Theatre Raleigh's Tick, Tick... BOOM! Is Positively Captivating!

Theatre Raleigh's April 10-21 production of Jonathan Larson's Tick, Tick... BOOM! stars (from left) Ian Fairlee as
Jon, Lawrence Dandridge as Michael, and Ellie Barone as Susan (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

Mark Twain is quoted as having advised would-be writers to "Write what you know," and Jonathan Larson seems to have taken him to heart with his semi-autobiographical Tick, Tick... BOOM!, which is a musical about "a composer and the sacrifices that he made to achieve his big break in theatre." Indeed, very early on, Jon (the protagonist) refers to a ticking sound effect as "the sound of one man's anxiety" -- an anxiety that Larson himself surely must have felt.

The combined efforts of director Amy Spanger, choreographer/assistant director Brian Shepard, and music director Cole P. Abod have produced a Theatre Raleigh show that can only be referred to as a masterpiece.

Larson has an expert command of language, and his turns of phrase coax out extra bits of comedy and/or meaning as Jon narrates his story. There is an unhurried comfort in the quick pacing of this story as it moves beat-to-beat and scene-to-scene with a flow that is smooth as silk.

Many of the situations evoke smiles and laughter, others lead to contemplation and understanding, and a few are guaranteed to draw tears. Much of this has to do with the fact that the characters that we meet are instantly real to us.

Lawrence Dandridge stars as Michael in Tick, Tick... BOOM! at Theatre Raleigh (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

The Play:

When the curtain rises, it's 1990; Jon's 30th birthday is fast approaching; and he is experiencing the overwhelming anxiety of an artist who considers himself to be an aging failure. He has supported himself by waiting tables at a restaurant while writing and composing what he hopes will be a new, breakthrough, definitive piece of musical theater.

Another source of anxiety is the upcoming workshop production of his new musical work-in-progress, Superbia. Will anyone be impressed? Will it earn praise from anyone other than family and friends? Will anyone be interested in producing it?

With these two milestones looming, Jon is certain that the clock is ticking ....

Side Note: Superbia is the name of an actual, unproduced musical with book, music, and lyrics by Larson on which he had worked for six years before abandoning it.

Michael has been Jon's best friend since elementary school. The two have been roommates, but Michael -- a one-time actor who has chosen the more lucrative career of marketing -- is "moving on up" to a better apartment in a higher-class neighborhood.

Susan is Jon's girlfriend of two years. She's a dancer, but she makes her living by teaching ballet to "wealthy and untalented children." Susan is thinking about moving away.

Tick, Tick... BOOM! is the slice of their lives that leads up to, and includes, both the workshop production and Jon's 30th birthday party.

Ellie Barone stars as Susan in Jonathan Larson's Tick, Tick... BOOM! at Theatre Raleigh (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

The Acting, Singing, and Dancing:

This trio is perfectly suited for working together.

The duets and company numbers, which include delicious harmonies, backing vocals, and counter-melodies, also feature what I refer to as "tag-team" lead vocals -- always expertly timed, flowing back and forth between the singers.

I am convinced: the voices of these three were meant to perform together.

Equally well-matched are the dance movements -- they are pure (excuse me while I invoke the over-used term) poetry-in-motion. As dancers, the actors complement each other well; execution is precise, and the movements that are synchronized are a joy to watch.

As actors, there is a tight chemistry among the three which totally makes their characters' relationships real.

Playing Jon, Ian Fairlee gets the audience "eating out of his hand" from the get-go. He captures and exudes the passion and anxiety, the love and the fear, that dominate his life and his relationships during this critical chapter of his life.

Lawrence Dandridge's Michael is just as easy to get to know and like. Michael's love of and support for Jon is the real kind that we would expect from their near-lifelong friendship, and Dandridge and Fairlee portray this connection well.

Ellie Barone shows the joys, as well as the misgivings, in Susan's life -- in her career as well as in her relationship with Jon. Also playing Karessa, an actor in Superbia, Barone shines as she belts out the solo number "Come to Your Senses."

And everyone will agree with Jon: Susan is beautiful in her "Green Green Dress."

