Best known for the Pulitzer Prize winning musical Rent, composer Jonathan Larson (who died of at 36 from an aortic dissection) explored the frustrations of trying to survive as an artist in his earlier work Tick Tick Boom. Currently being given an exultant, celebratory production by Porchlight Music Theatre, Tick Tick Boom is full of emotionally vibrant songs, engagingly directed by Adam Pelty. But the show’s universal themes of doubt and self-faith are perhaps best reviewed by the thoughts of its tremendously talented cast.

Here, the soulfully eclectic Adrian Aguilar (Jon), the magnetically fluid Jenny Guse (Susan) and the deeply emotive Bear Bellinger (Michael) reflect on what the show means to them as artistic individuals and its potent message to the world at large.

Sheridan Road:  Larson explores the almost impossible dedication that is needed to commit to a life in the arts in Tick Tick Boom. As performers with extensive backgrounds, have you found yourselves at emotional crossroads regarding your theatrical careers, as well?

Adrian: I’m always at an emotional crossroads with this business. People make fun of me because I’ve “retired” 3 times now at age 26. I’ve always wanted to have the traditional family life. Wife, dog, two kids, house with a yard, etc. This life is extremely difficult to achieve being an actor.  So…do you give up the full time performing and try to get the money and the security and the house and the insurance and just do a show here and there? But then do you lose relevancy? And do you regret not going full throttle towards stardom? You may think I’m summing up Tick Tick Boom, but this is just my life. This is exactly why this show speaks to me and speaks to so many people.

Jenny: I discovered musical theatre through a friend of mine, Matt, who was an actor himself. When it came time to start figuring out colleges…I was prepared to take the path that had been expected of me – attend a state school majoring in business. Matt encouraged me to look into musical theatre schools and their programs…but my mind was pretty much already made up. That summer Matt passed away in a car accident. This jolted me awake, realizing that life is too precious to ignore my passion. I completely changed paths…I am thankful every day that I get to do what I love, and that I was given the courage to pursue it. It’s an amazing feeling knowing you are right where you are supposed to be.

Bear: I constantly battle the constraints of living a life in the theatre. I love it; I can’t stop doing it, I wish I could!  Chicago is one of the most fulfilling cities, artistically, that you can find, but that does not translate to monetary success. You’ll find all kinds of theatres pushing artistic boundaries and choosing interesting material but you find very few theatres that can pay you a living wage. It’s the duality of this life that we chose to live with.

SR: How does the legacy of Jonathan Larson speak directly to you, not only as artists but human beings?

Jenny: I have always been a person who has planned my next steps. Always thinking ahead and wanting to accomplish more. I think you could look at Jonathan’s legacy and feel pressure to get everything done before its too late, but in actuality, it reminds me to live in the moment. Something I struggle deeply with myself. Be thankful for each moment you are given and enjoy it while it’s happening. Because in the end, we might not be so lucky as to get to relive the best moment in our life.

Bear: I heard a lyric recently where one of my favorite rappers said “I’m here for a good not a long time,” and I think that’s incredibly important to this question and Larson’s life. I try to explain to people that I don’t know if I’ll live to be 30 or 90, I’m striving to do as much as I can now and when I get to later I’ll work for then. I never want to look back and say, “I should have spent those nights performing instead of taking those months off to rest and make money.” I refuse to live my life “knowing” that I’m going to live to be 70 or 80 and worrying that pushing myself too hard now might make me more tired later. I live my life with the knowledge that today is today and tomorrow is not promised.

Adrian: Jonathon Larson’s story is a reminder, in SO many ways, that life is short and that we should live it to the fullest. It’s a warning. You may not have the time you THINK you’ll have to accomplish everything. Stop putting it off. Go out and do it! Live life to the fullest. Anyone can go at anytime. Have you left your mark yet?

Tick Tick Boom runs through June 10^th at Stage 773 in Chicago. Tickets are $38 and can be purchased by calling 773-327-5252 or by visiting www.porchlightmusictheatre.org. —Brian Kirst

Director Tim Burton needs to stop messing around and just commit himself to period gothic horror full time. Every one of his movies should have towering castles lit by flickering candles, tragically beautiful ghosts, and an eloquently mourning Johnny Depp.

Based on the cult supernatural soap opera of the late 60’s, Dark Shadows follows the perpetually melodramatic Collins family, who live in the ruins of their family castle after the ancestral fortune has dwindled. When their ancestor, Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), a brutal but articulate vampire, escapes from a coffin he’s been chained in for almost 200 years, he vows to restore the family’s fortune, home, and reputation to their former glory. His family, Elizabeth (Michelle Pfeiffer, Stardust), Roger (Johnny Lee Miller, Dexter), Carolyn (Chloë Grace Moretz, Hugo), David (Gulliver McGrath, Hugo), and their live-in psychiatrist, Dr. Julia (Helena Bonham Carter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2), all think his behavior is strange, but come around as his methods prove successful. When Barnabas discovers that the woman now running the town in his family’s place is the immortal witch, Angelique (Eva Green, Casino Royale), who originally cursed him to be a vampire for spurning her affections, he must find a way to either reason with or defeat her.

All of the gothic horror elements at play here are absolutely breathtaking. The desaturated color palate, except for the Hammer horror red of the blood; the art direction is, of course, impeccable; Danny Elfman’s score is grand and haunting with touches of the classic, 60’s, synthesized, melodrama of the source material; all of the performances match the surroundings, with everyone fabulously committed to seeming tragic and mysterious but without being overtly campy; and the visual effects are absolutely phenomenal.

Where the movie comes up short is its attempt at broad comedy. The fish-out-of-water, 18^th century nobleman tries to make sense of the early 70’s thing didn’t really play for me. The 70’s design and fashions are fantastic, but any time Barnabas tries to adapt to the time in which he finds himself I just sat there waiting for the next scene. Also, having present day Alice Cooper play himself from 40 years ago feels more sad than it does nostalgic.

One quick word of warning to parents: I’m surprised this is rated PG-13. An awful lot of sexuality is discussed, implied, and practically demonstrated. I guess it’s not surprising, since this was based on a soap opera, but for a guy who claims to want only his one true love, Barnabas keeps himself busy with pretty much every female member of the cast he’s not directly related to and some VERY racy things are implied for a PG-13 flick. A scene between him and Angelique is particularly acrobatic and destructive, there’s an awful lot of inappropriate touching and entwining, and they leave the room in ruins. There’s also quite a bit of fantasy violence and some stoner hippies lighting up, so not a lot of great life lessons going on.

My personal opinion: Despite its missteps, I really enjoyed Dark Shadows. The perfection of all of the gothic horror made up for everything they weren’t so good at. –Jake Jarvi