Despite the positives, I still wonder why Back to the Future: The Musical exists at all.
This “musical re-invention” of the time-travel ‘80s classic is outfitted with some shiny parts, such as a great cast and some nifty effects, but what it lacks is any sort of originality in crafting something new to keep it fresh.
Musicals based on classic movies (Some Like It Hot) or films that flew under the radar (Waitress) tend to work really well as “new” musicals. But taking well-known iconic films and shoving them onstage as a sort of retro “you loved it there; you’ll love it here” doesn’t really work. (Most of the time.)
Robert Zemeckis’ film Back to the Future (written by Bob Gale, who also wrote the book for the musical) was not only air-tightly clever but brought to life by actors who made these characters their own. Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Thomas F. Wilson, and Crispin Glover all inhabited their characters with traits and quirks that will forever be remembered.
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On stage, despite some incredible vocals and a lot of energy, most of the actors are relegated to mimicking versions of these already memorable performances. From their mannerisms to their speech patterns, the audience is continuously aware that we are watching someone playing someone else playing the character.
That’s not to say the cast is bad. In fact, quite the opposite. They are stellar! Caden Brauch is a delight in the role of Marty McFly, made famous by Michael J. Fox, and has a pristine voice to boot. As Marty’s mom, Lorraine, Zan Berube is another highlight, especially with her powerhouse, crystalline voice. George McFly, played with a ton of energy by Burke Swanson, is the most similar, inhabiting the quirky original character so much I felt like I was watching Crispin Glover himself. Don Stephenson hams it up as Doc Brown, which differentiates him from Christopher Lloyd’s classic performance, but it was also a bit strange.
The other bit of head-scratching relates to the original music by Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard. While not unpleasant, none of the songs are memorable. Add to the fact that many of the songs don’t add anything to the story or character’s inner thoughts. Everything you need to know is in the dialogue.
The Second Act opens with a sci-fi ‘80s acid trip dream with Dr. Brown doing his best ’80s groove with female dancers who look like they came out of an episode of the ‘80s TV show “Buck Rogers.” Other than having a technicolor opener, there is no point in the number except to open it with a splash.
As a result, whenever the strains of a song begin, you know the action will come to a hard stop.
One character, Goldie Wilson (Cartreze Tucker), even gets his own song despite being barely a side character in the film and the musical. In the film, his journey through time is a funny gag. Here, he captivates in his own musical number but then disappears until the end of the show.
Choreography by Chris Bailey is tepid, and some of the backdrops resemble fuzzy high-school production backgrounds.
This is in direct contrast to Dr. Emmett Brown’s garage, which is finely detailed and magically disappears and reappears off and on throughout the show.
The DeLorean time machine itself looks, well, exactly like the movie, but the effect of its “driving” and “flying” is pretty fun to witness. In fact, there are some terrific visual treats in the show, and some of the scene changes are of the “how’d they do that?” variety.
Some moments do take you out of the show because they break the fourth wall. At one point, Dr. Brown’s dancers end up in his garage, almost as if the scenery changed too early, and they got stuck inside it. It’s a “bit,” to be sure, but completely unnecessary.
In another head-scratching moment, Marty fights Biff on top of some lockers and is handed a lightsaber from the movie Star Wars to battle him with. It’s not a fluorescent light that looks like a lightsaber mind-you (leading to the inevitable and non-sensical “I am your father” joke). It’s an actual lightsaber that lights up just like they do in the movie. If we’re in 1955, how does that make sense?
That said, this production is designed for a mass consumer who wants familiarity and razzle-dazzle in a Theme Park sort of way. For Broadway aficionados, this won’t bring them back to a future performance.
“Back to the Future: The Musical” runs through Dec.1st at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.
For more information and tickets, visit broadwayinhollywood.com.
It will also play at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from December 26th to January 5th. For more information and tickets, visit scfta.org.
