ARUNDEL – The Arundel Barn Playhouse will present the New England première of “tick, tick… BOOM!” Aug. 3 through Aug. 14.

This modern American musical was written by Jonathan Larson, the creator of “Rent.” Presented Off-Broadway in 2001, the play is the tender, humorous portrait of a young composer, struggling to hold fast to his dreams, while those around him appear to give up theirs.

His best friend, Michael, has left acting for a lucrative career in marketing and his relationship with girlfriend Susan is experiencing strains.

“tick, tick… BOOM!” is one of three works by Larson. It was performed by him in the early ’90s before he wrote the highly successful “Rent.” Larson died at age 36 in 1996 of an aortic aneurysm the day before the opening of “Rent.”

His sister Julie Larson, who accepted his Tony Award, said, “It took my brother Jonnie 15 years of really hard work to become an overnight sensation.”

After his death, Larson’s family and friends refined his early materials into “tick, tick… BOOM!”

Performances are Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 6 p.m. and Wednesday matinees at 2 p.m. Additional performances are Sunday, Aug. 8, at 8 p.m and Friday, Aug. 13, at 2 p.m. Evening tickets are $24; matinees are $19. For prepaid reservations, people can call (207) 985-5552.

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