A Quiet Explosion of Talent

A Quiet Explosion of Talent

With Jonathan Larson’s Tick, Tick … BOOM! about to open its professional premiere in Melbourne, Coral Drouyn talked to Director Paul Watson and leading man Luigi Lucente.

In this 20th anniversary year of Jonathan Larson’s death, I have to confess that I was not a fan of Rent; that is, until I saw Paul Watson’s production of the show several years ago at Chapel off Chapel, and suddenly everything became crystal clear and I fell in love with both the show and Watson’s direction.

There are directors who are all about “Look at me”, without true respect for the material, or the people who created it. They’re more interested in making flashy moments and trashing tradition – I won’t mention any names. Then there are directors who are “source whisperers” who FEEL the creative energy deep inside them and their only interest is in cutting back the obvious and using a minimalist approach to find the truth, to honour the source.

Paul Watson is one such Director – I will always remember his direction of Fiddler in which the entire cast sang ‘Anetevka’ a capella, while the musicians hummed their parts as counterpoint. It is one of the most magical moments I have ever had in theatre, and I’ve seen over 3,000 productions in the last 60 years or so. Fortunately there are companies like Pursued By Bear, whose aesthetic encourages the pursuit of excellence; a small independent company whose work to date has been stunning. Having Watson direct this little known piece is a match made in heaven.

Larson only wrote two shows - Rent and Tick, Tick … BOOM!, the latter being autobiographical, and conceived initially as a cabaret for himself. So what draws Watson to it?

“It’s intensely personal,” says Paul, who is directing the show at the same time as rehearsing for Rock of Ages, one of those glitzy main stage musicals that is the total antithesis of this piece. “It reveals the way a creative works. And it once again explores the human condition and what drives an artist, a creative, to persist when the odds are against them. There’s that dilemma we all face, especially writers and composers, but everyone in this industry. Do I get a job to pay the rent, or do I live in squalid circumstances and give all my energy to creating new work? Larson believed that he would break through eventually, and he was right, then he never lived to see it fully realised.”

Paul has conceived the production to be as minimal as possible, multi functional in design, and highly allegorical and symbolic. “Life is so much more than it seems, but we have to really look. And the best way to do that is to strip away all those things which are just dressing, which have no meaning. The set is mainly Larson’s apartment, which he was constantly redecorating, constantly re-imagining. He was never satisfied and the same was true of his work. There are dozens of songs he didn’t include in his two shows. Writing was a quest for him.”

I suggest that directing is a quest for Paul and he agrees. “Well yes, it’s a quest for what is real, rather than what we just see without looking. And what’s real is never on the surface. This whole world is becoming more of an illusion every day. I want the audience to sit forward on the edge of their seats, to really see inside these people on stage. That’s their contribution to the show.”

No-one who knows him would ever accuse Paul of being flippant, and often he is intense to the extreme, but artists love working with him because they know that he has integrity and will embrace infinite possibilities to find the core, the soul, of a piece. For a man who started his career as a self taught musician, every step on his path – from working with Topol, to being part of the original cast of Once, to touring with rock bands, he’s earned the respect of everyone. But with such exacting standards, how does he cast a show like this?

“Well, I needed a gifted a gifted pianist, a great singer, an actor with depth and someone who could connect, without flashy gimmicks or costumes. That left Luigi Lucente at the top of the list, and thankfully we were able to make the dates work.”

Luigi Lucente is one of those ‘overnight sensations’, a ‘Rising Star’ who has been around for a decade or more. In fact he appeared in ‘Neighbours’ when he was a baby, and made his main stage Musical debut at 20. A brilliant musician, Luigi started a buzz with his special cabaret tribute to the legendary Jim Morrison of The Doors, in 2014. Sought after for television roles in International series like The Pacific, Luigi can also count roles in Jersey Boys, Wicked and the lead in Parade, West Side Story, and the title role in Pippin. Straight after Tick, Tick … BOOM! he will go on to play Snoopy in You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. He’s versatile and talented.

“I’m really serious about my work, and I love people who push the boundaries, and Paul certainly does that,” he tells me. “I think we are like souls in that we don’t believe in settling - there’s always a chance to make things better.”

So what is it about this show that appeals?

“Well, I can admit this now we are so close to opening, I love Rent, but I’ve always wanted to do Tick, Tick … BOOM!. I really identify with Larson and his obsession with his work. Some people think I’m too serious about mine, but it’s all about being the best you can. I’ve loved every moment of rehearsals. The show is moving, and funny and the music is just great.”

With a stellar cast and a live band of five – plus Luigi at the piano for most of the show, Tick, Tick … BOOM! promises to be a very special show for all lovers of Music Theatre.

Tick, Tick … BOOM! opens on April 21, 2016 at Chapel off Chapel for a limited season.

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