Review: TICK, TICK...BOOM! Challenging Conventions

Manila, Philippines--Life is like an unwavering deadline and growing up is a ticking bomb.

At one-year-old, one must learn to say "mama"; at seven, go to school; at 15, have a first love; at 20, have a job, at 25, be stable enough so by the time one reaches 30, he or she is living a comfortable life.

Such is the narrative dictated by a society that breathes on structure, stability, speed, individuality, and the big city. But in the hype of it all, many are given up: passions, creativity, dreams, love--even life.

Jon, Michael, and Susan find themselves in this world.

In a semi-autobiographical piece by RENT mastermind Jonathan Larson, Tick, Tick... BOOM! narrates the life of an artist struggling between pursuing his dream of writing the "next big musical" on Broadway and succumbing to the societal conventions where money equals success.

Originally a rock monologue, which Larson wrote prior to RENT, the musical was picked up by producers and retooled by David Auburn into a three-actor piece after Larson's death in 1996.

Set in New York City in the 1990s, there was an initial worry whether the musical would relate to the Filipino audience of today.

But more than anything else, Tick, Tick... BOOM!, staged by 9 Works Theatrical, is a story of ambition, as well as a critique of how society has taught us to value the limited time we are given.

Powerful Ensemble of Actors

Jon (Jef Flores), a "small-time" composer who waits tables on the side, hopes to write a musical that would revolutionize the art altogether but is ultimately confronted by the industry's lack of interest for something different. A perfect example of a square peg in a round hole, Jon faces countless rejections that lead him to question his own dreams.

Flores, a Gawad Buhay Awardee for his performance in Red Turnip's This is Our Youth, fits the character almost as if it would be an injustice if he didn't play it. Awkward and laid back with an effortless rhythm for punchlines, he glides through the 90-minute musical without losing an ounce of energy. His gentle voice mirrors the uncertainty that his character confronts in almost every scene.

Ariel Reonal, a veteran of the much-acclaimed West End musical Miss Saigon, who plays Michael, on the other hand, radiates strength and smoothness from the minute he opens his mouth--and strategically so. Michael, who has given up his acting dreams for a corporate job, is the example of what it means to be "successful." Characterized as someone who works in a big firm, earning big bucks in the big city, with a fancy BMW, Michael represents the overarching critique of how one spends his life, having been diagnosed with HIV (then an unspeakable disease).

Tanya Manalang as the show's sole woman (alternating between Susan and Karessa) cuts through the three-part harmonies with such a grounded and brilliant tone that it would have been difficult not to take notice. Also fresh from her stint in Saigon as Kim, Manalang graces the stage with an air of humor and confidence, peaking so masterfully in "Come to Your Senses," which left the audience breathless.

Manalang's two personas take on opposite tracks: Susan chooses a quiet life away from the city to start a family, while Karessa stays to pursue her dream as an actress.

Seeing as the story follows Jon, breaking up with Susan and eventually developing a relationship with Karessa symbolizes his greater love for the craft more than anything else.

Transcending Time and Place

Though Tick, Tick... BOOM! may have been set almost three decades ago, in a city that sits an ocean away, there is no question the soul of the musical transcends most if not all time and cultural barriers--reaching, at least, the young generation of Filipinos.

There is something about Jon's mounting anxiety that starts from the very beginning of the show, like a pulse getting stronger with every song, as he is torn between pursuing his dream as an artist, or getting a stable, corporate job like Michael, or even going with Susan to start a family elsewhere. In a way, he loses his innocence and idealism--two things we value in our youth--as he is forced time and time again to give up his writing simply because the world revolves in a fast pace, indifferent about his aspirations in life, nothing too different from how present society functions.

What's even more intriguing about the musical is how intimate yet explorative it was in terms of set and staging, making use of merely three tables, four chairs, and a sofa set against a metal installation that swirled above center stage. The characters were the main elements of the show; a good thing, considering its very powerful cast.

Larson's Tick, Tick... BOOM! also boasts a raw, energetic rock score that complements the emotional context of the show in its balance of edginess and gentle moments.

A Need to Question

Ingrained in the personal struggles of these characters, the musical also asks a question to its audience: "Why do we need a catastrophe to start a revolution if we're so free?"

Two things to look into in this lyric: first is why we let ourselves be controlled too much by the conventions set by society, and second is whether we really are free in the first place. Though only mentioned by Jon in passing, the line embodies the entire motivation of the show. It seeks to challenge conventions--rules that society has come to accept as truth.

In essence, the staging itself tries to question the need for big production numbers and spectacles that are frequently used as a basis to judge the value of musical productions. While Tick, Tick... BOOM! made use of a small, intimate stage, it talks deeply not only about starving artists but of all people who are restrained from living out their full potential because of their inability to conform to society's notion of success.

If only for this, Tick, Tick... BOOM! would never lose its significance--no matter how much we restage it.

Tick, Tick... BOOM!, directed by Robbie Guevara, will run until Sunday, Oct. 23, at Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati City.

For tickets, call TicketWorld at (632) 891-9999 or visit TicketWorld.com.ph.

Photos: Jory Rivera

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