By Gary Wien
originally published: 04/01/2004
NEW BRUNSWICK, MARCH 20 -- Turning thirty was clearly the theme last night as the George Street Playhouse closed out its thirtieth anniversary season with the premiere of tick, tick... BOOM!. The musical by the late Jonathan Larson (creator of Rent) runs until April 11th and is another can't miss production from George Street. Unlike many musicals, tick, tick... BOOM! was created for the rock and roll crowd and whether you're in your twenties or have long passed the 30 mark - the show's message will hit close to home.
David Saint, the Artistic Director at George Street, directs the play. Saint, a friend of Larson's, directed the original incarnation of the play back when it was a one-man show called Boho Days. Before the performance, he told the audience that he had spent more time casting this play than any other he's worked on. Although tick, tick... BOOM! only has three in the cast, Saint sought out those who had the true "spirit" of Jonathan Larson. In doing so, he has succeeded beyond belief. By the end of the show, the audience truly feels as if they've know Jonathan for years - even if they have never met him.
Larson is best known as the creator of the hit Broadway play Rent, which received the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Rent also took home four 1996 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), six 1996 Drama Desk Awards (including Best Musical) and three 1996 Obie Awards. Tragically, Larson died of an aortic aneurysm on the night before the first preview of Rent and never saw the heights that play would reach.
Tick, tick... BOOM! tells the story of Jonathan Larson (played by Colin Hanlon) as a struggling artist in SOHO. It takes place in 1990 (six years before Rent) and Jonathan is on the verge of turning 30. The milestone becomes more significant because the world that revolves around him is changing rapidly. His girlfriend Susan (played by Sarah Litzsinger) is a dancer that wants to get married and move out of the city. His best friend Michael (played by Stephen Bienskie) was an aspiring actor who now works on Madison Avenue and makes lots of money. Meanwhile, Jonathan is still waiting tables and trying to write the musical that will set him free.
The casting in tick, tick... BOOM! is perfect. Colin Hanlon is riveting as Jonathan. Although the play is no longer a one-man production, much of the show depends on who is playing Larson and Hanlon is certainly up to the challenge. Hanlon was a member of the Broadway ensemble for Rent and it is clear that he feels a bond of sorts with Larson. He sings lead on all but a few of the songs and shows a wide range of emotions throughout the numbers. The signature song on the night for him is the tender "See Her Smile."
Sarah Litzsinger is wonderful as Jonathan's girlfriend, but it is through the bit parts as other characters that she helps steal the show. Among the various characters she portrays is a brilliant caricature of Jonathan's agent and a hilarious turn as the leader of a marketing group "brainstorming" session at Michael's office. Litzsinger also takes turns as the actress working on Jonathan's play Surburbia who becomes a bit of a love interest and Jonathan's mother. Litzsinger's voice adds balance to the songs that play off the love and difficulties between her and Jonathan. She gets to take center stage during "Come to Your Senses", a powerful song that shows off her talent well.
Stephen Bienskie plays Jonathan's best friend since the days of camp long ago. He too is going through with major changes in his life and Bienskie plays the role well. In addition to playing Michael, he too plays various characters throughout the show. Highlights include playing Jonathan's father, a wacky member of Michael's office involved in the brainstorming session, and his own take as Jonathan's agent! Bienskie takes the lead for "Real Life" - one of the most intense and powerful songs in the show.
The set design for tick, tick... BOOM! is minimalistic providing space for the actors to create various worlds (Jonathan's apartment, Michael's apartment, the diner, Michael's office, the theatre where Jonathan's play is being workshopped) quickly and efficiently. The one consistent theme throughout the set is the use of clocks to emphasis the ticking and loss of time Jonathan constantly feels.
The music throughout tick, tick... BOOM! ranges from introspective numbers like "Johnny Can't Decide", "Why", "Real Life" and "See Her Smile" to fun rock and roll romps like "Green Green Dress", "Sugar" and "No More". The show may lack that one number which stays in your head hours later, but it is the message of the show as a whole that will follow you home. The questions, the difficulties, the pain of losing touch with your dreams and simply moving on are well represented here. This may be the story of Jonathan Larson, but it's also the story of every artist that refuses to give on up his or her dreams. Highly recommended!
About the author:
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
Princeton’s Famous Triangle Show: Roswell That Ends Well
Friday, November 13, 2026 @ 8:00pm
McCarter Theatre Center (Matthews Theatre)
91 University Place, Princeton, NJIf you’re feeling all alone in the universe – or even if you’re not – Triangle’s newest musical comedy is for you! Join us as Triangle explores what it means to have friends in high – or should we say “sky”? – places. Extraterrestrial visitors, crazy conspiracy theories, and intergalactic shenanigans power this year’s annual laugh-fest of witty jokes, lavish production numbers, and, of course, Triangle’s famous kickline. Can interplanetary goodwill blossom in the dystopian desert of our current times? Get your Triangle tickets now and learn if
Roswell That Ends Well!
