A Note from the Director
“How does one turn one’s own life into a work of art?”
—Jonathan Larson
An apt question by Jon, and a timely one, considering you are currently sitting in a seat at the Kennedy Center, perusing this lovely program, and likely wondering what’s about to transpire. Well, let me see if I can shed a spot of light. But first, real quick: is your cell phone on silent? Yes? Can you look one more time? I’ll wait. Okay, whew! So glad you checked! That would have been so distracting! Hi, I’m Neil and I’m the director of this production of tick, tick...BOOM!
Jonathan Larson’s brilliant, if truncated work has been an important part of my life for decades. In my early 20s, I found myself lost and questioning much of my personal and professional life, and became a massive fan of Larson’s Tony- and Pulitzer Prize–winning musical Rent. As fate would have it (plus a winning audition), in 1997 I was cast as Mark in the National Tour of Rent—it changed my life. Then in 2005, I was asked to perform in the London premiere of tick, tick...
BOOM! at the Menier Chocolate Factory as Jon—I was proper chuffed. Five years later, in 2010, my exploration of his landmark canon deepened yet again through directing RentinConcert at the Hollywood Bowl. And now, my journey comes full circle here at the Kennedy Center with this reimagined, expanded production of tick, tick...BOOM!
The piece was born as a solo work—a “rock monologue”—which Jonathan wrote and performed in several iterations throughout the early 1990s. After his tragically premature death, the solo piece was restructured and turned into a three-person musical that opened Off-Broadway in 2001. Our production broadens tick, tick...BOOM! once again, giving Jonathan’s iconic music and inspirational story an even more dynamic voice as we dive into his deeply complex and fascinating psyche. A love letter to both musical theater and to the creative process, the musical feels right at home here in the Broadway Center Stage series.
Jonathan’s incredible mind is what has always pulled me to the show. Existential questions ring in his head as he navigates life as a struggling—though extraordinary—artist. As his 30th birthday approaches, Jonathan moves towards his next decade with trepidation, questioning adulthood and dreading failure. Must he choose between creativity and commerce? “Can he make a mark if he gives up his spark?’ All around him, the rest of the world is stepping into a new decade, from 1989 into 1990, brimming with enthusiasm, excitement, and momentum. But Jon is torn. He’s in crisis. The deeper I dove into his journey, the more I connected with his struggle, and how universal it felt. Who isn’t afraid of compromise? Of being left behind? Of feeling forced to make choices with unforeseen consequences?
Jonathan Larson’s limited work still changed countless lives and posed important questions: Why do we play with fire? Which way to Never Never Land? Compromise or preserve? What more do you want? How do you measure a year in the life? I hope our new production of tick, tick...BOOM! inspires some self-reflection so that we all keep asking questions of ourselves, of each other, and of the world. Enjoy the show. Please no napping.
Neil Patrick Harris
