Ramapo transported students to the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway to watch “Back to the Future: The Musical” on April 10. The musical is relatively new to Broadway, given that it only opened last year. As a ‘70s and ’80s fangirl, the opportunity to attend a musical version of the classic movie intrigued me.
The film “Back to the Future” follows a teenager named Marty McFly and his old friend and physicist Doc Brown as they travel back in time. Back in a time when his parents were teenagers, Marty throws off the course of his parents’ budding relationship, turning the trip threatening as he could stop existing.
Before the show began, I admired the decor surrounding the stage. The lighting from the frame appeared throughout the performance and created great suspense. I was first nostalgic for the visuals of the time clock on stage.
The DeLorean was the spectacle of set design as it made an amazing entrance and farewell. When traveling back in time, a screen was set to place the audience in a sort of car racing game. Later on, during the farewell, the time machine was lifted in the air with Marty and Doc inside. It was shocking to watch the DeLorean go within a few inches of the audience’s seating, especially since it looked just like the original machine in the film.
The play began with Marty McFly’s (Casey Likes) and Jennifer Parker’s (Mikaela Secada) relationship. The voices of the characters were thoughtful, but Secada’s stood out to me. I especially appreciated that their performance did not exclusively adhere to the 1985 film.
The cast did an impressive job capturing their characters from the movie. For instance, George McFly (Hugh Coles) was one of the highlights of the show. I don’t remember George being so humorous in the movie, but either way, his portrayal constantly brought a smile to my face. His famous chuckle was the laughing stock of the audience, and it’s easy to claim that George was a fan favorite.
Another collective favorite was Doc Brown (Roger Bart). Not only did his character execute the jokes very well, but his modern and somewhat explicit remarks were delivered perfectly. Bart was perfectly suited for this role.
A personal preference for me was Likes, who gets bonus points considering I had a crush on Marty back then. Besides that, his dancing was what stood out to me. His energy radiated and I found myself addicted. He also perfectly portrayed the character’s awkwardness and paranoia.
Doc and Marty’s friendship appeared more wholesome in the play rather than the movie. From the jokes they shared to the goodbye hug, the two actors seemed to have wholesome chemistry.
Another duo I enjoyed, which is a guilty pleasure of mine, is Marty and his mother, Lorraine Baines (Liana Hunt). As mentioned previously, the play modernized the movie a tad, which definitely rendered it more humorous and relatable. The mother’s confidence and flirty banter in the musical is opposed to her awkwardness in the movie. Her flirtatiousness throughout the play with George and Marty seemed a more reasonable approach than otherwise. The duo’s interactions were hilarious every time, given the circumstances.
Although I’ve heard the music did not exceed some people’s expectations, I personally loved it thanks to how well it was showcased. A few of the songs in each act did better than others, but overall, it was worth listening to.
There were certain dance numbers that were quite interesting, especially one. During the number, the line of dancers were dressed in what appeared to be lab coats and technological, experimental hats shooting vibrant colors out, alongside Doc. It felt like a fever dream watching it go on without a sort of explanation. Besides that, I enjoyed the numerous amounts of characters prancing. The collective dancing rendered the play more nostalgic and heartfelt.
Another heartfelt moment was the end, where George and Lorraine kiss. Their tension was brought only in that scene, which evinced a moment that was worth the wait. A smile never left my face since the start of the play, so I highly recommend seeing it for yourself.
5/5 stars
rsaadeld@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @bttfbway, Instagram
