By now, you may have recovered normal hydration levels after crying all weekend from the glorious movie musical ‘Tick, Tick\u2026Boom!’, now on Netflix. A musical theatre adaptation for the ages, ‘Tick, Tick\u2026Boom!’, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut and a copyeditor’s nightmare (I think it’s official ‘tick, tick…BOOM!’?? nothx), is the rare passion project that is as undeniably compelling for the general public as it is fervent in its appreciation and respect for a relatively niche genre. The lovingly created film paints a fully provocative, engrossing portrait of the late Jonathan Larson, the musical theatre composer who created two incredible lasting works before an untimely death, the devastation of which has threatened to define his legacy more than his brilliant creations. Lin’s (we’re on a first-name basis btw) directorial debut is spellbinding. He treats Larson’s life story, as told through Larson’s painstaking creation of what would eventually be ‘Tick, Tick\u2026Boom’ the stage show, as only another such creator could, fully understanding the desperation, the hope, the single-minded devotion, the heartache.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The resulting film is one so fine that it is generating tons of Oscar buzz, which the fuckers rarely give to deserving movie musicals. Those of us who have known and loved the musical TTB for years are completely satisfied with this careful and meticulous adaptation, and those who are brand-new to it join us as die-hard fans. (At least the ones I know have. Or they know better than to tell me otherwise.) And we are all left adoring this excellent film about the creative process and what artists sacrifice for their craft, about this man and all the brilliance spilling out of him, and above all about our love for musical theatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This last part is evidenced in all aspects of the film, and not least by the people onscreen. Lin brought out the big guns for this one. His rolodex is probably the sickest one on the planet. The musical theatre legends, the exciting up and coming talent, and the beloved performers of all ages and bio lengths who fill the screen in roles big and small and miniscule (no small parts!) act as a treat for musical theatre lovers who amid crying over how great Andrew Garfield is and how wonderful the music sounds and how beautifully the story weaving was done can shout ‘OH MY GOD THAT’S _<\/em>!!!’ over and over to the delight (not delight) of anyone watching with them. In February, when we do our gigantic pre-Oscars movie review roundup, I’ll talk more about this masterpiece, but today I’m here to go through the faces we saw and what we know them from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Main Cast<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonathan Larson: Andrew Garfield Michael: Robin de Jesus Roger: Joshua Henry Carolyn: MJ Rodriguez Susan: Alexandra Shipp Karessa: Vanessa Hudgens Freddy: Ben Levi Ross Ira: Jonathan Marc Sherman <\/p>\n\n\n\n Diner patrons in the opening number, 30\/90 (what a bop right???) James C. Nicola: long (LONG) time artistic director of the New York Theatre Workshop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Party scene Fun fact (this shit is FULL OF FUN FACTS! SO FUN!): The R&B ish song playing on the boom box as Jonathan and Susan go down into the bone zone is ‘Green Green Dress’, a song from the stage version of TTB cut for the film but I believe included on the film soundtrack with a full version by Garfield and Shipp. This version in this scene is sung by Joshua Henry!<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Michael’s fancy pants building Concierge: Luis Miranda Doorman: Chris Sullivan Parking attendant: Andrew Bancroft <\/p>\n\n\n\n Writing workshop Jason Robert Brown: composer of all my faves, like The Bridges of Madison County<\/a>, The Last Five Years<\/a>, Parade, Songs for a New World. Also 13 (fun fact I sat in the front row of the first Broadway preview LIKE A NERD) and is friends with Ariana Grande as a result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alex Lacamoire: known for being the right-hand man of Lin when it comes to his orchestrations and generally being the best ever. Orchestrator of In the Heights, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen<\/a>, also this movie!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shaina Taub: composer of the great musical version of Twelfth Night<\/a>; friends with my friend from Hebrew school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dave Malloy: MY BOY DAVE! Wild & Crazy composer of Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812<\/a> and other wild & crazy works like Moby Dick<\/a> (SO COOL), Ghost Quartet<\/a>, Octet, Preludes<\/a>, and of course the f-ing nutty Beardo<\/a>, which is about Rasputin, don’t forget that one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stephen Schwartz: composer of Godspell (which gets a hilarious shoutout later in the film), Wicked, Pippin<\/a>. What a dude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who lives who dies Jeannine Tesori: composer of Fun Home<\/a>; Caroline or Change<\/a>; Violet<\/a>; Thoroughly Modern Millie. A legend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tom Kitt: Seems very tall; Tony- and Pulitzer-winning composer of my beloved Next to Normal. Oh man, Next to Normal, guys. Also wrote Bring It On!<\/a> the musical with Lin, and If\/Then, which was good-not-great but has one of my favorite shower singing songs (IF WE’RE ALWAYS! STARTING OVER!