TICK, TICK...BOOM! Opens Tomorrow, Oct. 1; Meet the Cast

Co-written by Jude Cartalaba

Manila, Philippines--Originally conceived as a "rock monologue"and first produced Off-Off Broadway in 1990, Jonathan Larson's TICK, TICK...BOOM! plays the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium starting tomorrow, October 1, until Sunday, October 23.

Now a three-actor chamber musical, TICK, TICK...BOOM! is a semi-biographical musical by Larson whose Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock musical "Rent" made its Broadway debut six years later. "Rent" became a pop culture phenomenon, thanks to its pulsating rock score and emotionally charged story that really resonated with young audiences.

TICK, TICK...BOOM! introduces Jon, an aspiring musical composer who is about to hit 30 years old and is beginning to have doubts if he picked the right career. Jon's girlfriend, Susan, on the other hand, adds to Jon's confusion by hounding him to leave New York City to start a family and seek out a more stable career. What's more, Jon's best friend, Michael, a former aspiring actor who landed a high-paying job at a marketing research firm, enters into the equation.

Robbie Guevara directs the show and has this to say about his cast, "It has been a breeze working with these three actors. Their innate talents and actors' instincts make my vision for the show easy to apply."

In this 9 Works Theatrical production of TICK, TICK...BOOM!, Daniel Bartolome is the musical director; Elisanta Cortez is the vocal supervisor; Arnold Trinidad is choreographer; Mio Infante is scenographer; Mickey Hirai is costume designer and stylist; Myrene Santos is hair and makeup designer; Philleep Masaquel is the technical director, and Martin Esteva is lighting designer.

Meet the Cast

Jef Flores (Jon)

2015 Gawad Buhay Best Actor Jef Flores's musical theater debut was in Camp Rock (Repertory Philippines) followed by Cinderella (Resorts World Manila), Pinocchio (Repertory Philippines), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Resorts World Manila). In 2015, he starred in his first straight play, 4,000 Miles (Repertory Philippines), where he garnered his first Gawad Buhay nomination for Best Actor. Other stage credits include Snow White (Prince, Repertory Philippines), Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady (Bazooka Man, Dalanghita Productions), This Is Our Youth (Dennis, Red Turnip Theater), 3 Stars and a Sun (Winston, PETA), and Godspell (Jesus, MusicArtes). Outside of theater, Jef also starred in the television shows The Boston: Kitchen Musical and Single/Single.

Tanya Manalang (Susan)

Tanya Manalang is fresh from her two-year journey in London as Kim in Cameron Mackintosh's critically-acclaimed West End revival of Miss Saigon. Thrilled to be back home and performing in Philippine theater, she just recently finished playing Aileen in PETA's fifth season of Rak of Aegis. Other theater credits include performances in Resorts World Manila's The King and I (Tuptim), The Sound of Music (Liesl von Trapp), and Kaos. She also played Carla in the Atlantis Production of In the Heights. For Trumpets, Tanya was the original Lucy Pevensie in the first 1997 run of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and later returned to play Susan Pevensie.

Ariel Reonal (Michael)

Ariel Reonal just finished his two-year run as the Assistant Commissar in the West End revival of Miss Saigon; he's no stranger to Miss Saigon as he was part of the UK touring production in 2004. He also played Quasimodo at The Golden Mickeys at Hong Kong Disneyland. Other theater credits include American Idiot (Joshua/Favorite Son, 9 Works Theatrical), Disney's Aladdin (Jafar, Repertory Philippines), Fame The Musical (Nick Piazza, Repertory Philippines), Himala (Pilo, Tanghalang Pilipino), Dreamgirls (Marty, Atlantis), Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon Zealotes/cover for Jesus, Atlantis), and Blood Brothers (Sammy Johnstone, Repertory Philippines).

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

Photos: Erickson Dela Cruz

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