Make no mistake - it's not "Rent."

But "tick, tick ... BOOM!" is good for what it is - a small show about the premature mid-life crisis of a struggling artist. And it doesn't hurt that the struggling artist happens to be Jonathan Larson, the late creator of the Broadway phenomenon "Rent."

The show takes place in 1990 as Jonathan (Christian Campbell) struggles to write the great American musical. He's preparing to workshop "Superbia," his futuristic rock musical, but is worried he'll never make it.

To make matters worse, his 30th birthday is around the corner, girlfriend Susan (Nicole Ruth Snelson) is pushing him to move out of the city and best friend Michael (Wilson Cruz - you might remember him as Rickie Vasquez from ABC's "My So-Called Life"), who left acting, is raking it in as a marketing executive on Madison Avenue while Jonathan waits tables in SoHo.

Time seems to be running out: tick, tick.

The show is a must for Larson fans, who get to see an autobiographical look at his life. "Tick, tick ... BOOM!" was written by Larson and finished by friends and colleagues after his 1996 death.

But don't expect the same things out of this show that you might expect from Larson's larger and more famous production.

The music has rock tones, but it's not on the scale of "Rent," and unlike the 1996 Tony Award-winning show, "tick, tick ... BOOM!" is not all sung.

The music is good, although none of the 14 songs in the show really catch in your head - unlike far too many cheesy showtunes.

All three actors are great singers and the rock sound is a welcome change from the more traditional Broadway-style productions.

And the show is worth a few laughs, led by supporting actors Snelson and Cruz. The duo play nine different characters throughout the show - all of them marvelously - with Campbell holding steady as a solid lead.

The show is perfect for the atmosphere of Wharton Center's Pasant Theatre. Because of the theater's stadium seating, there isn't a bad seat in the place - which was far from sold out Tuesday night. The show would probably look fantastic - instead of just good - with a full house and the right crowd.

But no matter which crowd lines up at the box office, they'll see the right cast.

Hey, even if you're not into Larson and "Rent," go see them. How often do you actually get to stare at two hot guys and a gorgeous girl on stage for an hour and a half?

Overall: 3 stars

Acting: 4 stars

Choreography: 3.5 stars

Costumes: 3 stars

Score: 3 stars

Singing: 4 stars