Theater News

Rare Jonathan Larson Works Come to New York City Center

The ”Rent” composer’s autobiographical musical ”tick, tick… BOOM!” will be the next Encores! Off-Center production.

Rent composer Jonathan Larson's rarely performed works will be presented in a free concert on June 28.
Rent composer Jonathan Larson's rarely performed works will be presented in a free concert on June 28.

54 Below Meets 55 Above: Rare Jonathan Larson Works in Concert will join The Lobby Project — a list of scheduled pre-show events for this summer's Encores! Off-Center series. The free performance will be held in the Grand Tier Lobby at New York City Center before the June 28 performance of Larson's autobiographical musical tick, tick… BOOM!.

The event, curated by 54 Below Programming Director Jennifer Tepper, will feature rarely heard selections from the late composer's repertoire, which is most commonly associated with his Tony-winning score for the hit musical Rent. The lesser-known tunes will be sung by Broadway performers Nick Blaemire (Godspell), Joe Iconis (NBC's Smash), Anne L. Nathan (Once), Taylor Trensch (Matilda), and Alysha Umphress (Beaches).

tick, tick… BOOM! was first performed as a solo rock monologue by Larson in 1990. The story follows an aspiring writer who questions his life choices on the eve of his 30th birthday. The upcoming Encores! production will be directed by Oliver Butler, with choreography by Camille A. Brown and music direction by Chris Fenwick. The production is set to star Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights), Tony winner Karen Olivo (West Side Story), and Leslie Odom Jr. (NBC's Smash).

For more information about the Encores! production of tick, tick… BOOM!, click here.

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