"tick, tick… BOOM!" – Worksheet

Arbeitsblatt zum Film "tick, tick… BOOM!"

Subjects: English, music, drama/performing arts, German from Grade 9, from age 14

a) What does the saying (technical term: idiom) "unprofitable arts" mean to you? Discuss in class and try to come up with examples.

b) Watch the opening sequence of "tick, tick… BOOM!" Discuss how fitting the term "unprofitable arts" is for Jon’s job situation. Include his inner conflict in your conversation.

Timecode: 0:00:00-0:07:29 (The timecode refers to the VoD version available on Netflix)

c) Interpret Jon‘s line: "It’s like, you get to a certain age, and you stop being a writer who waits tables, and you become a waiter with a hobby." (TC 0:06:10-0:06:20)

d) Analyze the extent to which Jon‘s inner conflict is reflected in the lyrics of the song.

e) Are you already familiar with the definitions of "integrated musical" and "backstage musical"? If not, study the Zum externen Inhalt: Glossar entry (öffnet im neuen Tab)and in your own words, describe the differences between these two musical subgenres.

f) Discuss which of the two Zum Inhalt: genres "tick, tick… BOOM!" belongs to.

g) Imagine you and Jon were friends. What would you advise him to do? Should he concentrate exclusively on the premiere of Superbia and quit working as a waiter or keep his job? Justify your reasoning.

h) What do you think Jon will decide? Include your answers from exercises b) and c). Then watch the rest of the Zum Inhalt: exposition.

TC: 0:07:29-0:10:02

i) At first the audio consists only of the dialogue between Jon and Susan followed by the song. This structure is reminiscent of a classic musical. What cinematic or musical format do you associate the images with?

Consider especially Zum Inhalt: camera movements, Zum Inhalt: camera angles, Zum Inhalt: close and wide shots und Zum Inhalt: montage.

j) j) The film "tick, tick… BOOM!" is based on the eponymous Rock Monologue by Jonathan Larson from the year 1990 and biographical elements from the writer and composer’s life. The one-person-show was composed of rock songs and anecdotal passages.
Conduct research into the life of Jonathan Larson and his biggest hit, the musical Rent. Summarize the plot of Rent in a few sentences and write down the central characters. Start with the Zum externen Inhalt: following website (öffnet im neuen Tab)

During the screening:

k) Pay attention to parallels between the life of the film character Jon and that of the real person Jonathan Larson.

After the Screening:

l) Discuss in class what aspects you found especially moving or surprising. Then compare your answers with the results from exercise k).

m) Summarize what you learned about the professional and private living conditions of Jon’s friends.

n) Analyze the extent to which "tick, tick… BOOM!" combines elements of integrated and backstage musicals.

o) To make Rent, Jonathan Larson updated the material from the Puccini opera La Bohème and turned it into a rock musical. 30 years later, what might an update look like? Split up into small groups and use the results from exercise j).
Find a consensus on the following aspects:
– locations and the historical era of your Zum Inhalt: adaptation
– character features (see exercises b) and m) )
– plot
– music styles (like Jonathan Larson, you can work with contemporary musical styles such as hip-hop, trap etc.)
Summarize the results of your work in an outline. Use this link for tips on how to compose an Zum externen Inhalt: outline (öffnet im neuen Tab)

p) Present your exposés to the class and give each other feedback based on specific criteria.