Tick, Tick… Boom: Off-Broadway Musical Takes On Anxieties of Millennials

If you are in your 20s and working long hours to impress your boss and get that promotion and recognition, but you still feel that you are getting nowhere, this musical is definitely something you can relate with. “Tick, Tick… Boom” is an off-Broadway one-act musical play written by Jonathan Larson, the same one who wrote the hit musical “Rent.”

According to Music Theater International, the show is an autobiographical musical which looks at how a struggling composer starts to “question his life choices” just as he was about to turn 30 and nothing to show for his hard work looking for his big break in musical theater.

The show has been successful with numerous productions off-Broadway, in London and an American National Tour since 2001. Larson finished it back in 1990 and he would perform it as a solo act as the lead character Jonathan. After his death in 1996, producers revamped the musical, adding two more roles in the play: Susan, the girlfriend and Michael, the best friend.  

“Tick, Tick… Boom” Comes To Manila

The show has arrived in Manila through the auspices of 9 Works Theatrical, the same production company that staged “Rent” in Manila. Actors Jef Flores (Jonathan or Jon), Tanya Manalang (Susan) and Ariel Reonal (Michael) play the lead characters, but since this is a three actor play, Tanya and Ariel also play other minor characters in the show. The Manila Bulletin describes their performance as “amazingly versatile” and “pull it off with much aplomb and ease.”

Anxieties of a Millennial

The theme of the show resonates very well with the audience, likely composed of millennials as well. And this is despite the fact that the story is set in the 90s. According to a review by the Manila Bulletin, it clearly depicted how tremendous pressure on being successful at such a young age can bring about “inner turmoil” that can be very real and can even stop you dead in your tracks. It also highlights an issue that may hit a nerve among millennials today – making a choice between a job that you love or a job that brings home the bacon but does not give you a sense of fulfillment in any way.

You can still catch the show at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, in Makati. It will still have runs on October 15 and 16 and on October 21, 22 and 23. For more information, check out the 9 Works Theatrical Facebook page.