Side Note: "Come to Your Senses" was one of the songs in the actual (unproduced) Superbia.

Showing their wide range and their expert comic skills, Dandridge and Barone double, triple, and quadruple as a plethora of minor characters, repeatedly evoking laughter from the audience. Most of these transformations are on-the-fly, making them all the more impressive.

The Tech:

The work of scenic designer Becca Fowler, sound designer Parker Gagnier, costume designer Kishara McKnight, property designer Tim Domack, lighting designer Kiahana Toomer, and stage manager Allison Hopfer ice this totally delectable cake.

Especially impressive is the judicious use of follow spots, the versatility of the set, and the choices of clothing for the characters.

Ian Fairlee (left) and Lawrence Dandridge star as Jon and Michael in Tick, Tick... BOOM! (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

Nice Touches:

• The occasional freeze-frame moments.
• Placing the orchestra on the second level of the stage and working dialogue from the musicians into the meeting at Michael's office.
• The park bench with the street light -- especially how and when it appears.
• The sequence in the diner (and the characters!).
• The reference to the "jaw-dropping 50 bucks" (the price of Broadway tickets in the 1990s).
• Michael's "three belts."
• Invoking the name "Sondheim."
• Jon's reference to "my wired babbling." (I had been searching for an appropriate term to describe the way he talked during certain sequences.)
• The birthday party.

Tick, Tick... BOOM! at Theatre Raleigh stars Ellie Barone as Susan and Ian Fairlee as Jon (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

Memorable Lines:

• "I'm still enjoying my pre-midlife crisis."
• "Vietnam! Maybe that's what I need!"
• "She warmed the roof."
• "... a car that allows you to adjust the temperature of your ass!"
• "... allows me to exit the building under my own power."
• "... like I'm 17, buying condoms for the first time."
• "Don't forget to write."

From the Department of Picky-Picky:

Nothing! (And I really did try!)

The Bottom Line:

Theatre Raleigh has another hands-down winner with Tick, Tick... BOOM!

Theatre Raleigh's April 10-21 presentation of Jonathan Larson's Tick, Tick... BOOM! stars (from left) Ellie Barone
as Susan, Lawrence Dandridge as Michael, and Ian Fairlee as Jon (photo by Jennifer Robertson Photography)

Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK... BOOM! (In Person at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 12-14 and 17-21), directed by artistic director Amy Spanger and chopreographed by assistant director Brian Shepard, with music director Cole P. Abod, and starring Ian Fairlee as Jon, Lawrence Dandridge as Michael, and Ellie Barone as Susan (Theatre Raleigh in the De Ann S. Jones Theatre at the Theatre Raleigh Arts Center at 6638 Old Wake Forest Rd. in Raleigh). PRESENTER/VENUE: https://theatreraleigh.com/, https://www.facebook.com/TheatreRaleigh, https://www.instagram.com/theatre_raleigh/, https://twitter.com/theatreraleigh, and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBrPHqUNhtfRMWQ2Ej8Fxeg. 2024 SEASON: https://theatreraleigh.com/2024-main-stage-season/. DIRECTIONS/PARKING: https://theatreraleigh.com/location-parking/. COVID REQUIREMENTS: https://theatreraleigh.com/covid-19-updates/. TICK, TICK... BOOM! (2001 Off-Broadway and 2009 West End musical): https://www.mtishows.com/tick-tick-boom, http://www.iobdb.com/Production/54, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8721424/, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tick,_Tick..._Boom!. JONATHAN LARSON (White Plains, NY-born copmposer, lyricist, and playwright, nee Jonathan David Larson, 1960-96): https://www.mtishows.com/people/jonathan-larson, https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/jonathan-larson-6927, http://www.iobdb.com/CreditableEntity/938, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1170227/, https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/theater-biographies/jonathan-larson, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Larson. TICKETS: $37.20-$50, plus taxes and fees. Click here to buy tickets. INFORMATION: 919-832-9997, info@theatreraleigh.com, or boxoffice@theatreraleigh.com. PLEASE DONATE TO: Theatre Raleigh. Susie Potter's Triangle Arts Review Review.

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