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Quiara Allegria Hudes: book writer of In the Heights the musical, screenwriter for ITH the movie, also is from Philly so COME THROUGH QUIARA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Richard Kind: Uncle Richard as we call him. I mean, you know him from everything. He’s the greatest ever. Currently being hysterical with every single word he utters as Andrew’s father on Big Mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bradley Whitford as Stephen Sondheim Hilarious music video <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunday number at the diner Line cook: Lin-Manuel Miranda Patrons: Howard McGillin Chuck Cooper Phylicia Rashad Beth Malone Andre de Shields Brian Stokes Mitchell. STOKES. Bebe Neuwirth Renee Elise Goldsberry Phillipa Soo Bernadette Peters Chita Rivera: I mean, it’s Chita Rivera. Original stage Anita in West Side Story; the chief cook and bottle washer in The Rink; Kiss of the Spider Woman; original Velma Kelly in Chicago; original Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie; scary scary sexy robot lady in the musical adaptation of The Visit<\/a>; Fosse’s film version of Sweet Charity<\/a>. Ledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 3 bums: Jonathan’s workshop cast<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Aneesa Folds Kate Rockwell Gizel Jimenez Joel Perez In the extended workshop cast shown in the Sextet<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Janet Dacal Kenita R. Miller <\/p>\n\n\n\n The woman who buys Jonathan’s records for $50 and makes hilarious Godspell jokes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Joanna Adler The hilarious focus group Micaela Diamond Danielle Ferland Utkarsh Ambudkar Jonathan’s parents<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Danny Burstein Judy Kuhn Jonathan’s agent: Judith Light Louder than Words cameos Chris Jackson making SERIOUS FACE and sitting in front of Sondheim Whitford Extra treat: When Jonathan sings “what does it take to wake up a generation\/how can you make someone take off and fly’, they show a split-second black & white image of the original cast of Rent. Just in case you weren’t sobbing uncontrollably already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Obviously I didn’t get everyone and I have poor vision so shout out those I missed in the comments! and your favorite part of the movie!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By now, you may have recovered normal hydration levels after crying all weekend from the glorious movie musical ‘Tick, Tick\u2026Boom!’, now on Netflix. A musical theatre […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11804,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[147],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
What you know him from: Winning a Tony Award for Angels in America, Hacksaw Ridge and other great movies, Spider-Man and other spidery movies. Also he’s Jewish; we love that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: Originating the role of Sonny in In the Heights on Broadway (‘chillax! you know you lumme’ I DO LUM YOU) (p.s. In the Heights is the other best movie of 2021 these are facts); being the best part of several other Broadway shows like the Douglas Hodge La Cage. Last seen in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix adaptation of The Boys in the Band. He was also Michael in the amazing theatre-kid cult movie Camp, which I hate to tell you is almost 20 years old (gasp!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: Billy Bigelow in the last revival of Carousel<\/a>; making his name on Broadway in American Idiot, The Scottsboro Boys <\/a>(ugh talk about crying and deserving more acclaim), being the best part of Violet<\/a> with Sutton Foster which is saying something since she was perfect, being part of the spellbindingly-cast-but-not-as-strong-as-it-should-have-been Shuffle Along<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: the lead of Pose, baby! How good is Pose! How good is she on it! We cry so much!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: Straight Outta Compton, the Aaliyah movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: being a teen star? Gigi on Broadway (lol), Grease! Live on NBC, Rent Live. She loves doing live stuff! Fun fact: I have never seen High School Musical. I know. Not by choice, I just haven’t gotten around to it in 25 years or whatever. Funner fact: I have watched High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which I enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: He was one of the Evan Hansen replacements on Broadway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: He’s a playwright first and foremost, most recently having written Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, which played off-Broadway and starred Jennifer Damiano and Michael Zegen (we love them).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Roger Bart
What you know him from: being the super creepy evil pharmacist on Desperate Housewives (I still remember how scary!), winning a Tony for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Producers; Young Frankenstein (frahnkenSHTEEN). Currently playing Doc Brown in London’s Back to the Future musical. Fun fact: He’s the singing voice of Hercules in the amazing animated movie. HE CAN GO THE DISTAAAANCE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Scott the finance guy: Ryan Vasquez
What you know him from: Before being absolutely hysterical in this movie (I mean, he is us, those of us not professionally in theatre who geek out over it wholeheartedly), Vasquez was in the original cast of Waitress and has apparently played literally every male role in Hamilton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>I’m sure there are lots more famouses in this scene but I could not make out their faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: being Lin’s dad, being my mom’s biggest crush (I know and she has a lot), lots of great political work, also waving to Nina in ‘Breathe’ in In the Heights movie (Lin will put his dad in everything and we’re not mad).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: One of several members of Freestyle Love Supreme in this movie! He’s the one known as Shockwave. I wish I had a cool nickname. Anyway thanks to the person who corrected me since I got my Chrises Sullivan mixed up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: More Freestyle Love Supreme!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>OKAY this is where I started really screaming. EVERYONE sitting in this room is a musical theatre creative, and I LOVE that Lin did that, solidifying that this movie and TTB in general is so much for the people it’s about. I’m not going to pretend I recognized everyone (I’m sorry but I would not know Georgia Stitt by face) but these are the ones I did yell about. If you knew all of them, bravaaa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: The West Wing, being Bradley Whitford, aging amazingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>H.A.W.K. Smooth: Tariq Trotter
