Student Blog: Tick, Tick… Boom! Jonathan Larson's Legacy

"The sound you are hearing is not a technical problem. It is not a musical cue. It is not a joke. It is the sound of one man's mounting anxiety. I... am that man." Jon's introduction in the musical Tick Tick Boom is certainly one that plays over and over in my head, as the clock never stops ticking away the older I get. That anxiety about time slipping away and the fear that we will be old and gray before we've accomplished anything great is all too common, and Jonathan Larson captures it so perfectly with such raw emotions in his show.

When I first heard the news that Larson's musical was going to be adapted into a film for Netflix, my heart skipped a beat and my love for Tick Tick Boom resurfaced in an overwhelming way. His other and much more popular musical Rent has been a long time favorite of mine, but there's something about the intimacy and relatability of his first show. Written as a semi-autobiographical musical and even using his own name for the main character, the show is really Larson's personal story about living as a starving artist in New York City. His anxieties about turning 30, and still having gained little to no recognition for his music, are at the forefront of every song and interaction. As Jon decides to stick it out and continue his music career, he gives up important things along the way such as marriage and having a family with his girlfriend, and living a life of luxury and riches like his best friend.

The fact that so many are unfamiliar with Larson's story is disappointing, as I find him to be one of the most inspirational people to ever have been born. His work reflected important issues of the time such as Aids, LGBTQ+ representation, addiction and more. He lived his life with a fierce love that showed so much in his music and shows, and will forever be carried through generations. He refused to give up on his dreams, even though the ticking sound was so prominent in the back of his mind, only getting louder and louder with age. On the morning of January 25th 1996, Jonathan Larson passed away unexpectedly before the very first preview of Rent. While extremely tragic, he still was able to accomplish his lifelong dream of writing the next great American musical, as well as gaining wide recognition for his music. The incredible amount of love and the feeling of never being alone translate from his shows to their audience with ease, in a way no other composer has done before.

In today's day and age, especially with a pandemic that only seemed to accelerate time, this impending doom of getting older is so real. When listening to Larson's music, it is clear he felt the same way living throughout the rise of the AIDs pandemic. His messages of "no day but today" and living life to the fullest extent because you never know what's coming, carry over today in a world that's totally unsure of what's coming next. Jon kept pushing through no matter how loud or prominent the ticking sound became, and took proper care of himself through therapy and surrounding himself with love. He never let anything hold him back, as he sings in the show: "Cages or wings, which do you prefer? Ask the birds".

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