NOTE: Jon is portrayed by Will Donovan in the Upper School musical, and his responses in-character are reflected below.

The Upper School musical Tick, Tick… BOOM! is rapidly approaching, and I took the opportunity to sit down with Jon to interview him about his upcoming project. You’ll hear about some of the work that went into the production, favorite moments, and more. This will hopefully grant some perspective on the main character of the show before you come see it

Interviewer: Let’s get started with a quick introduction of yourself.

Jon: Hi, I’m Jon. At the time of this production, I was an almost-30-year-old composer writing the musical that I hoped would change the 90s. I’d been a bit stressed leading up to the show’s first workshop, but I couldn’t stop until I had seen it through. I poured my everything into it.

Interviewer: How would you describe this show?

Jon: This show is a bit of an autobiography. It tells the story of my life, how following my dream consumed me completely at times. It’s about my journey through life before I turned thirty, because I’d set myself a goal to get a hit show produced before my thirtieth birthday.

Interviewer: What kind of work have you had to do to prepare for this show?

Jon: Mountains. I spent so long trying to reach my agent, I created countless demo tapes, scrounged for grants, cut scenes, redid songs over and over till I got them right. I’m proud of it, more than, but God, it’s been a nightmare.

Interviewer: What is your favorite song from the show?

Jon: Probably Sunday. The environment and energy of that song combined with its beauty really hit close to home. The annoyance with the sudden hit of inspiration just makes for the perfect, relatable song.

Interviewer: What is the hardest part of performing in this show?

Jon: Simply put, I have a lot to say. Sometimes it’s hard to stop myself! There’s just so much going on all at once that I find it easiest to talk all my issues out. I tend to lose myself in stories once I get into them. But they’re interesting!

Interviewer: What do you hope audience members take away from this show?

Jon: Following your dreams can be hard, especially when it’s more of a niche one. Keep working, people will care as long as you do. And don’t set time limits on yourself. The world can be unforgiving, so at least give yourself a bit of grace.

Interviewer: Anything else to say?

Jon: Tick, Tick… BOOM! will be performed on February 23, 24, and 25 in Keeler Theater at 7:00 PM. Hope you can make it, and enjoy the show!