From Sellout to Sold Out

Comments (0) By Mark Dragotta Thursday, May 6 2010

It’s reassuring to starving artists/waiters everywhere that the multiple Tony Award-winning creator of Rent, the late Jonathan Larson, was a decade-long waiter who seriously entertained the idea of giving up his art for a more conventional path. Larson’s pre-Rent doubts are showcased in the posthumously produced rock musical, Tick, Tick…BOOM!, which opens tonight at Boulder’s Dairy Center.

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Performed by Evolution Theatre Company, BOOM is Larson’s autobiographical meditation on the virtues of art versus convention. “From a historical standpoint, it’s interesting to see that Jonathan almost hung it up to pursue a different life,” notes producer Britta Laree. Focused on the days leading up to a young composer’s thirtieth birthday, the Jon character responds to pressures from his matrimony-minded girlfriend and his financially successful best friend while trying to write the great American musical. “As a stand-alone piece, the story speaks to almost everyone,” says Laree. “Who knows exactly what they want to do? Whose dreams are always practical? Is it such a terrible thing to explore a safer path? Is it really selling out?”

Tick, Tick…BOOM! opens tonight at 7:30 p.m. and runs through May 23 at the Dairy Center, 2590 Walnut Street in Boulder. Tickets are $25, $20 for students; for details, call 303-444-7328 or go to www.evolutiontheatredenver.com.
Fridays, Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., May 16, 2 p.m.; Sun., May 23, 2 p.m. Starts: May 7. Continues through May 22, 2010