Tick, Tick…Boom! Where To Spot Stephen Sondheim’s Secret Cameo

Spoilers ahead for Tick, Tick…Boom!

Tick, Tick…Boom! featured dozens of cameos from famous Broadway alumni, but it also featured a hidden cameo made by the now-late Stephen Sondheim, who is also portrayed in the film by Bradley Whitford. The cameo represents an homage to the late composer and lyricist, whose influence in the film is incredibly impactful. It also comes at a moment in the film when the character of Jonathan, played by Andrew Garfield, is most in need of Sondheim’s mentorship and guidance.

Towards the end of Tick, Tick…Boom!, young composer Jonathan Larson is starting work on a new musical project after the workshop for his piece Superbia yields no offers for a production. As he arranges and rearranges handwritten lyrics on his apartment floor, his landline rings. Jonathan screens the call and waits for the voicemail, only to discover that his creative inspiration and personal hero Stephen Sondheim is calling to tell Jonathan how much he enjoyed Superbia. The voicemail convinces Larson to keep writing, and serves as the catalyst for the film’s climax.

Though Sondheim is portrayed throughout much of the film by Bradley Whitford, the voice on the answering machine is provided by the real Stephen Sondheim. According to first-time director Lin-Manuel Miranda, after Sondheim screened the film, he voiced concerns about the voicemail he leaves Larson. Sondheim offered to rewrite it so that it would sound more like him, and also let Miranda know he could provide his own voice for the voicemail if Whitford could not be called in for reshoots, which is how Sondheim’s hidden cameo came to be.

Throughout much of the film, Stephen Sondheim’s presence guides Larson’s creative process. During the pivotal Superbia workshop sequence, Larson even holds up the start of the show to wait for Sondheim to make an appearance, which of course he does eventually. After Larson’s disappointment in the Superbia workshop, which is based on a real show Johnathan Larson crafted, Sondheim’s message for Larson tells him to keep going, and that the show “[…] has a future, and so do you.” Given Jonathan’s desire to follow in Sondheim’s creative footsteps, having the real Stephen Sondheim provide this pivotal message in the film’s climax makes for an even greater emotional impact.

Additionally, with Sondheim’s recent passing, this cameo could be one of Sondheim’s last influences on the world of musical theatre. It is also perhaps his last appearance in film or television. Given Tick, Tick…Boom!’s emphasis on the art of the creative process, and its deep love of Broadway and musical theatre as an art form, this hidden cameo will now likely be more important than ever to fans of Larson and of Sondheim.

While Miranda’s directorial debut also features dozens of other, more recognizable cameos from the world of Broadway, and even Miranda’s show Hamilton, Stephen Sondheim’s hidden cameo is perhaps its most important. It demonstrates Sondheim’s staying power as both a musical theatre composer/lyricist and as a writer in general. And, in wake of his death, his appearance in Tick, Tick…Boom! appears right when it’s needed, both for Larson in the film and for fans of musical theatre everywhere.

About The Author