Come to your senses and come to BoHo’s ‘tick, tick…BOOM!’ before the clock runs out

The Company. Photo by Jenn Udoni (he/they), Franco Images Photography.

Since seeing BoHo Theatre’s fresh, funny, and impactful reimagining of Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick…BOOM!, I’ve been singing “Happy Birthday.”

Kicking around since 1991, pre-dating Larson’s zeitgeist-y RENT, it’s very much the autobiography of a struggling composer approaching his thirtieth birthday and unable to shake the feeling time was running out for him to live his Broadway dreams. Sadly, of course, time did run out for Larson. Playwright David Auburn subsequently bolstered the script into the licensable version available today, including Jonathan’s upwardly mobile best friend Michael and conflicted girlfriend Susan.

This production, headed by director Bo Frazier (they/them), features an all trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) cast, which makes the story and struggles surrounding identity even more tangible and urgent. Despite the very specific references to Nineties New York City, Frazier’s adaptation speaks to any metropolitan center and transcends time entirely to “normalize TGNC representation on stage and amplify trans joy,” as Frazier says. (Bek Lambrecht’s [they/them] grungy set certainly hits the nail on the head, as do Piper Kirchofer’s [she/her] lights.) 

The cast, three people in all, fill the stage with energy befitting a huge ensemble piece. Crystal Claros and Luke Halpern (both they/he/she), in addition to playing their primary characters (Michael and Susan, respectively), score big laughs flipping between such characters as the aloof agent, uppity brunch-goer, apathetic bodega owner, among many others. Alec Phan (he/they)., the Larson self-insert, and onstage for just about the whole show, never misses a beat and consistently matches his partner’s energy, whether that energy is heart-wrenchingly sad or heartwarmingly funny. Having a solid voice doesn’t hurt either. But, however strong they all are separately, nothing compares to the raw power that erupts when the three join together in harmony. 

Harper Caruso (she/they) leads a four-piece band that’s practically a character in its own right, interacting with the action from beginning to end. Such is their input that they leave a gaping hole when they vacate the stage. 

A combination of all these design and performance elements creates a seamlessly engaging story that earns every moment throughout the ninety-minute show. Juxtaposing the high energy and intermingling of characters is Jonathan’s final solo, where he is simply spotlighted on an empty stage while accompanying himself on keyboard. You would think this moment, devoid of spectacle, would be cause for disinterest, but instead it had the opposite effect. The audience was on the edge of their seats. Personally, I was in tears. 

tick, tick…BOOM! has garnered more of a household name with its recent Netflix film adaptation, but, honestly, if any reimagining should be a topic of conversation, it should be Frazier’s. BoHo Theatre’s tick, tick…BOOM! accomplishes all it sets out to do and more, staying ever-true to the company’s vision to “create a shared community of artists and patrons in which all members are moved through art to make thoughtful, well-examined, caring relationships the highest priority in their lives.”

This is a production you do not want to miss. Time is finite, after all.

tick, tick…BOOM runs through Sunday, February 5th at the Edge Theatre, 5451 N Broadway. For tickets or more information, please click here.

For more reviews on this or other shows, please visit theatreinchicago.com.