In the early 1990s, struggling New York theater composer Jonathan Larson wrote and performed “tick, tick … BOOM!,” an anxiety-riddled rock monologue inspired by his failure to achieve artistic success before his 30th birthday.
After Larson’s death, his theater friends and playwright David Auburn turned “tick, tick” it into a three-character play with dialogue that premiered off Broadway in 2001. The show’s score has the earworm melodies, emotional lyrics, urgent tempi and charged guitar riffs we came to know in “Rent,” but as a 90-minute piece of theater it feels choppy and unfinished, with only Larson’s alter ego, “Jon,” fleshed out.
Emma Nossal is the cast’s vocal standout as both Susan, Jon’s burned-out dancer girlfriend, and Karessa, an aspiring actress. Frequently cast locally in musical comedy roles, it’s nice to see Nossal show her versatility in drama, and her solo “Come To Your Senses” is the best-sung number in the show.