BACK TO BACK TO THE FUTURE
For those of us old enough to remember the summer of ’85, when the movie Back to the Future reigned in movie theaters, here’s a daunting thought: Marty’s 30-year time travel back to 1955 was a shorter leap than going to 1985 from now. For the musical, the Broadway tour of which opened for a short run at The Civic last night, this gives creator Bob Gale, costumer Tim Hatley, and make-up designers Campbell Young Associates two distinctly different time periods to poke fun at: the 1950s AND the 1980s, the latter being when our plot starts.
Caden Brauch
Zan Berube, Burke Swanson, Caden Brauch and Company
1985 high school senior Marty McFly (Caden Brauch takes on the classic Michael J. Fox role) comes from a family of losers, it seems. Mom Lorraine (Zan Berube) is a drunk. Marty’s siblings Dave and Linda (Fisher Lane Stewart and Laura Sky Herman) are going nowhere. His father George (Mike Bindeman) is a total wimp who is still being bullied long after high school by the same creep Biff (Ethan Rogers), who is now his heartless boss. Marty meets up with his eccentric friend, the mad scientist Doc Brown (Don Stephenson), who has been working on a time-traveling DeLorean sports car. Through a series of blunders, the car takes Marty back to 1955. Marty must find the much younger Doc, convince him of the situation, and see if they can find a way to power the vehicle to get Marty “back to the future.” Unfortunately for Marty (but not for us), he encounters his younger parents and upsets the time continuum when his mother prefers this new-kid-in-town to his should-be-father.
Don Stephenson
Ethan Rogers, Caden Brauch, Burke Swanson and Company
The movie is delightful fun and full of hit music like Huey Lewis’s “Back in Time” and “The Power of Love,” which made it an instant classic. In creating a musical, background music isn’t enough, so Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard were brought on to create original music and lyrics. This is where the show falters somewhat. Some numbers are bold and fit well into the show, like Act I’s finale “Something About That Boy,” but others, like Doc’s “It Works” feel obligatory, as if someone said, “It’s been too long since we’ve sung and danced; find a line in that part of the script to make a song out of.”
Caden Brauch
Cartreze Tucker and Company
There’s no critiquing John Rando’s staging, Chris Bailey‘s tremendous choreography, and a cast which offers quite the spectacle of break dancing, lindy-hopping, and much more. Mr. Brauch takes a leap from the top of a locker to the stage, dropping six feet and continuing to dance like he’d been on flat ground. It’s just that some of these numbers feel like showcases rather than integral to continuing the plot or expressing feeling. Thankfully, there are some terrific voices in the ensemble, especially Cartreze Tucker as the town’s mayor, who hits and holds a note with such skill and style that the show had to hold for the applause. Conversely, Mr. Stephenson, who is a lot of fun as the goofy scientist, either lacked projection or the right microphone as we struggled to make out his lyrics in numerous songs, including the Act II kick-off, “21st Century.”
Burke Swanson, Ethan Rogers, Caden Brauch and Zan Berube
Don Stephenson and Caden Brauch
Despite many good performances, the best reason to see this show, though, isn’t the work of the actors, dancers, or musical contributors. The shining star of this show was the production team of Finn Ross (sound design), Chris Fisher (illusions), Tim Lutkin & Hugh Vanstone (lighting design), and Tim Hatley (dual role on scenic design). Back to the Future The Musical undoubtedly contains the most amazing use of video, lighting, and set design that this critic has ever seen. The car is indeed moving on the stage, but the screens and projections give it the feeling of racing and even flying. Doc climbs a projected staircase as the scenery moves downward with every step up that he takes. Other backdrops fly in from the ceiling and sides precisely as needed. The bottom line? While the book is okay, and the performances quite good to excellent, it is the gorgeously-executed spectacle that makes the visit worth it.
Don Stephenson, Caden Brauch and Company
Caden Brauch and Burke Swanson
photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Caden Brauch and Company
Back to the Future The Musical
Broadway San Diego
San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave
Thu at 7:30; Fri at 8; Sat and 2 & 8; Sun at 1 & 6:30
ends on Sunday Jan 19, 2025 in San Diego
for tickets (beginning at $51.25, incl. fee), call 619.564.3000 or visit BroadwaySD
tour continues; for dates and cities, visit Back To The Future Musical
