Tick, Tick... BOOM! Executive Music Producers On Bringing Broadway To The Big Screen
Image courtesy of Netflix
The constant thrum of music guiding "Tick, Tick... BOOM!" should come as no surprise — the recent Netflix film is a musical, after all. But in this case, the endless run of melodies and tunes serves a purpose larger than just genre. This film has a mission that hits close to home for all the theater kids of the world, because the filmmakers set out to construct a cinematic love letter to the works of Jonathan Larson. The theater legend is best known as the creator of "Rent," one of Broadway's longest running musicals, which went on to reshape the theater industry for years to come. And amongst those forever impacted by his compositions are the very creatives behind this film, Lin-Manuel Miranda and two of his most frequent collaborators, Bill Sherman and Alex Lacamoire.
Longtime fans of Miranda and his music won't be surprised to learn of either Sherman or Lacamoire's involvement in his directorial debut — the three are longtime collaborators, and often have a hand in many of the same projects. Sherman and Lacamoire helped bring "In The Hieghts" to the stage, earning both a Grammy and a Tony for their respective work. More recently, they brought the Broadway gem to theaters with the film adaptation. For "Tick, Tick... BOOM!" their friendship with Miranda and their love of Larson worked hand in hand.
"Tick, Tick... BOOM!" is an autobiographical musical originally written by Larson, then reworked years after his death. With Miranda's directorial debut, he brought the story back to the roots of the play Larson created, a rock monologue about a promising young theater composer navigating love, friendship, and the future as a struggling artist in New York City. Paying tribute to Larson meant doing more than adapting his play: the trio wanted to inject as much Larson into the film as possible, both in story and song. As executive music producers, Sherman and Lacamoire were handed the hefty task of adapting the already beloved musical and transforming the music while keeping its spirit intact. In the interview that follows, the duo take us through the process, breaking down the difficulties of bringing a song from stage to screen.
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