This was my first opening night ever! I saw so many celebrities. Michael J. Fox, Stephen Spielberg, Josh Gad, and many more. To say the least, I was starstruck!
I saw the show in previews about a week ago. I don’t think anything was changed from previews, but to be fair this show made its debut on the West End in 2021. When transferring to America, they changed bits of the script to better fit American audiences and changed a significant amount of choreography.
Back To The Future The Musical stays true to the movie, keeping the iconic lines and costumes. Of course, some of the plot is cut for time, though it’s still easy to follow for someone who may be unfamiliar with the movie. At the same time the show feels updated for the current generation to enjoy. This freshness is aided by the actors making the characters their own.
I was ecstatic when the news dropped that Casey Likes would be Broadway’s very own Marty McFly. I instantly became a fan of Likes when I saw him in Almost Famous on Broadway last season. As one of the new young faces on Broadway, Likes is a well-seasoned actor. In Back To The Future, Likes is an energetic and charismatic Marty, yet he also seems more flustered than Michael J. Fox’s Marty. This adds to the realism of the plot, that Marty is possibly facing his impending doom and his life will be forever altered if he cannot get his parents to fall in love again.
On top of this, Hugh Coles makes an incredible George. The accent he puts on is very reminiscent of Crispin Glover. Despite the fact George is most definitely a misfit, Coles still manages to gain immense empathy from the audience. Coles is a star who plays a lovable George.
Roger Bart’s portrayal of Doc Brown is goofy and neurotic, similar to how he is played in the movie. Bart was a joy to watch and you never knew what he was going to do next.
The cast is complete with a full ensemble who all individually add to the over the top campy vibes. I do not use the word "camp" negatively in this case as it fits the 80s movie themes well.
Besides the acting, the special effects are one of the best parts of the show. This show had likely the best projections, lighting, and set I have ever seen in a musical. The effects were risky as they are integral to create the illusion of time travel. The effects also created an immersive experience for audience members, packed with fires, explosions, and a DeLorean that looks like it is actually speeding off before your eyes. The effects alone are an experience in itself.
The score is upbeat and sprinkled with the famous Huey Lewis songs featured in the movie. In a musical the music’s job is to elicit a feeling, further the plot, and give the viewer more insight on what’s going on in a character’s mind. The music in Back To The Future achieves these things, however the lyricism is superficial. That being said, it does not elicit very strong feelings or help audiences to understand a character better. The lyricism is just not very deep. Nevertheless, the music is able to make the audience smile. To be honest, that’s all that’s needed for a feel-good musical like Back To The Future.
Because Back To The Future is simply a feel-good musical, the underlying message is if you work hard and believe in yourself, you can change other people’s lives for the better.
Back To The Future will probably not go down as one of the most profound shows in musical theatre history, but it successfully works as a Broadway musical. It’s truly capable of transporting one to another world. It’s one of those shows that caters to all audiences and brings people together. It’s one of those shows where you leave the theatre with a full heart. And maybe these things are important above everything else.
I loved that my sister and I have been able to bond over this musical. She’s not the biggest musical theatre fan (not like me), but she loves the Back To The Future trilogy. I think it’s beautiful to see her (and many others) excitement for this show and it gives me joy watching her become encapsulated in the world of Back To The Future The Musical. I will now leave you with some pictures I took at previews (July 19) and opening night (July 25). By the way Casey Likes is seriously the nicest person I’ve ever met!!
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