George Street Playhouse Presents Vicki Lawrence & Mama: A Two-woman Show
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
New Brunswick Performing Arts Center (NBPAC)
11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJWritten by and starring
Vicki Lawrence Two Performances Only
Vicki Lawrence, the legendary actress, comedian, and singer, brings her signature wit and charm to the stage in Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Best known for her iconic role as Thelma Harper, or "Mama," from The Carol Burnett Show and Mama’s Family, Lawrence delivers a hilarious and heartfelt performance that takes audiences on a journey through her extraordinary career. From her Emmy-winning years alongside Carol Burnett to her chart-topping hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” she shares behind-the-scenes stories, comedy, and music—all with her trademark humor. Whether reminiscing about her Hollywood adventures or embodying the feisty Mama, Lawrence proves that laughter is timeless.
Kean Department Of Theatre Presents "the Drowsy Chaperone"
Saturday, November 14, 2026 @ 2:00pm
Kean Stage - Bauer Boucher Theatre Center
1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJMusic and lyrics by
Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison
EVENT PREVIEWS
Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Christmas at the Playhouse 2026
(HAMPTON, NJ) -- Hunterdon Hills Playhouse presents Christmas at the Playhouse 2026 from November 10 to December 20, 2026. Celebrate the season with this spectacular holiday production filled with the music, memories, and traditions audiences have cherished through the years.
Ferrell Studios presents "Carrie, the Musical"
(PLAINFIELD, NJ) -- Ferrell Studios presents Carrie, the Musical at the Plainfield Performing Arts Center from November 12-15, 2026. Based on the classic novel by Stephen King, the musical poses the question: What happens when someone is pushed too far?
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(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company's Fringe Festival continues with Ghost Dance: Picture of a Madman, a captivating one-woman play written and performed by Erica Knight. Running November 12–15, 2026, in the Kutz Theatre at the Lackland Performing Arts Center on the campus of Centenary University. The production explores the turbulent life and legacy of Ralph Albert Blakelock, one of America's most celebrated yet tragically overlooked nineteenth-century painters.
Fool Moon Theatre Company presents "Love, Loss, And What I Wore" at The Eagle Theatre on November 12th
(HAMMONTON, NJ) -- Fool Moon Theatre Company presents a special, one-night-only presentation of the hit play Love, Loss and What I Wore on Thursday, November 12 2026 at Eagle Theatre. This exclusive event is a benefit for the Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing. Showtime is 7:30pm.
Middlesex College presents "She Kills Monsters"
(EDISON, NJ) -- Middlesex College Visual, Performing and Media Arts presents She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen from November 12-18, 2026 at the Performing Arts Center - Studio Theater in Edison. She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly.
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Theater League of Clifton presents "1776" in November
(WAYNE, NJ) -- Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of opinionated, stubborn and deeply divided delegates gathered in Philadelphia and somehow managed to create a new nation. This November, the Theater League of Clifton brings their story to the stage with 1776, the Tony Award-winning musical about the tumultuous days leading to the Declaration of Independence. Directed by Maren Sugarman, the production will be presented November 13–15, 2026, at the Wayne Community Center.
Lomotion Live presents "Etiquette" by David Lee White
(BOONTON, NJ) -- Lomotion Live presents Etiquette, a timely and biting comedy by playwright David Lee White, directed by Lauren Moran. The production will run November 13–15, 2026 at Lomotion Live at Parsippany Arts Center in Boonton.
NJ Rep presents Theatre Brut Short Play Festival 2026: "Through The Window"
(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- What happens when we look through a window? Do we see the world as it really is, the world as we wish it could be, or something we never expected? New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) invites audiences to discover the unexpected with NJ Rep presents Theatre Brut Short Play Festival 2026: "Through The Window" a festival of eight original short plays presented over two weekends, November 13–15 and November 20–22, 2026 at the West End Arts Center in Long Branch.
Bridge Players Theatre Company presents "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical"
(BURLINGTON, NJ) -- Bridge Players Theatre Company presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical weekends from November 13-28, 2026. In this musical adaptation of the funny and touching holiday classic, The Herdmans – widely known as the "worst kids in the history of the world" – crash Sunday School lured by the promise of free snacks and end up hijacking the annual church Christmas pageant!
