I had the great pleasure recently of spending time with the family of the late, great, musical genius, Jonathan Larson.

Larson, who we lost way too young in 1996, changed the face of musical theater with his groundbreaking hit, RENT. However, after spending time with his lovely family, I found myself humming tunes from another of his shows - his quirky, autobiographical, 3-person musical, TICK TICK... BOOM!

This highly entertaining and ultra-produceable rock show takes the audiences into the world of Jonathan, his girlfriend, and his best friend while on the eve of turning the big 3-0.

Always a hit with audiences, this show will get your younger patrons excited and inspired to grab their tickets before they inevitably sell out. You can also look to your younger talent to fill out the three juicy roles.

The small cast and rock band accompaniment also make this show a prime candidate for productions in non-traditional venues. I’ve seen amazing and creative productions of TICK TICK... BOOM! performed in bars, schools gyms, and even warehouse spaces.

“Yes,” you say, “but we’ve already done TICK TICK... BOOM! Our audiences loved it but I can’t do the same show every year.”

Well, then, let me call your attention to another fabulous rock musical, EDGES, which features a young cast navigating the rocky terrain of entering adulthood. EDGES has found great success in non-traditional venues. In fact, the writers encourage thinking outside the box when approaching this irresistible show! And they should know - Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, have become two of the hottest up and coming writers on the musical theater scene.

Their musical of A CHRISTMAS STORY was a hit on Broadway during the holidays right around the same time their new musical DOGFIGHT (now available for Fast Track Notification through MTI) was selling out shows off-Broadway. In fact, these two writers are everywhere - having shows running regionally, on Broadway, off-Broadway and most recently on the small screen. The fictional show “Hit List” in NBC’s SMASH features a few Pasek and Paul originals.

So, engage your younger audience, mix it up, and rock it out with TICK TICK... BOOM! and EDGES.

Unfortunately, we can’t hear from the late Jonathan Larson, but the good news is, Pasek and Paul were able to find time in their busy writing schedules to talk about EDGES. Stay tuned for my conversation with them next week!

Read all of Brisa’s Pieces here.
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You can reach Brisa on twitter: @brisatrinchero. I also blog about the art and business of new musicals at www.makemusicals.com. I look forward to hearing from you!