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Back to the Future: The Musical

Back to the Future: The Musical is a musical with music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard and a book by Bob Gale. It is adapted from the 1985 film Back to the Future by Robert Zemeckis and Gale. The show features original music, as well as songs featured in the film ("The Power of Love", "Earth Angel", "Johnny B. Goode" and "Back in Time").

The musical originally was slated to première in London's West End in 2015, the year to which the film trilogy's characters traveled in Part II. However, a change in directors resulted in a delay in the production. The musical received its premiere at Manchester Opera House in February 2020, ahead of a 2021 West End transfer. It starred Olly Dobson as Marty McFly and Roger Bart as "Doc" Brown. The production received positive reviews in London and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2022.

The musical began previews on Broadway in June and opened in August 2023. Bart and Coles reprise their roles, and Casey Likes plays Marty.

Background

The movie and its two sequels were box office successes, taking in over $936 million at the box office. In the United Kingdom, the popularity of the film Back to the Future had been boosted by its television broadcasts on Christmas or Boxing Day for several years starting in 1988.

At a 2004 DeLorean convention, Bob Gale said that he was interested in adapting Back to the Future for Broadway. In 2012, a musical adaption of the 1985 film Back to the Future began development leading to the exploration of an adaptation. Workshops for the musical took place in 2014 in July in London and the following month in Los Angeles, with the intention to open the show in the West End in 2015, in time for the 30th anniversary of the film.

Jamie Lloyd was initially engaged to direct the production but withdrew from the project in September 2014 after the workshops, citing creative differences. Bob Gale later recalled that those creative differences were over whether the character Biff should sing: "[Lloyd] thought that a villain would be more villainous if he didn't sing. For me, that was the dealbreaker". Lloyd's withdrawal from the production was expected to delay the premiere until at least 2016, and a new director was sought. Others who had left the creative team included Soutra Gilmour as scenic designer

Synopsis

Act I

In Hill Valley, California, October 25, 1985 ("Overture"), Marty McFly visits scientist Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown's house and finds a pre-recorded message, playing on a large amplifier, asking Marty to meet him in the parking lot of Twin Pines Mall later past midnight. After destroying the amplifier while playing his electric guitar, Marty walks through town and dreams about being a successful rock artist, while a man named Goldie Wilson runs for mayor ("It's Only a Matter of Time").

When Marty's band audition is rejected ("Got No Future"), Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer Parker, comforts him ("Wherever We're Going") but they are interrupted by fundraisers for the restoration of the town's clock tower, which was damaged by lightning in 1955. Marty, with a flyer on the clocktower in hand, heads home to find his father George being harassed by his boss, Biff Tannen. George discourages Marty from chasing big dreams, his brother Dave explains his job at a burger restaurant and his mother, Lorraine McFly, discourages his sister, Linda, from dating and talks about how she first met George and kissed him at a school dance as Marty laments his family's state ("Hello, Is Anybody Home?").

At the Twin Pines Mall parking lot, Marty meets Doc who unveils a time machine made from a DeLorean and explains how he built it ("It Works"). However, due to inadequate protection while loading plutonium into the car's reactor, Doc is afflicted by acute radiation poisoning and starts dying. Marty jumps in the car to seek medical help but accidentally accelerates to 88 miles per hour (142 km/h), sending him back in time to the day Doc conceptualised time travel in 1955. Ditching the car in a barn, Marty wanders to the town square where the citizens of Hill Valley celebrate the town ("Cake"). Marty witnesses his teenage father being threatened by Biff and his gang ("Got No Future" (reprise)) and tells him to stand up for himself. When he accidentally reveals then-diner employee Goldie will become Mayor of Hill Valley, Goldie is inspired and encourages George to also increase his self-esteem ("Gotta Start Somewhere"). Marty later finds George spying on teenage Lorraine from a tree ("My Myopia"), but is knocked unconscious when George falls. Hours later, Marty wakes up in Lorraine's bedroom. Lorraine falls for Marty who tries to fend off her advances ("Pretty Baby").

Marty finds his way to Doc's house and convinces a younger Doc that he came from 1985 by revealing his knowledge about Doc's Flux Capacitor. Finding the car, Doc worries that Marty will be stuck in 1955 forever. As Marty despairs ("Future Boy"), Doc states that a bolt of lightning could power the time machine and both he and Marty make use of the information on Marty's flyer to use the lightning bolt. Marty reveals he encountered both of his parents when Doc warns him against meeting anyone in history, causing Doc to instruct him to get George to meet Lorraine. At Hill Valley High School the next day ("Hill Valley High School Fight Song"), Doc and Marty infiltrate the school, with Marty encouraging George to ask Lorraine out to join her for the school's upcoming dance. George tries to follow Marty's advice, but runs afoul of Biff, forcing Marty to intervene. As Marty and George are chased all around the campus, Lorraine tells her friends about the boy she tended to, while Biff and his gang hear rumors about Marty and plot to get rid of him and Marty himself fends off Biff, inadvertently awing Lorraine further ("Something About That Boy").

Act II

Doc Brown dreams of the social, technological, economic, and political advances of the future ("21st Century"), waking up as Lorraine invites Marty to the school dance to which Marty reluctantly accepts ("Something About That Boy" (reprise)). Marty visits George to boost his self confidence and dance abilities in preparation for the dance ("Put Your Mind to It"), running through the plan for George to win over Lorraine as well.

