The latest Lin-Manuel Miranda hit has landed on Netflix, soaring to the top of the streamer’s daily list of most popular movies and shows. Starring Andrew Garfield, Vanessa Hudgens, and more key musical players, Tick, Tick …BOOM! is surely a pleasing way to spend this holiday weekend. But as a good number of Netflix shows and movies claim, Tick, Tick …BOOM! is said to be based on a true story. How much of Tick, Tick …BOOM! is true, and what do we know about the mastermind behind Rent? Let’s take a closer look.
Taking place in New York in 1990, Tick, Tick …BOOM! is all about the struggles of being an artist and making, well, rent. Although Jonathan is stressed about having made the wrong career choice after passing up on a high paying marketing gig, he believes there’s a bigger calling for him later on down the road. That is, of course, if he can get to it before time runs out.
So, who is Jonathan, and is Tick, Tick, …BOOM! based on a true story? Here’s everything you need to know.
Who is Tick, Tick …BOOM! about?
Tick Tick …BOOM! is based on Jonathan Larson, played by Garfield, a real playwright that lived from 1960 to 1996. He created the hit musical Rent, starting in 1988 on the musical that opened eight years later in 1996. Larson, sadly, passed away right before the first preview performance took place on Broadway.
Is Tick, Tick …BOOM! based on a true story?
Tick, Tick …BOOM! is based on a true story, but since it’s a larger-than-life musical, not all of the events happened in real life. And there are a few characters that aren’t actually real — like Vanessa Hugens’ role of Larson’s partner, Susan.
What else is Tick, Tick …BOOM! based on?
Tick, Tick …BOOM! is based on Larson’s life, but it’s also based on his own work, too. The movie is based on his own autobiographical musical he wrote just before turning 30 in the late 1980s. Writing Tick, Tick …BOOM! inspired Larson to go on and write rent later on. The movie follows the same basic beats as the musical.
Stream Tick, Tick …BOOM! on Netflix