Tick, Tick...Boom!

Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Directed by Ilyse Robbins
Oct 10-Nov 23, 2025 (Press opening 10/12)
Main Stage Theater 144

Before Rent, there was Tick, Tick... Boom!. This autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning composer of Rent, is the story of a composer and the sacrifices that he made to achieve his big break in theater. Tick, Tick... Boom! takes you on the playwright/composer's journey through his quarter-life crisis that led to a Broadway blockbuster.

His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city, his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue, and yet Jon is still waiting on tables and trying to write the great American musical. Set in 1990, this compelling story of personal discovery is presented as a rock musical filled with instantly appealing melodies and a unique blend of musical theater styles.

"Larson's gift for brilliant lyrics and driving music is clear in each of the score's 12 winning songs." – Chicago Sun Times

"Searingly honest, frank, and unabashedly personal." – Chicago Tribune