BWW Reviews: TICK, TICK...BOOM! at Ignite Theatre

Tick, Tick...Boom! is Jonathan Larson's autobiographical musical that centered on his period of struggle before becoming successful with the Broadway hit Rent. As this musical shows, the struggle of a poor artist trying to make it big in New York is often a seemingly impossible life. This is the struggle that all artists feel at one time or another, and it makes for a poignant message.

Keith Rabin Jr. leads the cast of three in this musical that focuses primarily on the story of Jonathan, his roommate, Michael (Rob Riney), and girlfriend, Susan (Lindsey Falduto). Michael and Susan also play a bevy of other characters that float in and out of Jonathan's narration. All three actors are so incredibly talented, vocally, and the moments where the three voices combined were stunning. While the cast blended superbly throughout the music of the show, it was clear that the director, or maybe just the script, wasn't sure how to better utilize the side characters. Riney and Falduto offered a much needed break in the self-indulgent monologue that is the basis of the show, and while Rabin does a good job with the solo material, the interaction with the other characters made the show more enjoyable. The actors can't be faulted for the one-man-show nature of the majority of the piece, but the pacing overall turned a one-act musical into just short of two hours full of one character complaining about being poor and not having a creative spark to make him write something worthwhile. The other two characters in the show constantly prod him to do something with his life, rather than stewing in his emotions, but apparently that angst and depression is what this artist needed to write a great musical (about being poor and angsty in New York).

The set and lighting for the show was adequate and supported the revue-like atmosphere of the show. The small band was great support for the vocal powerhouses on stage. Overall, the piece would have been much more effective as a musical revue, and cut out a lot of the repetitive monologue that held up the "plot" of the show. I applaud Ignite Theatre for doing a good job with a show that has very difficult subject matter. The script isn't flawless, but they brought a life and passion to the musical.

Tick, Tick...Boom! plays the Aurora Fox Studio Theater April 17-May 17 (9900 East Colfax Ave.) Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:30pm. Tickets are $28 Adult, $20 Student, $25 Group (6+) and are available online at www.ignitetheatre.com or by calling 866-811-4111.

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