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Friday, September 15, 2023
Director Ready to Celebrate Jonathan Larson with CLO Cabaret's 'tick, tick ... BOOM!'
onstagepittsburgh.com: Martha Banta had stayed away from directing tick, tick … BOOM! until now.
“I just thought it might be strange for me to direct a play about my friend,” Banta said of the late composer Jonathan Larson.
She remained hesitant even a quarter century after his death.
5 comments:
Penny Preovolos
said...
I appreciate how open Banta is about the loss and how she dealt with it. I think it is really easy to stay away from that side of our thoughts and feelings in our work. Its easier not to dig into that whole and just ignore it. I completely understand why she was so nervous to be involved and direct the show. It's hard to deal with that loss everyday when it stares at you straight in the face everyday. That being said, I am really glad that they will be taking up the role as director for Tik-Tik…Boom because who else will be better equipped to lead a group of actors through someone's story than someone who has been there for several parts of it. I think the intimate relationship the director had with the character in the play will be reflected in the shows fun but also at times intimate story. I'm sure the show will be great and I can absolutely see myself going to see it when it opens this september
The Tik Tik Boom movie is one of my favorite movie musicals that has come out in recent years. It truly was fantastic, the soundtrack, the direction, the acting, everything was incredible. I have re-watched it a bunch, and my dad regularly listens to the soundtrack so I hear it a lot by proxy. I still think that Andrew Garfield should have won the Oscar for the film, and he did so much for the role, including learning to sing. I have not seen a live production of this show so it intrigues me how this show is put on, and I think this will be very interesting since it is one of Larson’s friends directing it. I am very excited for this production and I am sure it will be phenomenal. I will definitely try to find a time to go and see this show, especially since the CLO is so close by.
I really enjoyed reading this article, especially having tick tick boom as one of my favorite musicals. The soundtrack and the storyline was so memorable, and I will never be tired watching that show over and over again. I really appreciated Banta opening up and sharing her feelings about directing this show, but after knowing about lin revamping the show, she was willing to direct the show, and I feel like that’s a really nice mentality to have. Especially after, how it helped her walk out of that dark spot. I think the same mentality also applies to us, where if we keep avoiding, we can’t appreciate the event, and we’ll just keep living in the darkness. If we face these traumatic and dark events onwards, then we can walk out, and be in a happier place. I know it was really hard for Banta to discuss this, and share her thoughts and ideas, but after reading them, I feel like there was something else, something deeper that prevented her from directing the show.
From this article, I definitely want to see Tick Tick Boom this fall. I have seen both the movie version as well as a local production at Monumental Theatre Company in DC and really enjoy the intimacy and minimalistic energy of the show. One thing that makes me really excited about this production is the location at the Greer Cabaret. I saw a production by CLO at the Benedum over orientation week, and while beautiful, I do not believe the Benedum could convey the raw and intimate emotions on display in Tick Tick Boom. This quote from the article made me very excited, “Revamped, the Greer is more in the style of a New York nightclub, featuring a video wall that will be in use for this production.” The video wall seems like a cool edition for a show so prevalently focused on memory. I recognize Martha Banta’s previous apprehension to put on this show, but I’m very excited to see the work that emerges.
It was so interesting reading this article, and it definitely makes me eager to attempt to see the show this fall. I watched the movie adaptation of Tick, Tick, BOOM! with Andrew Garfield, and felt it was incredibly compelling. Both Garfield’s performance of Larson, but also the composition of the film itself, drifting between his songs, were very well done, and definitely has made me more interested in Larson, and the Tick, Tick, BOOM! stage production. It must’ve been crazy for Martha Banta seeing both Larson’s increasing fame, but also this adaptation of his life as a friend of his. I had previously heard of the recreation of his apartment, and so reading her describe the similarities was fascinating. To recreate someones home exactly is so difficult and such a deep process, I’m very impressed by the Production Designer. It would be such an amazing challenge to attempt to do work like that. I was also interested to read about who they cast to play Jon, and that he is also a composer. That definitely must affect his performance, and I’d be interested to hear more about his process of getting into character. Overall extremely exciting they’re bringing Tick, Tick, BOOM! back to the stage, and I hope I get a chance to see it done.
