TICK TICK BOOM – Written by Jonathan Larson; Directed by Lexie Lazear. Jointly produced by Arts Hub and Shifted Lens Theatre Company (presented at Arts Hub, 420 Courtney Way, Lafayette) through August 30. Tickets available at 303-229-1127 or ArtsHub.org.
You’ve all seen the movie where the star of the show has some unexpected delay or accident, and the understudy or some person from the chorus steps up, takes on the role, and supplants the star. It didn’t quite happen that way in this show in Lafayette. But almost. On a whim, someone who had only performed in high school shows 15 years earlier decided he would audition with no expectations of actually winning a role. However, he proved himself to be an able singer and dancer and walked out with the role of Jon (the lead!) in this show. True to form, Christian Semmler raised the roof and will (hopefully) continue to perform.
The biography of this show is a story unto itself. It was written by Jonathan Larson after RENT, but before his groundbreaking work had made it to the stage. This work reflects the anguish of the struggling artist who is torn between his desire for stability and his passion for his art. His girlfriend offers a path to family and a quiet life; his friend has forsaken his career as a performer and settled for a financially secure but boring job. Jon is stuck in the middle with a show he knows is really good but seems to have no hope of making it to Broadway.
This production led by Lexie Lazear as director opted to use the Neil Patrick Harris 2024 version for the Kennedy Center as their model. They chose to add an ensemble of singer/dancers to provide a chorale background and dance accompaniment. This served them well by adding supportive depth to the musical arrangements. The “normal” production only calls for three actors – two of which play multiple roles. This new adaptation gave these breakout roles – Jon’s agent, one of the singers in the showcase of his new play, etc. – to ensemble members. Jon seemed to treat those additional dancers and sometime characters as the artistic community that is encouraging him to stay the course. A community that pushes him in their direction. Which makes the communal celebration of the quiet triumph and emerging hope of the final scenes all the more exciting for everyone.
Christian Semmler is someone to be reckoned with . . . if he chooses to continue to build on this initial success. He has an innate charm and an easy place on stage. In a role that requires him to be on stage for the entire 90-minute show, he pulled through with believability and raw talent. It’s hard to portray vulnerability and confidence at the same time, but Christian’s Jon did just that. This ability to show conflicting emotions makes his unexpected and quiet win at the end of the show all the more touching. Can’t wait to see what he does next. Or will this be “one and done”? One tiny suggestion – keep taking vocal lessons, Christian. You have more inside of you.
Jozeph Mykaels as his high school friend and former roommate enters into the musical conversation with the grace and familiarity of family. He wants only the best for his friend, a wish that creates conflict for him as well. What is the “best”? His confession to illness seems foreshadowing to Larson’s own ill health which was probably known to him by the time of creating these characters.
Jon’s green-garbed girlfriend also brought compassion and strength to the production. Loving Jon but knowing what she wanted out of life provided an obstacle to a continuation of their relationship. But Brekken Baker (what a great name!) who gave her character life also gave Susan compassion and a determination to keep a friend while she carved her own path. Brekken did all that.
In one of the “broken out of the ensemble” roles, Malea Kinnison gets the assignment of playing the lead in Jon’s workshop of his musical and completely selling the song “Come to Your Senses.” This is Jon’s emotional mirror, talking to himself through his lyrics. He has almost given up.
Many years ago, a musical called WHEN PIGS FLY was produced when a costume designer just for fun created a group of outlandish (really!! Outlandish!) costumes and then wrote songs to go with them. No thought to continuity or story line, just “Let’s wear these silly costumes and sing these silly songs.” In some ways (sans the outlandish costumes), Larson seems to have done this with some of his music. Almost as though he had written songs for RENT or other college gigs which didn’t make the cut for their original purpose. So, he maneuvered them into tick tick BOOM. A celebration of “Sugar”? A love song to a dress in “Green Green Dress.” Even the subtle homage to Sondheim in “Sunday” seems a little strained to fit the plot, but adorable to see staged.
The team at the Arts Hub provided an ample reason to check out their shows more often. The technical aspects of the show were on point in every way. Got a kick out of the “Sunday” t-shirt with a picture of Bernadette Peters in costume. Just one more way to honor the Master. A fine production with only one weekend left. Get to it, people!!
A WOW factor of 8.75!!