Local Resident Stars in Jonathan Larson's Tick...Tick...BOOM!

Jon Provan, of West Caldwell, steps out from his role of music director to play the role of composer Jonathan Larson (creator of the Broadway musical Rent) in Tick … Tick … BOOM! at the Porch Light Theater in Glen Rock. Patch talked to the local actor about his latest play and what inspires his art. 

The show is running over the next two weekends — March 11, 12 and 13 and March 18, 19 and 20. Visit porchlightproductions.org for show times and more information.

How did you get involved with Porch Light Theater?

I’m one of two musical directors for Porch Light Theater. The theater is in its second season, but the company existed before that, producing shows in community spaces. I got involved with them in the fall of ‘09 after they found their space in Glen Rock. I’ve worked on shows in-house — and also ones outsourced in the community, for example, we did Annie and Fiddler on the Roof for Glen Rock High School.

Why did you decide to pursue an acting role in Tick…Tick…BOOM!?

After I read the script for Tick…Tick…BOOM! I couldn’t believe how much it fit me as a part. There was so much that resonated with me. I’ve directed a bunch of shows at Porch Light and none of them have called for me to act in this way. I was like, I just gotta do this — I’ve gotta make this work.

How did you prepare for the role?

This is one of two major works Jonathan Larson wrote before Rent, and it’s autobiographical. I play him — so most of my inspiration comes from watching old videos of him and reading about his life to find out what kind of person he was. I wanted to model myself around him as much as I can.

Another major thing I did was to work with his appearance — he was a very nervous and shielded guy so we created a guy who, when outside his apartment, he wore very shielded clothes, he hid his hands, he tried to pocket himself away to hide himself. Things like that, different ways to externalize some things he felt as a person.

Larson passed away in 1996 — just before Rent came out. He was striving to create and write songs that people will remember forever. It adds a whole other layer to the show that he could never have intended at the time.

In the show, there are three actors and 10 characters. How does that play out?

Each of the other actors play one primary character: Chris Pridemore plays Michael, Jonathan’s best friend, but he also plays Jon’s dad and a waiter. Brooke Martino plays Jonathan’s two love interests — his longtime girlfriend and the actress in the show that he is putting on — and she also plays his agent, his mother, a waitress and Michael’s boss.

The approach to this show is that it’s very transparent. We change outfits on stage … everything is very accessible — you see the inner workings of the play right in front of you. In fact, the band is on the stage with us the whole time. It’s very raw, and real.

It’s an awesome experience, it’s right in your lap. So it’s kind of a fun show to be putting on. There are about 60 seats in the theater. And the closest seats? Your knees are up against the stage. It’s definitely intense. It’s like a small New York fringe festival theater.

Do you have creative rituals?

I do a couple of things. One, long before the production, I record the show with me playing all the parts and then I listen to it wherever I go. It’s on my iPod so I can study it as often as I can.

The day of a performance, I do a vocal warm-up routine to get myself prepped. This is a fairly challenging part as far as the singing goes. It’s high and it’s rock so it’s pretty intense. I also do some meditation — both early in the day and just before the show to kind of clear my head of everything that’s going on and to get into the space of the character.

How long have you been acting?

I attended high school in Chapel Hill, North Carolina — and that’s where I seriously started. Before that, I dabbled, but I really caught the bug then.

What was your first role? Your favorite?

The first musical I did, I was in the pit — I played the saxophone. That was my first involvement in musical theater, but my first role was in Fiddler on the Roof. I played Lazar Wolf, the butcher who wanted to marry the eldest daughter in the play. We just produced that with the Glen Rock High School, which was fun for that reason.

My favorite role? Orin Scrivello, the dentist from the Little Shop of Horrors.

Did you always want to be an actor?

I definitely enjoyed music and acting, but I never really thought about doing either as a career. I just thought they would always be a big part of my life. I went into college pre-med and then came out a music major with an interest in film and started directing a cappella groups, doing shows and all that.

What’s next for you?

My immediate next project is music director for Porch Light Theater’s production of Alice in Wonderland. That goes up only a couple of weeks after Tick…Tick…BOOM!’s run finishes. We’re working on that right now. I’ll definitely be looking out for my next acting role, but at this point I don’t know what it is.

Also in the works: We’re going to be writing an original musical that we’re going to put up at Porch Light next season.

How did you end up in Caldwell?

I came to New York after film school — it was a happening place for indie film and art in general. So that was a big draw. Also, my wife is from here. We lived in Manhattan for a few years, then Brooklyn for a few years, then here. We have family nearby. And we have two kids — and they’re going to have a great time growing up here. 

FIVE FACTS:

Age: 33

Medium: Theater

Professional or Amateur: Professional

Training: BA in music from the University of Virginia; MFA in film production from Florida State University School of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts.

Inspirations: For this show, Jonathan Larson is my inspiration. I’ve also taken a lot of tutelage from Ryan Pifher (of Verona), the director of Porch Light. Other actors that I admire: Christian Bale and Jeff Bridges. I like actors that strive for realism.