Starring: Andrew Garfield, Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, Joshua Henry, Judith Light, Vanessa Hudgens, Bradley Whitford, Richard Kind.
Distributor: Netflix
Runtime: 120 mins. Reviewed in Nov 2021
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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Musical theatre from the 1990s, a tribute to the life and music of Jonathan Larson who wrote the Broadway and cinema success, Rent. Lin Manuel Miranda directs the performance of Larson’s semi-autobiographical musical – tick, tick… Boom!
Sounds of tension then an explosion – tick, tick… Boom! This was the title of a semi-autobiographical musical with lyrics and score by Jonathan Larson. In fact, this film is a tribute to Larson and his contribution to American musical theatre.
Larson (1960-1995) is best known for writing the musical Rent which played on Broadway for 12 years and was made into a successful film. His autobiographical musical is set just before his 30th birthday, is wanting to achieve some fame quoting Stephen Sondheim having his first success at age 27, working on a musical, Superbia, while working in a diner and composing in a small apartment.
The framework of the film is a performance of his autobiography, Larson sitting at the piano, narrating, singing, accompanied by two other singers and some musicians. Larson is played by Andrew Garfield, a combination of genial friendship, frustrated genius, anxiety about growing older without success. Garfield also sings all his songs.
Which means then that this is a strong musical – and, it has been directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda after his success with Hamilton and In the Heights. And the narrative, and the performance of the songs, the recitations, are reminiscent of Miranda’s own musicals.
Larson is desperate to complete Superbia, his first major musical, for a special presentation in front of Broadway producers, hoping that it will be taken up. Within the performance, there are scenes of work at the diner, Larson and his friendship with Michael (de Jesus), a gay man, and as its 1990, the ever-presence of AIDS. There is also Larson’s relationship with his girlfriend, Susan (Shipp), needy for his support but hardly noticed because of his preoccupation with work. Then there is his agent who hasn’t contacted him for a year but who invites the producers for the presentation (Judith Light in another strong performance as she did in Ms White Light) and the glimpse of Sondheim himself (Whitford) sneaking into the presentation.
So, while the story is that of the eager and hopeful composer, the strain and stress of preparing for the presentation, and its impressive presentation – in the background there is the ticking of that clock. While Larson did not live to see the Boom that he hoped for, his music does live on.
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