Jonathan Larson's Tick, Tick...Boom! in the Archives

By Douglas Reside, Curator, Theatre Collection
November 22, 2021
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Leslie Odom Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Karen Olivo in the Encores! Off-Center Concert of Tick, Tick...Boom!

Leslie Odom Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Karen Olivo in the Encores! Off-Center Concert of Tick, Tick...Boom! (Photo © Joan Marcus)

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s musical Tick, Tick...Boom! premiered this month on Netflix and in select theatres. The musical is the autobiographical story of Larson himself, chronicling his struggles to break into the musical theatre industry. In early iterations, the musical was performed by Larson alone, accompanying himself on a piano. However, after Larson’s untimely death in 1996 and the global success of RENT, Tick, Tick...Boom! was expanded by playwright David Auburn and revived at the Jane Street Theatre in 2001.

The Larson papers, which chronicle the development of the piece, are preserved and freely accessible at the Library of Congress. Over the past few days, staff there have been blogging about the material in that collection, and a visit to the collection is certainly worth a trip to Washington D.C. for any scholar or fan of Larson’s work. At the Library for the Performing Arts, though, we have fascinating documentation of various productions of the show over the past 28 years.

Program and clippings file

Programs of four different productions of Tick, Tick...Boom!

Some of the most used collections in the Theatre Division are our files of programs, press releases, and news reports about theatre and the people who make it. The file for Tick, Tick...Boom! includes the program from the 1993 solo presentation at New York Theatre Workshop, two off-Broadway productions, and the London production (starring Neil Patrick Harris) at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

The Richard Kornberg Records

The Richard Kornberg and Associates Records, donated by the eponymous publicist who promoted both RENT and the off-Broadway premiere of Tick, Tick…Boom!, includes the press packages released to promote the show.

Original press release

Press release by Richard Kornberg for the 2001 production of Tick, Tick...Boom!

This press release takes every opportunity to connect the musical to RENT, mentioning the title three times in each of the major paragraphs, and making it clear that the musical is connected to the Broadway hit both by its creator and also by its subject matter (the musical “takes you on the playwright/composer’s journey that led to the Broadway blockbuster.”).

Press release for Korean production in three cities simultaneously

Press release for the South Korean production of Tick, Tick...Boom!

Soon after Tick, Tick...Boom! opened off-Broadway, it opened simultaneously in three theatres in South Korea. The press release notes the importance of the number three in the musical (three characters, the protagonist is turning 30) to celebrate the event.

Press release announcing Joey McIntyre

Photograph of Joey McIntyre and press release announcing his casting in the 2001 production.

On September 10, 2001, Playbill reported that Joey McIntyre would take over for Raul Esparza in the role of "Jonathan," as Esparza had recently been cast in the Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins. The tragic events of the following day stalled the plans for the Assassins revival, but McIntyre did step into the role in Tick, Tick...Boom! nonetheless. As Kornberg’s press release notes, this was McIntyre’s off-Broadway debut, though the 1995 movie version of The Fantasticks had recently been released on home video (after being held back for five years in the hope it would find a theatrical release).

Joan Marcus photographs

Famed photographer Joan Marcus documented both casts of the Jane Street production. The Library preserves the photographs selected by the publicity team in the Kornberg collection, as well as all of the photographs taken during the photo shoot in Marcus’s own papers. These photos are quick, relatively low-resolution digital scans of the slides in Kornberg’s papers.

Amy Spanger and Raul Esparza

Amy Spanger and Raul Esparza (Photograph © Joan Marcus)

Jerry Dixon, Amy Spanger, and Raul Esparza

Jerry Dixon, Amy Spanger, and Raul Esparza (Photograph © Joan Marcus)

Amy Spanger and Raul Esparza

Amy Spanger and Raul Esparza (Photograph © Joan Marcus)

Jerry Dixon, Amy Spanger, and Raul Esparza

Jerry Dixon, Amy Spanger, and Raul Esparza (Photograph © Joan Marcus)

2014 Encores! concert

Less than a year before Hamilton opened on Broadway, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., and Karen Olivio appeared in a concert version of the musical for Jeanine Tesori’s Encores! Off Center series. Joan Marcus photographed this production as well.

Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jonathan

Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jonathan © Joan Marcus

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karen Olivo in Tick, Tick...Boom!

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Karen Olivo sing "Green, Green Dress." © Joan Marcus

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. in Tick, Tick...Boom!

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. sing "No More" © Joan Marcus

Lin-Manuel Miranda poses on a table above Leslie Odom Jr. and Karen Olivo in the diner scene from Tick, Tick...Boom!

Lin-Manuel Miranda sings "Sunday" in the diner scene  © Joan Marcus

Leslie Odom Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda sing

Leslie Odom Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda sing "Real Life" © Joan Marcus

LIn Manuel Miranda raises a Twinkie in the air while Leslie Odom jr. looks at a cart of snacks in the background.

Leslie Odom Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda sing "Sugar" © Joan Marcus

Animations of photographs of of Tick, Tick...Boom!

Because the Library preserves all of the photographs of a shoot in addition to those actually selected for publication, it is sometimes possible to generate animations of a moment by stitching sets of photographs together into an animated gif. 

Animated image of Joey McIntyre and Natascia Diaz

Joey McIntyre and Natascia Diaz in the replacement cast for the 2001 off-Broadway premiere. (Made from photographs © Joan Marcus)

After Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared in a 2014 revival concert of Tick, Tick...Boom! at New York City Center, interest in the piece surged.  In 2016, New York’s Keen Theater Company produced the piece at off-Broadway’s Acorn Theater.  Photographer Carol Rosegg documented the production.  Here are animations of some of her photographs, featuring George Salazar as Michael, Ciara Renée as Susan, and Nick Blaemire as Jonathan.

Jonathan introduces his friends, including his girlfriend, Susan.

Jonathan introduces his friends, including his girlfriend, Susan. (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

Jonathan sings “30/90,” expressing his anxiety about turning 30

Jonathan sings “30/90,” expressing his anxiety about turning 30, as his friends, Susan and Michael, push him forward. (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

The cast sings “Johnny Can’t Decide” as Jonathan struggles to choose between following his artistic passions and settling for stability.

The cast sings “Johnny Can’t Decide” as Jonathan struggles to choose between following his artistic passions and settling for stability. (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

“Johnny Can’t Decide”

“Johnny Can’t Decide” (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

Jonathan sings a parody of “Sunday” from Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George as he works at a diner.

Jonathan sings a parody of “Sunday” from Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George as he works at a diner. (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

Michael tempts Jonathan with the pleasures of a lucrative career as he encourages him to say “No More” to the indignities of his Bohemian lifestyle.

Michael tempts Jonathan with the pleasures of a lucrative career as he encourages him to say “No More” to the indignities of his Bohemian lifestyle. (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

George Salazar also plays Jonathan’s father, who wishes him happy birthday in his weekly “call from White Plains.”

George Salazar also plays Jonathan’s father, who wishes him happy birthday in his weekly “call from White Plains." (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

Michael expresses his own desire for a more settled life with less business travel in the song “Real Life.” 

Michael expresses his own desire for a more settled life with less business travel in the song “Real Life.”  (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

At a convenience store, Jonathan and Karessa sing (with the store clerk) about the joys of “Sugar.”

At a convenience store, Jonathan meets an actor named Karessa who is working on his musical (“Superbia”). Jonathan is buying Twinkies, and the two sing (with the store clerk) about the joys of “Sugar.” (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

Karessa sings “Come to Your Senses”

Karessa sings “Come to Your Senses” in the workshop of Jonathan’s musical “Superbia” (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

“Come to Your Senses” 

“Come to Your Senses”  (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

“Come to Your Senses”

“Come to Your Senses”  (Photographs © Carol Rosegg)

The Theatre Division is pleased to celebrate and preserve the work of Jonathan Larson and all who labor to create theatre.