Rent is usually treated as Jonathan Larson's one and only show, but the truth is that he had a career--albeit a hitless one--before that blockbuster. There was a musical titled JP Morgan Saves the Nation with lyrics by Jeffrey M. Jones and music by Larson. And there was Tick, Tick... Boom!, an autobiographical piece that Larson workshopped for a while before setting it aside and finishing Rent.

In 2001, Tick, Tick is getting a full off-Broadway production, and it's a rather endearing one. Lyrics have never been Larson's strong point, but he was a hell of a melodic composer--and the score here is even poppier than that of Rent (think Top 40 rather than Sondheim). It's hard to pick favorite songs: "Green Green Dress" is built on a rollicking piano boogie, for instance, and "Real Life" and "See Her Smile" are the kind of elegiac ballad that Larson would later perfect with "Seasons of Love." Luckily, this show has a lot more to offer than mere youthful musings. --Elisabeth Vincentelli