Isabella Duran
Isabella Duran
tick, tick … BOOM!
MARCH 17 — APRIL 23
What excites you about tick, tick … BOOM! and the role you are playing?
As an artist, it’s always an exciting treat to gain insight into another artistic mind, in this case that of the iconic Jonathan Larsen. This show was created to share & honor his story and his talent. I get to portray many different women with various roles in his life, but they are all strong, powerful, and getting what they want! I love that!
What’s your process like in preparing for a show like this, and how does that process change (if at all) from other shows?
This show, like many, is so dependent on developing authentic relationships between characters. Having two casts of wonderful people to play with makes the amount of “choices” that much more abundant and fun! It lets us explore the different aspects of our characters more deeply by doing, watching, discussing and developing them side by side. Each cast wIll bring out unique parts of the story, with the same heartbeat.
What’s your biggest challenge about taking on this role?
All of it!! Literally every single thing! This show packs in so much content in such a concise way, and is vocally demanding to boot. How can we capture the true chaos that goes on inside the mind of a struggling artist/waiter in 1990 NYC? How did people even do musicals before email and voice memos? Ahhh!!
How did you get started performing?
I grew up participating in piano competitions, playing in orchestras, taking ballet, and didn’t actually do my first show until high school. I also started “collecting“ instruments and writing/singing songs during that time. My best friend and I used to play bluegrass and write fiddle tunes every weekend…we probably played the “Oh Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack in her parlor hundreds of times. When I went to liberal arts college, there were no instrumental ensembles and so I leaned more into voice and theater as my musical outlets, as well as singing jazz and performing around Santa Fe. And here we are! I can’t imagine a version of me that doesn’t compulsively need to make music.
Why do you still perform?
Performing is giving every audience their own unique gift — the energy is different every night in a live show…and I will always want to do musicals because belting is my drug of choice.
What’s your dream role, and what do you feel you would bring to it?
My dream role is Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. I basically wrote my thesis about her. It ain’t gonna happen, but a gal can sure dream & secretly work on her Italian.
What’s a fun fact people may not know about you?
Once upon a time, I was a competitive swing dancer. I used to willingly participate in Solo Charleston dance contests. And win.
