
In the film it’s delivered as a duet between Karessa (Vanessa Hudgens) and Larson’s girlfriend Susan (Alexandra Shipp), offering a powerful alternative to the meaning behind its conception. Lin Manuel Miranda directs ‘Come to Your Senses’ with a different perspective this is the song we see Larson struggling to write throughout the musical, and it’s usually a female solo (one which has probably featured in most female audition folders). But the arrival of Bernadette Peters, (whom we see Larson watching in a recorded version of ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ earlier in the film), is goosebump-inducing, intensified by Larson conducting the ensemble of theatre stars to the song’s climax. Many Musical Theatre greats have cameo appearances, including Steven Schwartz, Jason Robert Brown, Matthew Sklar, Chad Beguelin and Jeanine Tesori a notably poignant scene is the performance of ‘Sunday’ where the Moondance Diner (where Larson worked as a waiter and which has been reconstructed especially for the film) is heaving with customers, with Brian Stokes Mitchell, Andre De Shields, Philippa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry amongst many. It’s peppered with moments that become influences for his work, including clever ‘Rent-sims’ such as the dodgy answering machine and ‘home video’ perspectives which reflects that of character Mark’s videography interest. The graft Larson experiences is akin to many in competitive industries, and the rejection he faces is delivered with a relatable sting. It spans the week impending the workshop for Larson’s musical ‘Superbia’ which has taken him 8-years to write. It’s a story about failure and resilience which is, actually, rather refreshing. It follows Larson, a struggling musical theatre writer, who hears a continuous ticking, triggered by his impending 30th birthday: ‘You get to a certain age and you stop being a writer who waits tables,’ he says, ‘and you become a waiter with a hobby’. ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ is a feature film of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical rock musical of the same title, directed by Hamilton’s founding father – Lin Manuel Miranda, and with actor Andrew Garfield at the helm. Although I knew I would be entertained whilst happily maintaining the company of Santa Claus for another hour or two, I hadn’t quite been prepared for the emotional bruising that ensued. To avoid ‘de-christmassing’ my festive grotto I fired up Netflix and, having already binged both seasons of Emily in Paris, I pressed play on Tick, Tick…Boom!, something that I had been meaning to watch since it was released on the streaming service on 12th November last year. Last Updated on 5th January 2022 Alexa Terry reviews Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick… Boom! now streaming on Netflix.
