“tick, tick… BOOM!” CYGNET’S LATEST FARE.

 Cygnet’s latest fare, “tick, tick …Boom!” with book, music and lyrics by  Jonathan Larson and directed by Katie Banville,  takes us back to the 1990’s in a small apartment in New York City (Yi Chen Lee) where Jon (AJ Rafael) is about to turn 30 and is racing with the clock to write a successful play before that happens. He is also racing with the clock and shares his anxiety about it with us all.

Jim Croce died in a plane crash before he would know the success of his hit song “Time in a Bottle”. Buddy Holly, pioneer of Rock n’ Roll died at age 22. Jonathan Larson would die suddenly of an aortic dissection, or tear in the inner layer of the aorta, at age 35, the night before “Rent” officially opened. Life is so short. Time on this earth doesn’t always cooperate with our own time table; things like success and heartbreak come, ready or not.

Emma Nossal and AJ Rafael

But for Jon, it mattered not. He was bound and determined to be a success before turning 30. His friends and off and on roommates Susan and Michael (Emma Nossal and Leo Ebanks) try to encourage him to move on.

Thirteen or so musical numbers under the conductor, keyboards, of Dr. Randi Rudolph, drive the show sung alternatively, but not in any order, by each of the actors. Michael and Susan (Leo Ebanks and Emma Nossal) move in and out of scenes as well as the apartment they shared. Susan teaches dance to wealthy kids and wants to move to the Cape as in Cape Cod and Michael  took a job in the financial world to make money. He tools around in a BMW.

Emma Nossel, AJ Rafael and Leo Ebanks

Before his 30th birthday, Jon spends time on what he will consider his successful musical, Superbia. He has been working on it for five years. He worries that no one will come to his presentation but  all the seats are filled including one with his idol Stephen Sondheim. But no one commits to the project and Jon is feeling rejected again. When he tells his best friend Michael that he's quitting show business, Michael shares with him  that he is dying from HIV. 

Both Ebanks and Nossal make use of the whole stage as well as the aisles. Rafael, who is on stage for the entire 90+ minute show and is making his Cygnet Theatre debut, anchors the show. Both Nossal and Ebanks add a certain degree of versatility and charm.  Unfortunately, Rafael lacked the charisma, appeal magnetism call it what you will, to carry off this overwhelming task. His emotional range lacked depth and he was short on that convincing pull to thoroughly engage us. Something more was needed to feel his angst. 

 Joshua Heming’s lighting design is perfect atmospheric lighting for Jon’s apartment. Peter Herman’s wigs are always perfect, Yi-Chien Lees set design meets the standard of his Soho apartment and Salvador Zamora’s sound was too loud. 

AJ Rafael

However, when all is said and done, we know who Jonathan Larson was a great artist. At least he had time to compose “Rent”,  but died before it opened. 

See you at the theatre.

When: July 6 and runs through Aug. 4. 7 p.m. 

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town San Diego

Tickets: $30 and up

Photo: Karli Cadel

Phone: (619) 337-1525

Online: cygnettheatre.com