With its invitation list extended to so many theatrical legends-some of whom Larson idolized himself and some of whom, Miranda included, owe their success in part to his mainstreaming of contemporary rock musical theater-Miranda’s film positions Larson as both a vital descendant and ancestor, a singular figure in a singular art form.
Throughout the film, the creator of Hamilton and In the Heights delivers a cornucopia of surprises for musical theater fans-not so much a series of Easter Eggs as an omelet buffet-including a cavalcade of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them cameos from acclaimed theater writers and performers showing up to honor Larson. With his feature-length directorial debut, tick, tick… BOOM!, Lin-Manuel Miranda never quite resolves the tension between well-attended wake and intimate memoir in paying tribute to the late Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield), writer and composer of the rock musical Rent.
