Hugh Sheridan Will Star in TICK, TICK...BOOM! at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre and Brisbane's QPAC in 2023

One of Australia's favourite performers of stage and screen, Hugh Sheridan, will star as Jonathan Larson in the much-loved rock musical.

tick, tick...BOOM!, the autobiographical musical by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer of Rent, Jonathan Larson, will take place at Melbourne's Comedy Theatre from 1 February 2023 before a limited season at QPAC's Playhouse in Brisbane.

Just prior to the opening night of Rent, its creator and composer Jonathan Larson tragically passed away before the first public performance. But, before Rent, Larson had created another musical tick, tick...BOOM! and just like his Tony Award-winning smash hit, it was another piece of genius left behind.

The year is 1990 and a promising young composer is grappling with a career as an artist, whilst staring down turning 30 in New York City. Whilst being torn between fear and love, he faces one of life's greatest questions... What do we do with the time we have?

As well as Hugh Sheridan, tick, tick...BOOM! will also feature Elenoa Rokobaro (Rent at the Sydney Opera House, Anyone Can Whistle, Well Behaved Women) as Susan, Finn Alexander (Urinetown, Assassins, Aspects of Love) as Michael plus Sheridan Adams (Cruel Intentions: The 90's Musical) and Andrew Coshan (A View From A Bridge, Hamlet).

tick, tick...BOOM! was developed into a film in 2021 by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Andrew Garfield as Larson, alongside Robin de Jesús, Alexandra Shipp, Joshua Henry, Judith Light and Vanessa Hudgens.

It was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute, and was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, and Best Picture at the 27th Critics' Choice Awards. For his performance, Garfield earned numerous awards, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Jonathan Larson was a much-loved American composer, lyricist and playwright most famous for writing the musicals Rent and tick, tick...BOOM!, which explored the social issues of multiculturalism, substance use disorder, and homophobia. After his unexpected passing at age 36, he received three posthumous Tony Awards and a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Rent.

Whilst in his final year at NIDA, Hugh Sheridan was cast as Ben Rafter in Australia's highest rating family drama Packed to the Rafters and continued in the role for five seasons. Following this he starred in the Seven Network telemovie Never Tear Us Apart, based on Australia's most successful band, INXS, in Opera Australia / ABC musical co-production The Divorce followed by recurring roles on Channel 9 series House Husbands and Ten hit series Five Bedrooms.

Theatrically Hugh's credits include, the sold out, one man show, Newley Discovered, at the 2009 Adelaide Cabaret Festival. He then took Newley to the Sydney Opera House and New York's Snapple. Hugh starred alongside Geoffrey Rush and Magda Szubanski in the Gordon Frost production, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and a national tour of Hair. After signing with Sony in 2010 Hugh released his first single Just Can't Throw Us Away which made an impressive #2 debut on the iTunes singles chart and was followed by his successful debut album Speak Love.

During his time on Packed to the Rafters Hugh received three Silver Logie Awards for Most Popular Actor, a 2013 Silver Logie Award nomination for Most Popular Actor, a 2011 Silver Logie nomination for Most Outstanding Actor, a Silver Logie Award for Most Popular New Male Talent and a Graham Kennedy Award nomination for Most Outstanding New Talent. Hugh's theatrical awards include a Green Room Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and a Sydney Theatre Award nomination for Best Cabaret Production for Newley Discovered.

Tick, tick...BOOM! first premiered Off-Broadway in 2001 and has toured extensively since including a US national tour, West End production, an Off-Broadway revival and numerous international productions.

Tick, tick...BOOM! is produced by impresario Adrian Storey from StoreyBoard Entertainment (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and directed by renowned director Tyran Parke (Chess the Musical, Barnum, Follies, Sunday in the Park with George) and with Musical Direction by Kohan van Sambeek (Cinderella, Aladdin, Wicked).

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