Review: TICK, TICK...BOOM! at The Black Box

The Barn Players' production of TICK, TICK. . .BOOM! opened Friday, September 8 at the Black Box Theatre inside the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center in Overland Park. Directed by Kipp Simmons, with vocal arrangements and orchestrations by Stephen Oremus the musical runs at the center through September 17. Delano Mendoza and Kevin Bogan provide musical direction for The Barn Players’ production.

Written by Jonathan Larson the play originally opened as a one-man show with Larson as the performer. After Larson's death in 1996, the show was revamped by David Auburn and turned into a three-actor production. The show opened Off-Broadway at the Jane Street Theatre in 2001. In 2002 TICK, TICK. . .BOOM! won an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical and the same year Raúl Esparza won an Obie Award for Distinguished Performance by an Actor.

I have been fortunate to review many wonderful shows produced by The Barn Players, unfortunately, this was not one of them. The show would have been better presented as a one-man performance piece, as Hewleek McKoy in the role of Jon and the Orchestra were the only outstanding elements of the show. The performances of Erin Pettijonohn as Susan, Scott Salem as Michael, Samantha Crook as Karessa, Kay Noonan as Rosa, and Rob Reeder as Jon’s Dad were mediocre at best. Reeder also designed the choreography which looked amateurish and like some of the dialogue by the supporting cast seemed forced.

This is McKoys’ fourth appearance at The Barn Players. He has an outstanding voice and shows his exceptional acting ability in this production of TICK, TICK. . .BOOM! He has been doing community theater in the area since 2015 and has previously performed at The Barn Players, Theatre in the Park, Faust Theatre, and The J. He graduated in 2019 from Emporia State with his BFA.

The band consisted of Kevin Bogan Conductor and Keyboard, Kevin Haney on guitar, Frank Annecchini on bass, and Blake Vignery on drums. TICK, TICK. . .BOOM! continues through September 17. Purchase tickets online at www.thebarnplayers.org.

Photos courtesy of The Barn Players

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