TICK, TICK… ENCORE!
LARSON’S TRUNK SONGS SHINE
If you’re a fan of potent post-Golden Age theatre music, you should check out a show that just officially opened downtown last night. There’s a lot to see, a lot to hear, and a lot to like when it comes to The Jonathan Larson Project—so head to the Orpheum Theatre, where you can feast on the lesser-known work of the writer of Rent and tick, tick… BOOM!. Yes, there’s more to draw from the well of the well-respected, well-honored, late Jonathan Larson, whose songs won many fans, as well as posthumously earning him both the Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize.
Lauren Marcus, Andy Mientus, Jason Tam, Taylor Iman Jones, Adam Chanler-Berat
Directed by John Simpkins, with music supervision and orchestrations by Charlie Rosen, co-arrangements by Rosen and Natalie Tenenbaum, music direction by Cynthia Meng, and choreography by Byron Easley, the eye-filling production features a set designed by Christine Jones, with moveable stairs and platforms, a ladder attached to one wall allowing for gym-worthy climbs and descents. Tables and chairs come and go, as does a piano (suitable for occasional sitting). Surrounding it all are screens of various sizes, projecting moving or still images of New York City streets, pictures of Mr. Larson, his colleagues, and more. This visual sideshow begins even before the action starts and remains a frequent element, but the performers are so commanding and magnetic that they aren’t upstaged by Alex Basco Koch‘s projections.
The cast
The angsty, cathartic, heartfelt songs are presented to great advantage in this kinetic and invigorating production, set in the East Village—the very neighborhood where Rent was born. The five fine, on-fire, on-target singers bring out the rage and the raucousness, the frustrations and the fierceness, the vulnerability and visceral attacks on hypocrisy. There’s sweetness and humor, too, in the well-balanced selections that showcase Larson’s remarkable versatility—especially considering he died suddenly of an aortic aneurysm at just 35. It was on Jan. 25, 1996, 10 days before his 36th birthday and the day before the musical’s first preview performance of Rent Off-Off-Broadway.
Taylor Iman Jones, Jason Tam
There’s not much chance to catch one’s breath as striking solo turns allow each performer to make an individual impression, while group numbers demonstrate their undeniable chemistry. The show dazzles with explosive singing, as the subject matter practically demands, but it’s not all rebellion and high-octane emotion; reflection and rejoicing play their part, too, and are handled with equal skill.
Andy Mientus, Adam Chanler-Berat, Lauren Marcus, Taylor Iman Jones, Jason Tam
Some of the buzz surrounding this polished production has given the impression that nearly all the material is being unveiled for the first time—a grand “reveal” of recently excavated treasures. But that’s not quite the case. In addition to a 2007 CD featuring Larson’s own demos (Jonathan Sings Larson), The Jonathan Larson Project was presented live at the nightclub 54 Below in 2018, followed by a recording of these hitherto under-the-radar wonders. Credit for both the 54 Below staging and this theatrical mounting goes to Jennifer Ashley Tepper, a wonderfully dedicated historian, author, and Larson devotee who directs programming there.
Lauren Marcus
Andy Mientus
Two of the original nightclub performers return for this 16-week Orpheum run: Lauren Marcus and Andy Mientus. Mientus is the most outwardly forceful of the men, though he reveals a sensitive side as well. Marcus is especially hilarious as a compulsive cleaner in “Hosing the Furniture” and shines in the show’s one extended sequence, playing a political candidate being coached to appeal to voters. The cast’s other female powerhouse, Taylor Iman Jones, is fearless and pure dynamite. Adam Chanler-Berat brings a slightly quirky and tender soulfulness, physically reminiscent of Larson himself. Jason Tam is instantly likable and consistently committed, whether extolling the virtues of “Casual Sex, Pizza and Beer” or lamenting life’s woes, with spot-on gestures that electrify the air.
Andy Mientus, Lauren Marcus, Taylor Iman Jones, Adam Chanler-Berat, Jason Tam
Among other highlights: the raw commentary of “White Male World,” the rollicking energy of “Break Out the Booze,” the haunting “S.O.S.” (from Larson’s planned musical adaptation of 1984), and the balm-like, near-closing number, “Love Heals.”
This is a thrilling and vital celebration of Jonathan Larson’s lesser-known work, delivered with unrelenting passion and undeniable talent.
Adam Chanler-Berat
photos by Joan Marcus
Andy Mientus, Lauren Marcus, Jason Tam, Taylor Iman Jones, Adam Chanler-Berat
The Jonathan Larson Project
Orpheum Theatre at 126 Second Avenue
ends on June 1, 2025
for tickets, visit TJLP
Jonathan Larson
