Tick, Tick, Boom!

Somewhat contraversially, I think I prefer Tick, Tick, Boom! to RENT. As a show, RENT effects me much more, but when they're broken down, I prefer TTB's music. I don't think it has as much of that clunkiness that put me off RENT for so long.

Having missed the production at the Menier a few years back (I was due to go on the day 2 weeks on from July 7th when there was another huge security alert and took the decision to stay home instead), I'd never seen TTB staged before last week.

I left feeling underwhelmed and a little disappointed. A lot of Larson's beauty is in his harmonies and the three voices on stage just didn't seem to blend. It struck me that they had been cast as individuals without much thought for their chemistry. I've never been a fan of Julie Atherton's voice... I appreciate its technical strength but it's so nasal that it goes through me like nails on a blackboard. And it's so very distinctive that, despite her strong acting, whenever she sings, I feel like she's playing the same character. I'd loved Paul Keating in Little Shop but his voice was clearly very tired and was cracking all over the place. Can't fault his characterisation though, and the whole section after he finds out that Michael's HIV+ and leading into Why was just incredible. Leon Lopez was much as I expected - good, solid, but unremarkable.

The strength of the material really shone through but the production itself? Could take it or leave it.