Before Jonathan Larson became the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer of the Broadway sensation Rent, he wrote a show called tick, tick… BOOM!. The semi-autobiographical story follows Larson struggling to establish himself in the theatre industry as the clock ticks down to his 30th birthday.
Larson’s story resonates deeply with Barrhaven local Noah Pacheco.
“tick, tick… BOOM! is a story about a humble singer-songwriter who feels like he’s running out of time, and is faced with a lot of indecision,” Pacheco said. “If you were to tell me that character description, I would tell you that character is myself.”
Pacheco is one of two actors playing Jonathan Larson in TotoToo Theatre’s production of tick, tick… BOOM! at the Gladstone Theatre. The show will be portrayed by two different three-person casts, cast “Tick” and cast “Boom,” in alternating performances from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4.
Working with separate casts allowed for “built-in understudies,” but presented some challenges, director Lisa James said.
“Both casts have their own dynamic and chemistry as a unit, and I didn’t want them feeling like they had to emulate one another,” she said. “Finding that balance was really hard.”
Cast “Tick” consists of Pacheco, Abigail White, and Morgan Coughlan, while cast “Boom” consists of James Maxwell Pettifer, Ainslie Moors, and Andrew Portolesi.
“It’s been very helpful to have another cast, because you can play off of them,” said Pettifer, who portrays Larson in cast “Boom.” “It’s fun to see your role being done completely differently by someone else.”
TotoToo is an Ottawa-based theatre company that produces shows with LGBTQ+ themes and content.
Cast “Tick,” Abigail White (left), Noah Pacheco (centre), and Morgan Coughlan (right) rehearse for tick, tick… BOOM! Photo: Lisa James.
“TotoToo strives to offer shows with content that might not be as accessible for other companies because of their mandates,” James said. “They try to find stories with queer content, and stories about their communities.”
tick, tick… BOOM! takes place during the AIDS epidemic, a time when Larson was losing several friends to the disease.
LGBTQ+ stories can “change people’s lives,” Pacheco said.
Moors, playing Larson’s girlfriend, Susan, said tick, tick… BOOM! in particular feels “grounded in reality.”
“This [show] wasn’t written for plot. This was written to reflect what real life is,” she said.
Moors said she hopes the audience can experience both the fun and silly aspects of the story as well as the heartache in the second half of the show.
“There’s definitely not just one note of emotion,” Pettifer added. “It’s a roller coaster on the emotional spectrum.”
James said she hopes the audience can walk away with courage and an appreciation for their loved ones.
“I hope people go home and hug their family and friends, and realize how precious life can be,” she said. “I hope we inspire people to be creative, and to persevere even when a dream seems impossible.”
Pacheco said he wants the audience to take in the inspirational message of the show.
“I love tick, tick… BOOM! because the message it portrays is that you should base your decisions off of love, and what you love to do, not what you’re afraid of,” he said. “It makes me wonder what the world would be like if we made our decisions based off of love.”
tick, tick… BOOM! is TotoToo’s first production since the COVID-19 pandemic. James said that getting patrons to return to live theatre post-pandemic has been difficult, but she remains hopeful.
“There’s a strong commitment to theatre-going,” she said. “There are often people storming the box office day-of, but people always show up.”
TotoToo Theatre’s tick, tick… BOOM! is playing at the Gladstone Theatre from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4. Tickets can be purchased here.
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