judy_in_disguise: Thanks.
jezzebelle: Thanks for the response. To add to that, what I thought was so wonderful about
tick is that you didn't necessarily have to be an artist to appreciate what the character of Jon was going through. It was about Jon's struggle, as he was reaching 30 (the age that seemingly everyone in their 20s worries about, although once you get there it's really not a big deal), to choose whether to pursue his passion (writing), to give that up and go corporate and be comfortable like his best friend Michael, or leave New York altogether and settle down with his girlfriend Susan. And I think that anyone can relate to that - getting to a crossroads in your life and not knowing who you are and what to do and having no guidance - whether you're in the arts or not.
Shameless plug:
brdwyfan, a good place to go if you want to read more about
tick is Raul's website, linked at the bottom of this post. There are lots of articles and reviews linked in the Press section (scroll down to 2001) that include articles written about Jonathan Larson from the beginning of the run to the show post-9/11, as well as sound clips of the cast recording in the Recordings section.
Undiscovered - I'd like to know what you thought of the changes from the New York production to the New Jersey production. I was so disappointed in the major shifts in the storyline, and Jon's [I hate using this word but for lack of a better one I will] journey as a result. "Why" was moved to the middle of the show and no longer packed the emotional punch it did in the Jane Street production. And by the way, no one has matched the intensity of Raul's performance of that song,
ever. The message from Jon's idol [no spoilers] being delivered the way it was in the George Street production wasn't nearly as gratifying either.
And re: Colin. I really liked him, and as I said in my previous post, he came closest out of all the actors I saw to what I saw in Raul's portrayal, which to me was definitive. But I thought he was a little young. And the inclusion of "Play Game" - that really horrible rap song - was just unfortunate all the way around.
Some staging in the George Street production that I really could have done without in was "Come To Your Senses": Karessa (played by the same actress who plays Susan, for those who don't know) was actually in a space suit and was maneuvered around the stage by the actor playing Michael and Jon was not on stage at all. That was so disappointing to me because in the Jane Street and touring productions, all three characters were on stage - Karessa in the center, and Michael and Jon on either side of her. They all faced the same direction, but Michael and Jon were presumably watching Karessa from the audience. Watching Jon's reactions to hearing her sing
his lyrics to
his song made your heart absolutely soar for him; he was so happy and giddy and hopeful. Again, no one could pull off that moment the same way Raul did. It was heartbreaking, knowing that the real Jonathan would die six years later, but that the character Jon, at that very moment, didn't know it. That we didn't even get to see that in the George Street production was the biggest disappointment of all. And the photo of Jonathan being lowered on to the stage at the last moment of the show was just manipulative and cheesy.
I've been told that the George Street production was closer to Jon's original production in 1990, I believe entitled
30/90, because it was directed by his original collaborator on the piece, but I suppose because the original NY production was so close to me and I saw it so many times having worked on it in different capacities, I will always prefer that over any other version.
Apologies for the long post. This is one of my all-time favorite shows and I can talk for hours on end about it. You've been warned (too late).
Raúl Esparza Official Website
"The applause of all but very good men is no more than the precise measure of their possible hostility."
Updated On: 10/21/04 at 01:36 PM