While planning to use a wire running from the clocktower to send the lightning to the DeLorean, Doc looks to the scientists throughout history, longing to be famous while noting of those who fail to fulfil their goals despite their best efforts ("For the Dreamers"). Meanwhile, Biff and his gang learn of Marty's attendance at the upcoming dance and plot to beat him up ("Teach Him a Lesson"). On the night of the dance, Doc thanks Marty for giving him hope for his future but Marty secretly writes a letter to warn him of his death in 1985, despite being warned of the harm from disclosing future events. Marty also reflects on his only chance to make it back, while thinking of Jennifer back in 1985 for inspiration ("Only a Matter of Time" (reprise)).

During the school dance ("Deep Divin'"), Lorraine advances on Marty ("Pretty Baby" (reprise)) before Biff locks him in a nearby dumpster and assaults Lorraine. Biff overpowers an arriving George, but George defeats him in one punch. As George escorts a grateful Lorraine to the dance, singer Marvin Berry and his band, on a smoke break, free Marty from the dumpster but Marvin's fingers are accidentally clamped by the closing lid. Knowing music will be needed for George and Lorraine to kiss, Marty volunteers to play guitar instead. The band plays "Earth Angel" as George and Lorraine kiss, saving Marty's existence. On Marvin's request for another song, Marty performs "Johnny B. Goode", but his guitar solo stuns the crowd.

After bidding farewell to George and Lorraine, Marty leaves the dance to meet Doc who explains that high winds disconnected the upper cables and that he would have to reconnect them despite his fear of heights. Marty gives his letter to Doc who destroys it, worried about the consequences. Doc faces his fear and the storm to connect the wires ("For the Dreamers" (reprise)) while Marty drives the DeLorean, inserts the electric hook and accelerates to 88 miles per hour as the lightning strikes and sends him back to October 26, 1985. However, upon arrival, the car shuts down before Marty can keep driving to the hospital to save Doc. As Marty grieves over failing to save Doc, Doc appears, revealing that he pieced the letter back together and wore a better protective suit. He thanks Marty and bids him goodbye before departing to the future in the DeLorean while Marty sleeps in the courthouse square.

Upon waking up the following morning, Marty discovers his father is now a renowned science fiction author with an annual celebration named after him, his family is more professionally and socially successful and a timid Biff is under George's employ. At the celebration, the McFlys present the town with a check to restore the clock tower. As Marty and his band perform "The Power of Love" and the whole town joins in, Doc suddenly returns in the upgraded DeLorean, insisting Marty comes with him to see the future. Marty hops in and Doc sets the car's destination date to the exact time and date of the show's current performance. The DeLorean takes off and flies over the audience, and into the future, as the curtain closes ("Finale").

Productions

Manchester (2020)

The musical began previews on 20 February, with an opening night on 11 March 2020, after the five year delay, at the Manchester Opera House. The production was directed by John Rando, with choreography by Chris Bailey, set and costume design by Tim Hatley, video design by Finn Ross, lighting by Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Gareth Owen

Only a few days after the official opening, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Manchester Opera House closed on 16 March 2020. The show did not reopen until it transferred to the West End.

West End (2021)

The production transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in the West End, where it opened on 13 September 2021 with the same cast and creative team. In 2022, the original cast album was released. The production was nominated for seven Laurence Olivier Awards that year, including Best New Musical which it won, as well as Best Original Score or New Orchestrations. The run is expected to continue until at least December 2024.

Broadway (2023)

The musical began previews on Broadway on 30 June 2023, at the Winter Garden Theatre, and opened officially on 3 August. The production has the same creative team as the original West End production. Roger Bart and Hugh Coles from the original London cast return in the roles of Doc Brown and George McFly, respectively, with Casey Likes as Marty McFly; the cast also includes Merritt David Janes as Strickland, Liana Hunt as Lorraine, Jelani Remy as Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry, Nathaniel Hackmann as Biff and Mikaela Secada as Jennifer. The production received two nominations at the 77th Tony Awards: Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Bart) and Best Scenic Design of a Musical.

North American Tour (2024)

A North American tour is planned to open at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 14, 2024, following preview performances, which began on June 6 at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, New York. Don Stephenson and Caden Brauch lead the tour as Doc Brown and Marty McFly respectively. The tour is scheduled to continue through August 2025, ending at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Planned Tokyo (2025)

A production is planned to open in April 2025 at the Shiki Theatre in Tokyo, Japan.

Original cast and characters

Notable replacements

West End (2021)

Doc Brown: Cory English
Lorraine Baines-McFly: Amber Davies

Musical numbers

# Not included in the Original Cast Recording

% Song cut from the original West End production

Cast recording

The Back to the Future website announced on October 21, 2020 ("Back to the Future Day") that a cast recording of the West End production would be released by Sony's Masterworks Broadway imprint. The announcement was accompanied by the release of Olly Dobson's rendition of "Back in Time", which was featured in the first film and its soundtrack, in addition to the original track "Put Your Mind to It". The cast recording was released on March 11, 2022.

A Deluxe Edition of the cast recording album was released on October 20, 2023. This album includes a second disc of 13 demo versions of songs written for the musical.

Reception

The Guardian reported that fans of the franchise gave the Manchester tryout positive reviews, with one commenting that it's "a wonderful tribute to the film" and another that "people are going to be talking about this for a long time". The show received a generally positive critical reception upon its West End opening. The production design received widespread praise, and the performances of Bart, Dobson, Coles and Neal were reviewed positively.

The Broadway production received more mixed reviews. Frank Rizzo of Variety wrote, "with the frequent breaking of the fourth wall and the milking of some meta moments, you wonder what exactly the show’s aiming to be: a self-aware joke for fans or a thrill ride with sincerity". Jesse Green of The New York Times stated, "though large, it's less a full-scale new work than a semi-operable souvenir". Most of the critical praise was given to the technical aspects, especially scenes featuring the DeLorean.