Three actors, one stage and the question every artist asks themself when pursuing their passion: was this a mistake? This inner conflict is the thematic heart of the semi-autobiographical musical āTick, Tickā� Boom!ā� by the late Jonathan Larson.
Larsonās play delves into the real sacrifices he had to make to follow his dreams, the pressure to change career paths for economic security and ultimately, the realization that music is his life.
kAmā�%:4<[ %:4<]] q@@>Pā� :==F>:?2E6D E96 492==6?86D 2?5 F?46CE2:?E:6D E92E 2CE:DED 2?5 A6C7@C>6CD 7246[ 3FE :E 2=D@ 9:89=:89ED E96 C6D:=:6?46 E92E >2?J D9@H :? E96 92C56DE @7 E:>6D]k^Am
kAmāw6 5@6D?āE <?@H 96 :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 DF446DD7F=[ā� $4@EE $62>2? D2:5 23@FE 9:D 492C24E6C y@?[ @C y@9??J[ H9@ :D 32D65 @? {2CD@?] āp?5 E92EāD H96C6 2 =@E @7 2CE:DED =:G6 >@DE @7 E96:C =:G6D] p?5 x E9:?< E92E :EāD :?DA:C:?8 E@ 2== @7 FD] (92E6G6C DECF88=6D[ 2CE:DE:42==J[ AC@76DD:@?2==J @C A6CD@?2==J[ H6 42?āE D66 E96 A2J@77 J6E[ 3FE :7 H6 DE2J ECF6 E@ @FC G2=F6D 2?5 5C62>D[ DE2J ECF6 E@ H92EāD C62==J :>A@CE2?E[ 5F56 J@FāC6 8@:?8 E@ 86E E96C6]āk^Am
kAm$62>2?[ 2 u=28DE277 =@42=[ DEF5:65 G@42= A6C7@C>2?46 2E qC:892> *@F?8 &?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 92D 366? :? G2C:@FD D9@HD E9C@F89@FE 9:D 42C66C] #646?E=J 96 H2D :? 2 AC@5F4E:@? @7 ār2>6=@Eā� :? %F4D@?] $62>2? :D 2=D@ E96 5:C64E@C 2?5 >FD:4 5:C64E@C 7@C E9:D AC@5F4E:@?]k^Am
kAmw:D 76==@H 42DE>2E6D 7@C E9:D AC@5F4E:@? @7 ā�%:4<[ %:4<ā� q@@>Pā� 2C6 p=6I q6?2G:56K 2?5 $2C29 z6==6J]k^Am
kAmw2G:?8 C646?E=J C6EFC?65 E@ u=28DE277[ q6?2G:56K 92D 2=C625J A6C7@C>65 :? D6G6C2= =@42= A=2JD DF49 2D āw62E96CDā� 2?5 E96 AC@5F4E:@? @7 āvJADJ[ p u23=6 |FD:42=]ā� z6==6J 2=D@ 92D 2? 6IE6?D:G6 324<8C@F?5 :? A6C7@C>:?8 2CED 2?5 92D 366? 24E:G6 :? u=28DE277 D:?46 a_`_] %96 EC:@ 2C6 6I4:E65 E@ 3C:?8 E9:D AC@5F4E:@? @7 ā�%:4<[ %:4<ā� q@@>Pā� E@ =:76]k^Am
kAmā�(92E 5C2HD >6 E@ E9:D DE@CJ[ @FED:56 @7 E96 :?4C65:3=6 >FD:4[ :D E96 8C62E DE@CJE6==:?8[ā� D2:5 z6==6J H9@ H:== 36 A=2J:?8 E96 A2CE @7 $FD2? (:=D@?[ y@?2E92?āD 8:C=7C:6?5 2?5 7@C>6C 32==6E 52?46C EFC?65 E62496C] āxā�> C62==J 6I4:E65 E@ EC2?DA@CE E96 2F5:6?46 E@ }6H *@C< :? E96 h_D 2?5 C62==J 86E :?E@ E96 E9:?8D E92E A6@A=6 2E E92E E:>6 H6C6 562=:?8 H:E9 =:<6 E96 wx'^pxs$ 4C:D:D E92E H2D C62==J 7@C67C@?E 2E E96 E:>6]āk^Am
kAm$:>:=2C E@ {2CD@?āD >2DE6CA:646[ ā�#6?E[ā� E9:D A=2J 5@6D?āE D9J 2H2J 7C@> E96 wx'^pxs$ 6A:56>:4[ H9:49 HC62<65 92G@4 :? 4@>>F?:E:6D 2C@F?5 E96 8=@36 E9C@F89 E96 g_D 2?5 :?E@ E96 AC6D6?E]k^Am
kAmā�%:4<[ %:4<ā� q@@>Pā� 2=D@ =2:5 E96 7C2>6H@C< 7@C ā�#6?Eā� 2?5 82G6 2F5:6?46D E96 492?46 E@ A66< 369:?5 E96 4FCE2:? 2?5 =62C? >@C6 23@FE :ED 56G6=@A>6?E]k^Am
