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Fish-eye lens view of a young man wearing a white shirt, black tie and blue dress pants drinking a coffee and a young woman dressed in black seated on stools at a diner counter, both looking off to the left. Behind the counter stands another young man in a black t-shirt with a white towel draped over his right shoulder, gazing straight ahead as he leans on the counter, arms spread wide. On the counter in front of him is a keyboard and note books.
Fish-eye lens view of a young man wearing a white shirt, black tie and blue dress pants drinking a coffee and a young woman dressed in black seated on stools at a diner counter, both looking off to the left. Behind the counter stands another young man in a black t-shirt with a white towel draped over his right shoulder, gazing straight ahead as he leans on the counter, arms spread wide. On the counter in front of him is a keyboard and note books.
Photo: Misha Sharivker, Joshua Kilimnik & Diana Del Rosario. Photo by Valentina Caballero.

The true story The true story

of the birth of a multi-award-winning Broadway musical.

Photo: Misha Sharivker, Joshua Kilimnik & Diana Del Rosario. Photo by Valentina Caballero.

Home Events Performance tick, tick… BOOM!

tick, tick… BOOM!

From Thursday, November 7 to Saturday, November 15, 2025 – Bowtie Productions presents tick, tick… BOOM! on the Alumnae Theatre Mainstage. Set in 1990, this autobiographical musical takes audiences on a personal journey of discovery that led to an award-winning Broadway hit.

A musical theatre composer struggling for a big break

tick, tick… BOOM! is the story of composer Jon and the sacrifices that he made to achieve his big break in theatre. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city, his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue and, yet, Jon is still waiting tables and trying to write the great American musical.

Written by American composer, lyricist and playwright Jonathan Larson – the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer of the hit musical RENT – tick, tick… BOOM! was adapted into an Oscar-nominated Netflix film in 2021, directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda and starring Andrew Garfield.

Directed by Bowtie Productions Artistic Director Meredith Shedden, with music direction by 2025 Dora Award winner Michael Ippolito, the cast features Dora Mavor Moore Award winners Joshua Kilimnik, Misha Sharivker and Diana Del Rosario (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Shifting Ground Collective).

“[This] is the kind of programming you can only pull off with the right talent on board and it seems that Bowtie’s got a great eye for stars. The company should be able to dine out for years on how well they pull it off.”

– Kelly Bedard, My Entertainment World

About Bowtie Productions

Bowtie Productions was founded in 2021 with the goal of creating mature, thought-provoking pieces of musical theatre in small-scale, immersive productions. In their third season, Bowtie continues to illuminate impactful stories and deliver intimate, rarely produced pieces of fan-favourite theatre that speak to the Toronto arts community. Now heralded as “one of Toronto’s most promising young companies” (My Entertainment World), their debut production of the musical Fun Home played a sold out run and formed the foundation for a growing community. Their 2024 season, featuring Falsettos and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, played to rave reviews and was nominated for a total of nine Broadway World Award Nominations and three Critics Pick Nominations from My Entertainment World, in addition to sold-out and extended performances.

A young woman and two young men sit side by side at a diner table, laughing. The woman and man in the middle have their eyes closed and are clapping, while the man on the right looks directly at us.

(Photo credits: Diana Del Rosario, Joshua Kilimnik & Misha Sharivker. Image on the Events page: Misha Sharivker, Joshua Kilimnik & Diana Del Rosario. All photo by Valentina Caballero.)

 

Event details

Presented by: Bowtie Productions 

Type of event: musical theatre performance

Written by: Jonathan Larson 

Directed by: Meredith Shedden 

Music direction by: Michael Ippolito

Cast: Joshua Kilimnik, Misha Sharivker & Diana Del Rosario

Dates: Thursday, November 7 – Saturday, November 15, 2025.

  • Previews November 7 (evening performance) & November 8 (matinée);
  • Opening November 8.

Start times:

  • Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings @ 8:00 PM ET
  • Saturday & Sunday matinées @ 3:00 PM ET
  • Please note: There are no performances on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Duration: 90 minutes (no intermission)

Cost: Ticket prices do not include fees.

  • General admission: C$35.00 (previews) – $42.00 (after previews)
  • Arts worker: C$25.00 (previews) – $32.00 (after previews)

Location: Alumnae Theatre, Mainstage, 70 Berkeley Street, Toronto, ON, M5A 2W6, Canada

Booking link: Book your tickets here.

Contact details: Bowtie Productions, info@bowtieproductions.ca, bowtieproductions.ca

 

Content warning: Adult themes, mention of HIV/AIDS, mental health issues, drug and alcohol use.

Accessibility: Alumnae Theatre’s Berkeley Street entrance and the mainstage theatre are wheelchair-accessible. There is a wheelchair-accessible restroom on the ground floor. Please email Bowtie Productions at info@bowtieproductions.ca to reserve a wheelchair seat.