5 comments:
I appreciate how open Banta is about the loss and how she dealt with it. I think it is really easy to stay away from that side of our thoughts and feelings in our work. Its easier not to dig into that whole and just ignore it. I completely understand why she was so nervous to be involved and direct the show. It's hard to deal with that loss everyday when it stares at you straight in the face everyday. That being said, I am really glad that they will be taking up the role as director for Tik-Tik…Boom because who else will be better equipped to lead a group of actors through someone's story than someone who has been there for several parts of it. I think the intimate relationship the director had with the character in the play will be reflected in the shows fun but also at times intimate story. I'm sure the show will be great and I can absolutely see myself going to see it when it opens this september
The Tik Tik Boom movie is one of my favorite movie musicals that has come out in recent years. It truly was fantastic, the soundtrack, the direction, the acting, everything was incredible. I have re-watched it a bunch, and my dad regularly listens to the soundtrack so I hear it a lot by proxy. I still think that Andrew Garfield should have won the Oscar for the film, and he did so much for the role, including learning to sing. I have not seen a live production of this show so it intrigues me how this show is put on, and I think this will be very interesting since it is one of Larson’s friends directing it. I am very excited for this production and I am sure it will be phenomenal. I will definitely try to find a time to go and see this show, especially since the CLO is so close by.
I really enjoyed reading this article, especially having tick tick boom as one of my favorite musicals. The soundtrack and the storyline was so memorable, and I will never be tired watching that show over and over again. I really appreciated Banta opening up and sharing her feelings about directing this show, but after knowing about lin revamping the show, she was willing to direct the show, and I feel like that’s a really nice mentality to have. Especially after, how it helped her walk out of that dark spot. I think the same mentality also applies to us, where if we keep avoiding, we can’t appreciate the event, and we’ll just keep living in the darkness. If we face these traumatic and dark events onwards, then we can walk out, and be in a happier place. I know it was really hard for Banta to discuss this, and share her thoughts and ideas, but after reading them, I feel like there was something else, something deeper that prevented her from directing the show.
From this article, I definitely want to see Tick Tick Boom this fall. I have seen both the movie version as well as a local production at Monumental Theatre Company in DC and really enjoy the intimacy and minimalistic energy of the show. One thing that makes me really excited about this production is the location at the Greer Cabaret. I saw a production by CLO at the Benedum over orientation week, and while beautiful, I do not believe the Benedum could convey the raw and intimate emotions on display in Tick Tick Boom. This quote from the article made me very excited, “Revamped, the Greer is more in the style of a New York nightclub, featuring a video wall that will be in use for this production.” The video wall seems like a cool edition for a show so prevalently focused on memory. I recognize Martha Banta’s previous apprehension to put on this show, but I’m very excited to see the work that emerges.
It was so interesting reading this article, and it definitely makes me eager to attempt to see the show this fall. I watched the movie adaptation of Tick, Tick, BOOM! with Andrew Garfield, and felt it was incredibly compelling. Both Garfield’s performance of Larson, but also the composition of the film itself, drifting between his songs, were very well done, and definitely has made me more interested in Larson, and the Tick, Tick, BOOM! stage production. It must’ve been crazy for Martha Banta seeing both Larson’s increasing fame, but also this adaptation of his life as a friend of his. I had previously heard of the recreation of his apartment, and so reading her describe the similarities was fascinating. To recreate someones home exactly is so difficult and such a deep process, I’m very impressed by the Production Designer. It would be such an amazing challenge to attempt to do work like that. I was also interested to read about who they cast to play Jon, and that he is also a composer. That definitely must affect his performance, and I’d be interested to hear more about his process of getting into character. Overall extremely exciting they’re bringing Tick, Tick, BOOM! back to the stage, and I hope I get a chance to see it done.
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