George Street Playhouse presents "tick, tick...BOOM!"

Published by New Jersey Stage
04/04/2024

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse has announced the complete cast and creative team for tick, tick...BOOM!, directed by Artistic Director David Saint (The Club) with a book, music, and lyrics by Tony® Award winner Jonathan Larson (Rent). Featuring a script consulted by Tony® Award winner David Auburn (Proof) and vocal and orchestral arrangements by Tony and Grammy® Award winner, Stephen Oremus (The Book of Mormon), performances run from April 23 through May 19, 2024. The cast includes Daniel Marconi (Sweeney Todd) as Jon, Cathryn Wake (53% Of) as Susan, and John Yi (KPOP) as Michael.

tick, tick...BOOM! is the captivating musical masterpiece by the late, great Jonathan Larson. Set in the bustling streets of New York City, tick, tick...BOOM! is an electrifying production that ignites the stage with raw emotion and unyielding passion.

Follow the journey of Jon (Daniel Marconi), a struggling composer on the brink of turning 30, as he wrestles with the haunting pressures of artistic ambition and the relentless ticking of time.

With an energetic and eclectic score that seamlessly blends rock, pop, and musical theater, tick, tick...BOOM! pulses with vibrant melodies and poignant lyrics. It's a celebration of the human spirit, a battle cry for anyone who has ever dared to chase their dreams, and a heartfelt tribute to Larson's own artistic journey.

The performance schedule for tick, tick...BOOM! is as follows: Wednesday – Saturday at 8:00pm; Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm. Exception: There will be no matinee performance on Thursday April 25. Tickets start at $25 and are are available for purchase online. George Street Playhouse will offer an English open captioned matinee performance and a Spanish open captioned evening performance on Saturday May 4. Patrons are also invited to attend an audio described matinee performance on Sunday May 12.

tick, tick…BOOM! features scenic design by Travis George (Hairspray), costume design by Lisa Zinni (The Club), lighting design by Ryan O’Gara (The Wiz), sound design by Tony Award nominee Dan Moses Schreier (Gypsy), music direction by Andrew David Sotomayor (Tootsie), and choreography by Chris Rice-Thomson (Pretty Woman). Samantha Flint (The Club) is the Stage Manager. Casting is by McCorkle Casting.

“Jonathan Larson was a close friend and a frequent collaborator of mine,” says David Saint. “We developed a few pieces together, including three iterations of this show. Each time with a different title, beginning with Boho Days, then 30/90, and finally tick, tick…BOOM! After his tragic and premature death, I have always missed him and am haunted by all the great work he might have gone on to create. In that spirit, I now look back on this friendship, one that I cherish deeply, and hope to honor his talent and legacy with this production.”

tick, tick...BOOM! was originally produced Off Broadway in June 2001 by Victoria Leacock, Robyn Goodman, Dede Harris, Lorie Cowen Levy, and Beth Smith.

Production design is sponsored by The Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation.

tick, tick...BOOM! is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also provided by MTI.

​​​​​​​Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint since 1997, George Street Playhouse produces groundbreaking new works, inspiring productions of the classics, and hit Broadway plays and musicals that speak to the heart and mind, with an unwavering commitment to producing new work. As New Brunswick’s first producing theatre, George Street Playhouse became the cornerstone of the revitalization of the City’s arts and cultural landscape. Entering its 50th season, the organization has a rich history of producing nationally renowned theatre. The Playhouse continues to fill a unique theatre and arts education role in the city, state and greater metropolitan region. Edgar Herrera was announced as Managing Director of George Street Playhouse on June 1, 2023.

Beginning with the 2019-20 Season, George Street Playhouse moved to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in downtown New Brunswick. Featuring two state-of-the-art theatres—The Arthur Laurents Theater with 253 seats and The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater which seats 465—and myriad amenities, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center marks a new era in the esteemed history of George Street Playhouse. Founded by Eric Krebs, George Street Playhouse, originally located in an abandoned supermarket on the corner of George and Albany Streets, was the first professional theatre in New Brunswick. In 1984, the Playhouse moved to a renovated YMCA on Livingston Avenue, and in 2017 took temporary residence in the former Agricultural Museum at Rutgers University during construction of its new home. The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway. In 2018, George Street Playhouse was represented on Broadway with Gettin’ the Band Back Together which premiered on the Playhouse mainstage in 2013. American Son, produced by George Street Playhouse in 2017, opened on Broadway in 2018 starring Kerry Washington and Stephen Pasquale, and was seen on Netflix. Other productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger. In 2015, It Shoulda Been You opened on Broadway and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies opened off-Broadway. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. Other productions include the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League Award-nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize-winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at the Playhouse during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays.

George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.