“Why” is from the 1990 musical Tick, Tick…Boom! by Jonathan Larson. Larson wrote Tick, Tick as he was approaching age 30 and questioning whether he should continue pursuing a career in the theater after struggling for years to get his work recognized and produced. The show is autobiographical, and of course Larson would finally find success with his acclaimed, Tony-winning 1996 musical Rent, which opened in 1996. Unfortunately Larson did not live to experience the fame that he had so long sought, as he passed away suddenly at age 35 from an aortic dissection the night of Rent’s first Off-Broadway performance.
“Why” comes near the end of the show; it depicts Jon remembering how and why he fell in love with theater in the first place, and what amount of sacrifice is required for sustaining a career in the arts. He ultimately decides he can’t picture himself doing anything else. The track modulates at 3:39.
A new film adaptation of Tick, Tick…Boom!, starring Andrew Garfield and directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, premieres on Netflix this Friday.
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