What you know him from: He’s Black Thought from The Roots. Yes Philly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>This is the part where musical theatre lovers wept tears of pure joy, and where everyone else became a musical theatre lover. This. Was. EVERYTHING. Everyone in that diner is a theatre legend. LEDGE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, the director himself. My husband heard his voice to start the scene and said ‘oh that’s Lin!’ before they showed his face. So proud, so lucky. Can you IMAGINE being in the audience of Les Mis when he did the voice at the barricade that one time? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joel Grey
What you know him from: originating the emcee role in Cabaret on Broadway and recreating it for the movie, and winning an Oscar for it. The original wizard in Wicked, Moonface Martin in the unmatched 2011 Anything Goes!<\/a> revival. That one amazing episode of Star Trek Voyager that made me cry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: winning a Tony for The Life. MY SISTER WAS A PROS\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: I mean\u2026do I have to say it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: originating the role of Big Alison in Fun Home<\/a> on Broadway — the costume from which she is wearing in this scene!!!! best! You may also know her from the best Best Actress in a Musical announcement at the Tonys that year, when Kelli O’Hara finally won and all the other nominees, shown in their little boxes, were clearly so happy for her, it was the sweetest ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: Hermes in Broadway’s Hadestown, giving one of the best Tony acceptance speeches ever, talking to me about sweet potatoes after one of the London performances and I wish we were best friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: having wheels of a dream in Ragtime; Tony Award for Kiss Me, Kate; Man of La Mancha; having THAT FUCKING VOICE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: Cheers\/Frasier, revival of Chicago. That incredible episode of Will & Grace playing herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton<\/a>; original Nettie in The Color Purple<\/a>; the final Mimi in Rent on Broadway, so she’s the one in the Rent Live filmed production, which I was in the audience for!!! It was THE BEST! We went nuts after the finale and ovated for like 30 minutes and then they were like ‘we have to do it again!’<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: breaking Lin’s heart so good in Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812<\/a> off-Broadway that he cast her as Elizabeth Schuyler in Hamilton<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: Sunday in the Park with George (I mean, if you are IN THE SHOW that the characters are watching in this movie reverently that’s just\u2026everything); Song & Dance; Into the Woods; A Little Night Music; Follies<\/a>; Hello, Dolly!<\/a>; being in the best film version of Annie; being Sondheim’s muse? being so lucky? having the best hair? Broadway Barks?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daphne Rubin-Vega, Adam Pascal, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, from the original cast of Rent<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: another Freestyle Love Supremer! they are so talented I wanna barf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: the best part of Mean Girls the musical (‘My name is Karen. I may not be smart\u2026that’s it.’)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: has been in Wicked, Avenue Q. Really enjoyed her in this I want to see her onstage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: the original cast of Fun Home. So many of them in this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: original Carla in In the Heights! long as he keeps it clean! ay dios mio!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: the best part of the flawless Once on this Island <\/a>Tony-winning revival. HOT HOLY GODDAMN that show was incredible and she revolutionized her track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: lots of off-Broadway work but probably most recognizable as Summer’s mother in School of Rock<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Leader: Laura Benanti
What you know her from: Gypsy, My Fair Lady,<\/a> Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, stealing scenes in Sound of Music Live, being hilarious, the name my dad guesses every time a song starts on Sirius Broadway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: The Cher Show on Broadway, playing the youngest Cher<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: OG Little Red in Into the Woods!!! omg she grew up<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: Freestyle Love Supreme, the rapper in the boy group in Pitch Perfect (hey you! with the eeeyes), Mindy’s brother on The Mindy Project<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: consistently gifting us amazing performances on Broadway. The Drowsy Chaperone, Luther Billis in the Kelli\/Szot South Pacific, heartbreaking in Follies<\/a>, Cabaret, a wonderful Tevye<\/a> in 2016. Recently winning a Tony for Moulin Rouge. Being king of the adorables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: original Broadway Cosette in Les Mis, Chess, singing voice of Pocahontas so the version of ‘Colors of the Wind’ that isn’t Vanessa Williams, Alison’s mom in Fun Home<\/a>, Golde in Fiddler <\/a>last year on the West End.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know her from: You know her from Who’s the Boss?, I know her from spending one summer when I lived in NYC somehow being on the exact same theatre schedule as her with seats always near each other and after a few weeks we were like wtf??? who is stalking who?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/span>Jelani Alladin, when they cut to Michael the Jesus in the audience at “why so many people bleed”
What you know him from: originating Kristoff in Frozen on Broadway<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you know him from: original Benny in In the Heights, original George Washington in Hamilton
What my baby nephew knows him from: Mr Softee in the In the Heights movie, whose ‘tuck is boken downnn’; video upon request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n