REVIEW: Nostalgia, strong vocals and electrifying special effects fuel ‘Back to the Future the Musical’
Time is of the essence in Back to the Future the Musical.
Innovatively directed by John Rando with Chris Bailey’s energetic choreography and dynamic Music Direction by Matt Doebler, Lexus Broadway in Boston presented Back to the Future the Musical live and in person at Citizens Bank Opera House in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, July 20. This zippy production runs 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission and is currently on national tour. Some subtle themes and dialogue are toned down to make this musical more family friendly. Click here for more information on their next stop and for tickets.
No one will ever be Michael J. Fox or Christopher Lloyd in these particular roles. Moreover, I am a firm believer the original film is perfectly cast and a reboot or any other adaptation will never quite live up to the original 1985 hit film. However, I do think that there are a lot of thrills and fun to be had in some of the extensions from the film such as Back to the Future: The Ride and Back the Future: The Musical which boasts some spectacular and immersive special effects and quick pacing to make this production more like a theatrical thrill ride.
To think Back to the Future was conceived when producer Bob Gale discovered his father’s high school yearbook and wondered if they would have been friends if he and his father attended high school together. Back to the Future the Musical not only boasts technological and scientific wizardry, but is also a family tale. Marty, in a likable portrayal infused with some of Fox’s notable inflections by Lucas Hallauer, knows his family is not on the fast track to success as Luke Antony Neville as uncompromising Principal Strickland insultingly blares at Marty into his Matterhorn in Got No Future.
Marty wishes his family were on a different path as Marty’s family is swiftly introduced in Hello-Is Anybody Home? Hallauer explains, ‘My dad would come in third in a two man race.’ Introverted, anxious and painfully shy, Mike Bindeman captures the awkwardness of Marty’s father George who takes what he gets while trying to avoid confrontations at all costs. Zan Berube delivers strong vocals and embodies Marty’s mother Lorraine with ease.
With a memorable laugh, wild facial expressions and threatening presence, Nathaniel Hackmann is well cast as obnoxious and calculating Biff as if the film’s Biff, depicted by Thomas F. Wilson, went back in time for this role.
Some of the cast leans on some of the original cast’s inflections, but David Josefsberg as eccentric Doc Brown, makes the character his own and shares a warm rapport with Lucas Hallauer as Marty reminiscent of the hit film.
Fast talking and excitable, Josefsberg exudes Doc’s wise and unwavering optimism while dreaming of an immense future in the motivational ballad, For the Dreamers as well as in lighter moments in a bit of self aware humor for It Works and the synthetic sounding 21st Century as the stage lights in sparkling, flashy and futuristic costumes when it is not leaning into scientific white lab coats.
This production would have worked just as effectively as a play and does not necessarily need to be a musical, but the cast’s powerful vocals, especially by Cartreze Tucker who is a highlight as optimistic visionary Gordie Wilson in an extended role, work. Tucker boasts sensational vocals as Gordy Wilson for the inspirational number, Start Somewhere.
Back to the Future The Musical also makes some clever choices that capture the spirit of the film while building on some of the film’s themes such as Doc Brown’s inspirational For the Dreamers and the nostalgic harmony in Cake which is a welcome trip into 50s nostalgia and ironic humor while offering mellifluous harmony. Other songs such as the cringe My Myopia and Pretty Baby are better left as brief scenes than full songs. Something about that Boy brings together multiple scenes featuring Berube, Hackmann, and the cast. Fifties classics such as Johnny B. Goode and Earth Angel recreate classic scenes from the film as well as selections from the film’s iconic soundtrack by Huey Lewis and the News.
The multicolored costumes capture two iconic eras as well as ensembles right out of the 1985 film. High tops, slouch socks, jean jackets, diner attire, frilly retro patterned dresses, Marty’s orange vest, and Lorraine’s classic pink prom dress are just a sample of this array of distinctive retro apparel. The fifties and the eighties are defined by certain characteristics, but it does not overpower the film’s universal themes.
Filled with retro pieces and realistic projections, the rolling and rotating sets are impressively detailed from an elaborate tree bursting with fall leaves, Lorraine’s bedroom similar to the hit film and Doc Brown’s house complete with portraits of his legendary mentors and inventors under twinkling stars.
The story is good, but the electrifying special effects are worth the price of the ticket as the real star, the DeLorean, roars to life. Chris Fisher’s impressive illusion design, Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone’s intricate and futuristic lighting, Finn Ross’s realistic video design, and Gareth Owen’s rumbling sound design unite to create an elaborate time jumping experience that immerses the audience into this compelling journey.
Lexus Broadway in Boston presented Back to the Future the Musical live and in person at Citizens Bank Opera House in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, July 20. The production is also currently on national tour. Click here for more information on their next stop and for tickets.