Tick, Tick... Boom! (2001 Original Off-Broadway Cast)

 (77 customer reviews)

Most people will first see this play, or listen to the CD, because its Jonathan Larson' work just prior to Rent. But after one listen, they will quickly realize that Tick Tick Boom stands on its own as an awesome work of musical theatre. Its a musical with a message - one that became all the more meaningful after this week's tragic events.
Larson wrote the music, book and lyrics. The work is largely autobiographical, and asks many typical "coming of age" type questions. But when his stage persona notes that his generation has never faced a depression, never had a war, little did he know how the events of 11 September would change that forever - truly this generation's wake-up call. Coincidental that this CD was released the same day.
One of the most amazing things about the show is how much music three singers and a stage band of four players can make. The sheer volume of sound; the diversty of styles; the range of emotions makes you think there are three times the...Read more

I fell in love with musical theatre because of the Rent cast album, which I bought several days after hearing it for the first time. I'm actually going to get to see Rent on November 3 of this year, so that will finally be fulfilled. So, naturally, I was looking forward to the next work by Jonathan Larson--I always regretted that there wasn't more of his work to have recordings of, or go see.So, when tick, tick...BOOM! was coming out, I naturally became excited. I heard the album and bought it a few days later...it was so easy to make that purchase. tick, tick...BOOM! is a lot shorter than Rent, in that the entire score is about 45 minutes long. There are 12 musical pieces here, performed by Raul Esparza (Jonathan Larson), Amy Spanger (Jon's girlfriend Susan), and Jerry Dixon (Jon's best friend Michael). When it is being fun or funny, tick, tick...BOOM! is beyond belief (the catchy "Green Green Dress," the Sondheim parody "Sunday," the Rent-ish "No...Read more

I have been listening to "Tick, Tick... Boom!" for three weeks every day on the subway (in Los Angeles) now and feel fully apt to comment on its quality for a prospective buyer.If you are a "Rent" fan, you'll find a lot to like. As a matter of fact, the songs "30/90", "No More" and "Boho Days" sound like they were written for "Rent". However, there is much more to discover on this CD than that. Jonathan Larson definitely died before his time, he was definitely the next heir apparent to Stephen Sondheim, who's work he modifies in a song called "Sunday" on this soundtrack. My favorite three tracks are the first three, "30/90", which describes life at a turning point, "Green Green Dress", which is the sexiest song I've ever heard in a musical, and "Johnny Can't Decide", which is so hauntingly beautiful it makes you cry even more after you've heard it 30 times than the first...Read more