition and love it deserves. The music and lyrics are absolutely incredible, and I think the story line is very important, as well as the real life issues that are discussed in the show, such as the AIDS crisis.

The right performers

When I heard that “tick, tick ... BOOM!” was going to be made into a movie, I was thrilled to say the least. However, I am always hesitant to get my hopes up because often movie musicals do not do the original stage productions justice. The 2014 film version of “Into the Woods” was a travesty of Stephen Sondheim’s original show (maybe that’s a little harsh ... sorry, James Lapine and Rob Marshall).

When I heard that Lin Manuel Miranda was directing “tick, tick ... BOOM!”, I had my doubts. The movie was to be his directorial debut, and I wasn’t sure he was right for the job. He is a brilliant writer, composer and performer, but the world had never seen anything he’d directed.

But I got excited when I heard that Andrew Garfield was cast as the lead. Maybe I’m biased, but I think Garfield was truly the perfect choice for this musical. Not only does he bear a striking resemblance to Jonathan Larson, but I think his singing voice has a similar tone to that of the late writer as well.

Garfield has experience as a stage actor – he’s won a Tony award – which I think is essential. I cannot stress enough the importance of having true stage actors cast in movie musicals, and to its credit, “tick, tick ... BOOM!” has a cast made up of almost entirely of actors who have had successful careers on or off Broadway.

With roles played by Broadway alumni like Joshua Henry, Vanessa Hudgens, Robin de Jesus, and cameos by André De Shields, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Chita Rivera, Bernadette Peters and Laura Benanti, just to name a few, the cast is clearly star-studded. There’s even a scene that includes some original “Rent” cast members.

Beware going forward, because there will be major spoilers.

About aging and ambition

The movie opens with a selection called “30/90” – a song that has had the musical theater nerds of TikTok in an absolute choke hold for the last several weeks. It’s an upbeat, lighthearted song about turning 30 years old, even though “you still feel like you’re 22.” Larson always wrote about feeling pressured to be successful before turning 30, and the movie’s plot shows how obsessed he was with getting his big break before concluding his third decade.

The coolest thing about “tick, tick ... BOOM!” is the loud ticking sound that comes and goes throughout the entire movie. The sound of a clock seems to show up whenever Larson is stressed or upset. It’s a constant reminder of his limited time and all he has yet to accomplish. It’s vitally important to have the ticking sound, because it immerses the viewer in Larson’s mind. It creates a connection to what he is feeling and how this imaginary ticking sound intensifies those feelings.

The movie also details his struggle to balance his personal life with his work. One scene that stands out is done in voiceover as Larson is working at the Moondance Diner. He has just learned that one of his coworkers, Freddy, has unexpectedly gone to the hospital due to complications from AIDS, and Larson’s monologue feels like pure and frantic indecision. “I should go to the hospital,” he says. “When am I going to go to the hospital? I need to write. When am I going to write? I need to talk to Susan. I need to see Freddy. I should call Susan. Why can’t I write this song? How can you possibly be thinking about your show when your friend is in the hospital?” This scene in particular illustrates how Larson’s mind works. He is constantly thinking about one hundred different things at once, and the monologue helps the viewer understand that.

After Larson goes through several struggles, he receives some tragic news. His best friend, Michael, informs him that he is HIV positive. Larson suddenly must deal with the reality that he is going to lose his best friend, and the scene that follows is probably the best moment in the movie.

The writer is shown running down the street, everything else drowned out by his thoughts and the overbearing ticking sounds that increase in speed as the scene reaches its peak. He runs into a park and yells, “I want it all to stop” – and the scene goes silent. The power of the moment cannot be described – you just need to see it for yourself. Larson then sings “Why,” a song that will undoubtedly pull at heartstrings. I have watched this movie more times than I would care to admit, and I have cried every time. Garfield performed this song live for the movie, and his rendition is a perfect blend of emotion and beauty.

The thing that impresses me the most about “tick, tick ... BOOM!” is that Andrew Garfield literally learned to sing for this movie. He has performed on stage and in many films, but had never done a musical. He’s so good, one would never suspect that he is not a natural born singer. His vocals are on point, and his range is quite impressive for someone who is essentially a beginner.

Larson’s fate sadly ironic

There is, unfortunately, a depressing aspect to Jonathan Larson’s story, which is also portrayed in the movie. Larson died at the age of 35 due to a sudden aneurism. He passed away on the day “Rent” was to have its first off-Broadway preview. It’s incredibly upsetting that he never got to experience his success: “Rent” went on to win a Tony award, ultimately changing what it means to be a Broadway musical.

I have always wondered, “Did Jonathan Larson know he was going to die young?” It seems oddly prescient that he was so concerned with having enough time to write everything he needed to write. Even though he could not know about the condition that ultimately would cause his death, he was still worried about limited time.

This adaptation is the best movie musical I have seen to date, and believe me, I’ve watched plenty of movie musicals. I joked on first seeing the movie that Lin Manuel Miranda should be the only one allowed to ever direct movie musicals, but I’m not entirely joking anymore. I was absolutely blown away by the work of every single person in the film as well as behind the scenes. It has the perfect amount of whimsy, the right mix of ballads and up-tempo songs, and more than enough talent throughout the entire cast. I can not recommend this film enough, and a Netflix account is all that’s needed to enjoy it.

P.S.: Make sure you watch the end credits. Miranda included actual footage of Jonathan Larson performing “tick, tick ... BOOM!” on stage, and you can see how in the film he recreates some scenes almost exactly.

Mars Madison, former editor-in-chief of Manor Ink, is currently a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.