Though stories about the creators behind great musical content isn’t entirely original, it has the opportunity to be something so much more when it’s in the right creative hands and has a great cast behind it. As such, Lin-Manuel Miranda has the responsibility of making that happen as he helms “tick, tick… Boom!” a brand new musical adaptation of the same name created by the late Johnathan Larson, creator of “Rent.” The series stars Andrew Garfield as Larson, who, on the cusp of his 30th birthday navigates love, friendship, and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City.
I may not be overly familiar with the musical scene, but the real-life story itself is one of hope and tragedy, as Larson must overcome his struggles to write his musical while also living amidst an artistic community being ravaged by the AIDS epidemic. And the greatest tragedy of all is that Larson never got to see his Pultizer Prize and Tony Award-winning show on Broadway as he passed on the night of the first night of “Rent’s” preview.
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature directorial debut with tick, tick…BOOM!, an adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, who revolutionized theater as the creator of Rent. The film follows Jon (Academy Award nominee and Tony Award winner Andrew Garfield), a young theater composer who’s waiting tables at a New York City diner in 1990 while writing what he hopes will be the next great American musical. Days before he’s due to showcase his work in a make-or-break performance, Jon is feeling the pressure from everywhere: from his girlfriend Susan, who dreams of an artistic life beyond New York City; from his friend Michael, who has moved on from his dream to a life of financial security; amidst an artistic community being ravaged by the AIDS epidemic. With the clock ticking, Jon is at a crossroads and faces the question everyone must reckon with: What are we meant to do with the time we have?
Alexandra Shipp, Tony Award nominee Robin de Jesús, Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry, Emmy Award nominee Mj Rodriguez, Emmy Award winner Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter aka Black Thought of The Roots, with Emmy and Tony Award winner Judith Light, and Vanessa Hudgen also star.
“tick, tick… Boom!” is written by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson, and produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Entertainment, Julie Oh, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. It arrives in theaters on November 12, 2021, and hits Netflix on November 19, 2021.
