Review: ‘Back to the Future’ is a fun, slick ride
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Marty McFly waits alone on stage, wearing his iconic jean jacket and puffer vest. Suddenly, through the magic of stagecraft, the iconic DeLorean from the 1985 film “Back to the Future” crashes on stage, flux capacitor and all. The audience applauds as Doc Brown steps out of the car-turned-time machine, eventually exclaiming “It works!”
“It works” can also be said of the musical adaptation of “Back to the Future: The Musical,” now playing at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis.
The stage version faithfully translates its source material. It hits all the points a fan would expect: Marty McFly is still unimpressed by his family of “slackers” and he still gets sent back to 1955. He still has to play matchmaker for his mom and dad — after screwing up their initial meeting — to save his future and potentially the space-time continuum.
The stage script by Bob Gale, who also co-wrote the film version with Robert Zemeckis, changes little. Songs from the movie also appear, like Huey Lewis’ “Back in Time” and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.”
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These are mixed in with the rousing original film score from Alan Silvestri, who has also written original songs for the musical with collaborator Glen Ballard. These new additions are a bit forgettable. Antagonist Biff Tannen’s song in act two, “Teach Him a Lesson,” primarily features the villainous bully’s plans to enact revenge on Marty for an earlier incident of public embarrassment.
Still, the show seems like a lot of fun to perform. The cast buzzes with energy. For example, Burke Swanson plays George McFly, Marty’s nerdy father. His physical comedy is that of a master clown — in one scene he gets entangled with a broom, leading to a Rowan Atkinson-style routine.
The best musical number belongs to Goldie Wilson, a minor character from the movie, who Marty McFly inspires to run for mayor.
Here, he is more fleshed out, with his own song, “Gotta start somewhere.” Actor Cartreze Tucker sings powerful high notes among a chorus of working-class characters. The song recalls “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat” from “Guys and Dolls.” Initially, the number feels out of place, but it does get at the show’s core themes — self-confidence and belief.
Despite having heart, especially in the moments shared between Caden Brauch’s Marty McFly and Don Stephenson’s Doc Brown, the show is a bit too self-aware. It knows it’s a musical adaptation and comes off as corny at times, especially in the large cast numbers that are caricatures of the 80s and 50s — a song called “Cake” literally has a man doing a swing dance with a DDT canister. Another character extols the usefulness of asbestos.
The technical elements are the best part of the show. At the start of the play, lighting design by Hugh Vanstone and Tim Lutkin, and projections by Finn Ross interact with Tim Hatley’s set to transport audience members to Hill Valley, Calif., in 1985. These moments feel like a ride you’d enjoy at Universal Studios.
The show’s real star is a DeLorean car used for time travel. Illusionist Chris Fisher’s technical wizardry with the car delights and surprises. Coupled with projections, the vehicle races around the stage and, yes, flies.
“Back to the Future: The Musical” adds very little to the franchise, and its fan service can be a bit distracting. However, with a cast that seems to love every minute they are on stage and practical effects that match the feel of the movies, the show is an enjoyable time — even if the songs could use a second pass.
“Back to the Future: The Musical” runs through Sept. 22.
