Cathryn Wake, left, Daniel Marconi, and John Yi in ‘Tick, Tick ... Boom’ at George Street Playhouse through May 19. Photo by T Charles Erickson.
The production of “Tick, Tick…Boom” at New Brunswick’s George Playhouse is director David Saint’s affectionate, lively, candid, and theatrically winning valentine to the show’s composer/librettist Jonathan Larson.
I don’t think you’ll ever see the show done better.
In an opening night curtain speech, Saint, at times welling up, spoke of how, during his close professional and friendly association with Larson, he was present at the birth of “Tick, Tick” and its previous iterations, “30/90” and “Boho Days,” listening to five years of angst while Larson molded it.
Saint was also by Larson’s side as he crafted his groundbreaking hit, “Rent.” As irony would have it, Saint was precluded from directing “Rent” when a necessarily quick mounting coincided with a job he had in Seattle. As one of Broadway’s great tragedies would have it, Larson, age 35 succumbed to an aortic aneurysm on the eve of “Rent’s” triumphant opening.
I never met Jonathan Larson, so I can’t tell how much of Saint’s vast knowledge of him informs the George Street production. (I bet plenty.) I do know that in the person of Daniel Marconi, Larson is portrayed with sly complexity, ineluctably boyish energy, optimism, and grit paired with nagging doubt, thoughts about giving up, and excruciating frustration. Joy and depth, hope and disappointment, self-absorption and a need to look beyond one’s self counterbalance each other in every scene. The snappy buoyancy of the production keeps a smile on your face and a rhythm you can count on as much as “Tick, Tick’s” main character, Jon, counts on his metronome, but it never occludes the sense that there’s a tragedy in the making, that the man you see exhibiting all of this wit, humanity, and creativity is doomed to perish just when he might be able to sit back a little and enjoy it.
“Tick, Tick … Boom” begins as a man who has worked hard, and competently, grapples with the fact he hasn’t achieved success or solvency as his 30th birthday approaches. Time’s measure becomes a factor in his thinking about himself, his ambitions, and the unyielding, abnegating diligence he has expended so far.
Larson, exploring his plight, comes up with songs and vignettes that show the variations his daily life take, not only as a composer but as a friend and a guy in a long relationship. The clarity of Saint’s production allows you to appreciate each element in each scene as a different way for Larson to show his talent.
Song styles of several kinds are heard. The professional and personal are mixed well in sketches. Marconi’s castmates at George Street frequently drop their core characters to play others on the fringes of Jon’s life.
The variety of the scenes and musical numbers act as a resume for Larson. They show the panoply of modes at which he is adept. In one scene, he’s both a satirist and a parodist, lampooning tony customers at a Manhattan Sunday brunch while borrowing some of the tune and tone of the song, “Sunday,” from Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George.” In another, he presages his musical stylings for “Rent” as Jon and his best friend, Michael (John Yi), sing about luxuries Michael, who has abandoned his show business dreams for a career in marketing, is about to acquire in “No More.” There’s an astute send-up of musical theater trends of the ’90s, the last decade in which Larson lived, in “Play Game.” There’s the fun of “Sugar,” triggered by Jon’s penchant for Hostess Twinkies. There’s also an example of a song Jon writes for a show, “Come to Your Senses.”
“Tick, Tick … Boom” not only impresses with the versatile range of Larson’s music. It thrills with the cleverness and intricacy of his lyrics, none of which resort to cheap rhyme or cookie-cutter sentiment so prevalent in 21st century musical theater.
Hearing the way Larson loops rhyme, weaves notes and chords, and expresses cogent and interesting ideas would alone make “Tick, Tick … Boom” worthwhile. Seeing the fun Saint, Marconi, Yi, and Cathryn Wake as pair of Jon’s love interests have with it makes it exciting to the point of being must-see.
Daniel Marconi is the sparkplug behind that.
He is one of the most natural performers I’ve ever seen, launching into songs and Christopher Rice-Thomson’s kicky choreography with no hesitation.
Marconi is well cast. As an individual, he looks to be on the brink of evolving from boyhood cuteness to his mature self.
I looked Marconi up on Google. Like the character he plays, he is 29 going to 30, albeit his landmark birthday is not until February 2025. Sure, it’s a coincidence, but as I said, Marconi comes across as a person in transition, a perfect state for playing Jon.
Marconi’s talent as a singer, dancer, and actor is prodigious. His performance has many facets, but all of them are presented seamlessly. Marconi exudes charm and juvenile likeability while being able to convey the confused man Jon is, in his career, in his friendship from childhood with Michael, and in its increasingly incompatible relationship with his girlfriend, Susan. His voice automatically settles into the right register and tone, so the “Sunday” parody, a rock tune, or a folkier song are sung with equal aplomb.
John Yi can only be described as unique. Watching him, I recalled the Nurse in “Romeo and Juliet” describing Count Paris as “a man of wax” and often thought of the words “runway model,” an impression reinforced by the sharp, tailored, idiosyncratic outfits in which costumer Lisa Zinni dresses Michael.
Yi looked as if he was sculpted from one piece. He’s all smoothness. That includes his appearance, walk, and approach to acting.
Yi can do anything. His singing is excellent. His dance steps are meticulous, he can nail a line, and he is hilarious when asked to abandon Michael to play Jon’s father or agent. Yet, he is the opposite of Marconi in theatrical execution. While Marconi supplely glides from one mode to another, Yi seems to present consciously. There’s always a sense he’s posing or studying himself as he gazes into the audience or pauses ever so slightly before taking a dance step. It all makes Yi as interesting to watch as an actor as it is to see him play his characters.
Cathryn Wake is another who goes with the flow. As both Jon’s love interest, Susan, and the actress in Jon’s workshop, Karessa, Wake complements Marconi beautifully. She endows both of her characters with individual traits, speaks up well for her individuality as Susan, and fits perfectly in all of her scenes.
Wake is also crackerjack as Jon’s often-neglectful and painfully frank agent.
Christopher Rice-Thomson’s lively, expressive dances enhance many a scene. Ryan O’Gara’s lighting, including different colors of neon in glass tubes, contributes to Saint’s fun. Travis George’s set seems to take a life of its own as pieces are moved around, a desk transforms to a car, and neon signs appear on the back wall to denote several settings. Lisa Zinni’s costumes are perfect for each character, even the Jeff cap she gives Jon’s father and kerchief she gives his agent.
Tick, Tick … Boom, George Street Playhouse, Arthur Laurents Theatre, New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Through Sunday, May 19. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. $25 to $70. www.georgestreetplayhouse.org or 732-246-7717.
