By Phil Dzikiy
Gregory Fletcher had mixed feelings the first time he saw Jonathan Larson’s “tick, tick ... BOOM!”
Though the Niagara University theater director enjoyed the rock musical and the score was “absolutely gorgeous,” he found himself wishing there were more cast members.
“I thought, ‘Wow, it’s a shame to hear this with just three people,’ ” Fletcher said. “When I heard the score, I just thought, ‘It would be great to hear this song by an ensemble.’ ”
Fletcher has made this a possibility. The NU production of “tick, tick ... BOOM!” will feature 12 performers, as opposed to the normal cast of three.
“I came up with a concept to have 12 people do it, and the show is just gorgeous to listen to,” Fletcher said. “I wanted to hear this show done by an ensemble instead of how it’s usually done.”
The show was originally written by Larson as a one-person show, but it was redesigned as a three-person musical after the playwright’s death. Most productions of “tick, tick” feature three actors, two men and one woman, who play various roles. But the NU production will give those roles to additional cast members.
“It just made sense,” Fletcher said. “It’s just working out really well.”
Larson is most famous for writing “RENT,” and “tick, tick” is another rock musical from the playwright.
“It’s semi-autobiographical about Jonathan Larson’s life,” Fletcher said.
The play revolves around Jon, an aspiring theater composer who is torn between following his stage dreams and going after a more secure career. The play is set in 1990, but the past 20 years have done nothing to dilute its relevance.
“It’s relevant to everyone, especially to the students,” Larson said. “Do they follow their dreams or their passion, or do they go for the money jobs that their parents want them to get?”
The NU theatre department usually performs on musical each semester. Since the spring musical is a performance of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” Fletcher wanted to tackle a more modern musical during the fall.
“We’re doing ‘Anything Goes,” and that’s such an old-fashioned Americana musical,” Fletcher said. “I was just trying to think of something that was the opposite of that.”
The NU production of “tick, tick ... BOOM!” runs 95 minutes with no intermission, Fletcher said. Tickets can be purchased online at purple.niagara.edu/theatre.
Night & Day
THEATER: 'tick, tick ... BOOM!' set to explode at NU
- Night & Day
-
-
Former NFL coach Johnson tests mettle on ‘Survivor’
Sure, Jimmy Johnson has won football championships at both the collegiate and professional levels.
But how could a Super Bowl trophy compare to the title of “Survivor” champion? -
Take a bite out of 'Twilight'
Millions of (mostly) young girls will flock to theaters June 30 to see "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse." But what's the big deal? Let's find out.
-
Baseball tune worthy of hall
As of this summer, the list of people in the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will grow by one.
It will then total one.
But that one person is wholly deserving of the dual accolades. -
Local music impresses
I wasn't the first choice to be a judge in the Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands. But that didn't make the experience any less fun.
-
'Lost' and found
"Lost," perhaps more than any other show the one program to make you go "hmmm," is set to conclude its strange, impactful run this weekend.
-
Niagara Regional Theatre Guild sets sail with ‘Anything Goes’
When members of the Niagara Regional Theatre Guild were considering which show would end the group’s 2009-10 season, they decided to rewind the clock back to an old favorite ... “and now, God knows, ‘Anything Goes.’ ”
-
Bieber wows kids, but can his act mature with him?
Justin Bieber impresses teenagers, but can he keep their interest as they - and he - age?
-
NT native brings flygirl's story to life
A North Tonawanda native and his wife will return to the region to tell the tale of a forgotten part of The Greatest Generation.
-
TSO embarks upon holiday-free music tour
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra finally will get a chance to showcase its nonholiday fare during a spring tour.
-
A box full of fun
Thank goodness for Redbox, which might put an end to Blockbuster and its brethren once and for all.
- More Night & Day Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
