Fear or Love, Baby?

9 Works Theatrical presents Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick… BOOM!

tick, tick…BOOM!: A Must-Watch for All Artists and Creatives

If you’re a struggling artist or creative, odds are, you’ve found yourself asking this question: Will you pursue the passion that makes your life worth living? Or will you pursue a career that makes a living?

This is the story of our protagonist Jon in the musical tick, tick… BOOM! Jon is an aspiring composer who is about to turn thirty and is growing increasingly anxious about his future in theater. Pressure mounts when his girlfriend, Susan, hounds him about leaving New York to start a family and seek a more stable profession. Tensions also rise when his best friend Michael—an erstwhile actor-turned marketing executive—tries to convince him to join the fold.

Amidst it all, Jon hears a constant ticking–a reminder that he is getting older, with little to show.

“You're no longer the ingénue / Turn thirty, 1990 / Boom! You're passe!”
- 30/90 from tick, tick…BOOM!

Created by Jonathan Larson in the 90s, tick, tick…BOOM! brilliantly captures the internal war within every creative spirit: the struggle between going after one’s dreams and settling for a comfortable but joyless life. This story continues to ring true decades after its debut, largely because Larson harnessed his own life experiences, to bring the characters and songs to life. tick, tick…BOOM! began as a semi-autobiographical rock monologue about Larson’s hardships while trying to make a name for himself in the theater since the ‘80s. Sadly, Larson died the day before the preview performance of his masterpiece, Rent. He was 35.

“Can he make his mark, if he gives up his spark?”
- Johnny Can’t Decide from tick, tick…BOOM!

If you are a creative spirit, or if you have artist friends and family, bring them to RCBC Plaza any weekend this August to catch this era-defining musical!

In this restaging of the three-person musical, 9 Works Theatrical has assembled the perfect cast in theater veteran Jef Flores and Kapuso star Khalil Ramos (alternating as Jon), Miss Saigon alum Tanya Manalang and multimedia performer Kayla Rivera (alternating as Susan), and rising star Vien King and actor-creator Reb Atadero (alternating as Michael).

Back L-R: Kayla Rivera, Vien King, Reb Atadero, Tanya Manalang
Front L-R: Jef Flores, Khalil Ramos

tick, tick…BOOM! is directed by Robbie Guevara, with Daniel Bartolome as musical director, JM Cabling as choreographer, Mio Infante as scenographer, Shakira Villa-Symes as lighting designer, Bam Tiongson as Sound Designer, Myrene Santos as hair and makeup designer, Marlito Ambrocio as technical director, Ian Cartalaba as costume supervisor, and JV Rabano as photographer.

tick, tick…BOOM! will be showing all weekends of August 2023 at 3:00pm & 7:30pm on Saturdays & Sundays, at the CPR Auditorium, RCBC Plaza in Makati. Tickets are now available via ticket2me.net. Grab yours while you can!

tick, tick…BOOM! is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).