It’s 1990, Soho New York, the ‘Tick Tick…BOOM’ is the panic of one man, Jon (Jakob Semotan) who in one week will be thirty. A musician with ambitions – so
far unachieved, Jon, we know, is ‘autobiographical’. So perhaps the ‘tick tick-Boom!’ relates to Jonathan Larson- hit-composer of Rent – who tragically died (1996) of Marfan’s Syndrome. But rather it’s about the artist’s ‘compromise and perseverance’, the fear of ageing, and Jon’s hitting thirty.
So why was Vienna Volksoper’s production (Frederic Bühr) disappointing? (Perhaps Larson’s material- adapted from his original one-man-show to this (2001) three-person version- isn’t that strong. (No comparison yet to Stephen Sondheim, a mentor figure Larson so admired.) Certainly not the fault of the cast, Semotan’s Jon outstanding, compulsive even in the monologues, (in German, the songs mercifully in English), Semotan’s a magnificent tenor, opera-trained, Volksoper’s in-house. An accomplished performer, from Mozart’s comic Papageno to ‘Let us not Forget the World’s’ Nazi-persecuted director.
And Semotan’s co-players are outstanding. Susan his girl-friend, Sophia Gorgi, is dazzling, as in her other, multiple roles. Oliver Liebl impresses as Michael, Jon’s life-time friend, now advertising executive, and Jon’s flat-sharer.
Maybe the stage sets (Agnes Hasun) are uninspiring – the stage strewn with slogans- (at least they’re in English)- from ‘TASTE OF SUCCESS’ to ‘CASH 4 ART’. , signposting the themes. Center-stage there’s an American ‘diner’- more like a hot-dog stall, but also a vending section; and it’s on three floors with a top balcony. There’s a lounge with armchairs, and cubby-holes, compartments they disappear into.
Yes, it’s 1990, there’s a Ramones poster, but the music sounds dated, mainstream, core ‘musical’, which Larson derided. But Jon’s monologues, bewailing he’ll be ‘older than Napoleon’, are anything but boring. Semotan, black, curly hair tussled- short, well-built, in faded denim – sounds a bit like Bono, but with so much vocal power. Semotan’s a natural rock singer, with effortless enunciation (in English.) So why not the dialogue in English?
Jon meets Susan (Sophia Gorgi), high-German, posh, but who swears ‘F**k!’, as she steers her bright-red painted shopping trolley. Gorgi’s Susan is blonde, with a pony-tail, and whatever her operatic credentials, she’s a natural pop singer, reminiscent of Olivia Newton-John in a ‘Grease’ number. Against a boogie-woogie blues piano, she sings ‘Green, Green Dress’. They disappear into one of the cabins, like portable loos.
Their solid relationship is shaken by Jon’s crisis. ‘I feel bad that you feel bad about me not being able to share a feeling,’ they sing. In the ramshackle set, the bunk on the top-level, their bedroom, is their love-nest.
In the song ‘Johnny can’t decide’, Jon himself introduces the question of compromise, hanging in there, persevering. ‘Johnny wants to fight’ – can he make his mark, if he gives up?’ – is performed by Oliver Liebl’s Michael. He’s trying to persuade Jon to take a job in his advertising agency, against Jon’s life-style principles. He wants to be a musician!
Meanwhile Jon works part-time in a diner. It’s described as ‘the blue, silver and chrome diner’- but not in this make-do stage. Larson (program notes) worked weekends to keep afloat; instead of writing jingles, or working in a bar. ‘Now to work!’ He serves Susan, Gorgi in a glamorous hat, and Liebl, dressed like a tourist. (They eat like pigs, stuff themselves.)
‘In an ordinary Sunday in a small time cafe’…And I need that coffee: this runs for I hour 45 minutes, no break! Larson’s ‘Sunday’ is supposedly a parody on Sondheim’s ‘Sunday in the Park with George‘, about the artist’s (Seurat) search for balance. Whereas here Jon deals with his frustrations by working in a diner. The small combo- bandleader Christian Frank- guitar Felix Reischl, bass Marlene Lacherstorfer, and drums Mario Stubler- are back-stage, but we only occasionally glimpse them. Very professional players.
Susan, supposed to be a dancer, tries to persuade Jon to leave NY and join her in the country. She phones him- he, self-obsessed, with fears and hopes- and eventually leaves him, albeit temporarily. Only for Jon to realize what he’s lost (‘See her smile’). She later returns, glad to welcome him back.
Michael, in the triangular relationship, sings the powerful ‘Some Life, through the Window’, Liebl well sung. As Michael- in this ‘tick tick.. BOOM’ script, he’s the one with the incurable disease- Liebl is very convincing.
For ‘Is this Real Life, why seek ecstasy in other places.’ Michael’s now joined by Susan and Jon; developing into a trio with piano accompaniment, it’s compelling.
All the way through the show the tick tick thematic manifests; fateful, like a Grim Reaper. Jon is enticed by a sleek dancer in black leather, Gorgi in another role and costume change. (Is she a hooker?
The ‘SUGAR SUGAR’ number, to a Latin beat, might otherwise be forgettable. ‘Sugar…soothes my soul for half an hour.’ (O’Grady, the real-life Michael, tells of their love for sugar- ices, milk shakes.) But is it innocent, this ‘sugar-rush’?
He, Larson, “has written music for a new generation, exploding into forbidden territory, sexual diseases.” Larson has been billed as the forerunner for a new musical genre. However, in this tick tick,, Boom, these serious themes, only hinted at, are barely developed. Is this the fault of Voksoper’s director (Buhr). Or is this intended as light musical?
Semotan takes the stage as the one-man, stand-up performer, as ‘tick tick‘ was originally presented. ‘She’s leaving. What if nothing ever changes’, sings Semotan in Jon’s introspective. ‘Something’s breaking my baby’s heart.’ Powerful, emotional, he pleads, ‘Please stay!’ 9.20, 10.30, there’s a constant reminder of life ticking away. And memories resurfacing. ‘When I was nine, we sang ‘Yellow Bird’ over, and over,’ he and Michael. Now, what does thirty mean?
Real life and fiction collide in the musical. Larson celebrated his 30th Birthday in 1990. But Jon’s comment ‘Michael’s gonna have it all, his luck will never end’ turns sour. Michael receives a ‘positive’ diagnosis. (But O’Grady, Larson’s life-long friend, never got Aids, and survives Larson, according to Volksoper’s program.)
Susan’s back. There’s again mention of a ‘diagnosis.’ Why are we playing with fire? WHY, WHY? develops into the Finale, with Jon, Susan and Michael lined-up front-of-stage. Is this really the finale? Rather a damp squib; so much dramatic material undeveloped. The conventional curtain calls, ritual slow clapping. First-class combo, A-list cast, (Semotan, Gorgi, Liebl), but I was left wanting more. Vienna’s Press loved it, but for me, it didn’t quite ignite tonight. Some weaker material than expected, and (1990), musically rather dated, yet it’s still very relevant. © PR 17.9.24
Photos: Jakob Semotan (Jon), Sophia Gorgi (Susan), Oliver Liebl (Michael); Jakob Semotan, Oliver Liebl ; Jakob Semotan (Jon); Featured image Jakob Semotan © © Barbara Pállfy/ Volksoper Wien