kAm&=E:>2E6=J[ 3@E9 A=2JD 255C6DD E96 @3DE24=6D 2?5 492==6?86D @7 36:?8 2? 2CE:DE :? E96 >@56C? H@C=5 3FE 92G6 G6CJ 5:776C6?E 7@4FD6D @? E96 4@DED @7 AFCDF:?8 E9@D6 5C62>D]k^Am
kAmāā�#6?Eā� :D @?6 @7 >J 72G@C:E6 D9@HD[ā� D2:5 q6?2G:56K[ H9@ A=2JD 2 G2C:6EJ @7 492C24E6CD :? E9:D AC@5F4E:@?] %96 >2:? C@=6 96 H:== 36 A=2J:?8 :D |:4926=[ y@?2E92?VD 36DE 7C:6?5[ H9@ BF:E 24E:?8 7@C 2 >@C6 =F4C2E:G6 42C66C :? 25G6CE:D:?8] ā�(@C<:?8 @? E9:D AC@5F4E:@? 92D C62==J 366? 2>2K:?8[ 2?5 x C62==J =@G6 9@H E96 DE@CJ 42AEFC6D E96 H2J {2CD@? EC2?D7@C>65 9:D @H? DE@CJ 2?5 766=:?8D :?E@ H92E H@F=5 =2E6C 364@>6 ā�#6?E]āāk^Am
kAm%96 G6?F6 E92E H2D 49@D6? 7@C E9:D AC@5F4E:@? 2=D@ 96=AD D6== E92E h_D 2FE96?E:4:EJ 2?5 G:36] %96 A=2J H:== 36 AFE @? DE286 2E E96 pDA6? #@@>[ H9:49[ H9:=6 DA24:@FD[ C62==J 6>A92D:K6D E96 32D6>6?E E962E6C 26DE96E:4D @7 }6H *@C< r:EJ] (:E9 @?=J E9C66 24E@CD 2?5 2 32?5[ E96 pDA6? #@@> C62==J 3C:?8D E@86E96C E92E 2:C @7 :?E:>24J 36EH66? E96 A6C7@C>6CD 2?5 E96 2F5:6?46] #@F?5:?8 @FE E96 h_D 6C2 D6EE:?8 :D E96 4@DEF>6D 2?5 D6E A:646D]k^Am
kAmā�(6 7@F?5 2 =@E @7 4@@= h_D DEF77 2E 2 E9C:7E DE@C6[ā� D2:5 $62>2?] ā�%96 h_D 2C6 :? G@8F6 282:?] x H2D 2 h_D <:5[ D@ :E H2D 2 3:E @7 2 EC:A 5@H? >6>@CJ =2?6 H:E9 E96 AC@AD 2?5 4@DEF>6D] xE 2=D@ 96=A65 >6 4@??64E H:E9 E96 492C24E6C xā�> A=2J:?8]āk^Am
kAm$62>2? H2D?āE E96 @?=J @?6 E@ 766= 2 A6CD@?2= 4@??64E:@? E@ 9:D 492C24E6C] q6?2G:56K D92C65 2 D:>:=2C 4@??64E:@? E@ 9:D 492C24E6C 3642FD6 @7 9:D 2CE:DE:4 324<8C@F?5]k^Am
kAm%@ E96 D2>6 6?5[ z6==6J D2:5[ āpD D@>6@?6 7C6D9=J :? E96:C b_D 2?5 :D G6CJ :?E6C6DE65 :? 2CEH@C<[ :E C62==J 4@??64E65 H:E9 >6 E92E E9:D A=2J :D 23@FE FD 2D 2CE:DED] ~?6 492C24E6C H2?ED E@ >@G6 2H2J 7C@> 2CE[ 2?@E96C H2?ED E@ 7F==J 6>3C246 :E 2?5 2?@E96C @?6 H2?ED E@ 4@>AC@>:D6 :? D@>6 H2J] p?5 H6āG6 2== 925 E9@D6 BF6DE:@?D H:E9:? @FCD6=G6D 8C@H:?8 :?E@ E96 A6@A=6 H6 2C6 E@52J]āk^Am
kAm%9:D AC@5F4E:@? @7 U=5BF@j%:4<[ %:4<U96==:Aj q@@>PUC5BF@j :D 36:?8 3C@F89E E@ E96 DE286 3J E96 $E2C82K6C r@==23@C2E:G6 %962EC6] %96 8C@FA H2D 7@F?565 :? a_ab 3J s6{2?@ w2JD[ s2?: z?:89E r@>>2?52[ 2?5 r2:E=:? qFC5 H:E9 E96 >:DD:@? @7 3C:?8:?8 2CE:DED 2?5 @C82?:K2E:@?D 7C@> 2== 2C@F?5 ?@CE96C? pC:K@?2 E@86E96C E@ AC@G:56 E96 4@>>F?:EJ H:E9 ?6H @FE=6ED 2?5 2G6?F6D 7@C 4C62E:G:EJ] %96 D9@HD H:== CF? 7C@> pF8FDE a E9C@F89 pF8FDE `_ 2E E96 pDA6? #@@> =@42E65 2E aaab t $64@?5 pG6] %:4<6ED 2C6 @? D2=6 ?@H E9C@F89 E96 $E2C82K6C H63D:E6[ DE2CE:?8 2E Sa_] %96 7F== D4965F=6 @7 D9@HE:>6D :D 2G2:=23=6 @? E96 E:4<6E A@CE2= @7 E96 $E2C82K6C H63D:E6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^DE2C82K6C4@==23@C2E:G6E962EC6]4@>QmDE2C82K6C4@==23@C2E:G6E962EC6]4@>k^2m]k^Am