When I spoke with Zan Berube recently, she told me that “Back to the Future: The Musical” was a “tech heavy” show. Berube plays Lorraine, Marty McFly’s mother, in the musical now on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center.
The musical is based on the 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and others.
Doc Brown (David Josefsberg), an eccentric scientist, has created a time machine in the form of a DeLorean. Given that the movie is 40 years old, it’s possible you don’t know that DeLoreans were short-lived two-seater sports cars with stainless steel exteriors and gull-wing doors. You couldn’t call them popular, but “Back to the Future” did make them famous.
Doc Brown asks his young friend, Marty McFly (Lucas Hallauer), to meet him at the Hill Valley Mall at 1AM. When Doc Brown has an accident, Marty hops into the DeLorean to rush for help. But he hits 88 miles per hour, and the DeLorean rockets him back in time to 1955. Without the plutonium necessary to return him to 1985, Marty is stuck – unless he can convince the Doc Brown of 1955 that his theory of time travel is true.
While working with Doc Brown, Marty meets his parents as teenagers. They are not yet a couple, and Lorraine (Berube) falls for Marty, who is dragged into her home by her father (Marty’s grandfather) after George McFly (Mike Binderman) falls out of a tree onto Marty, after Marty catches him peeping through Lorraine’s window.
Marty must find a way to get his parents together. He knows their first kiss was at the Enchantment Under the Sea dance at their high school, so he figures out a way to make that kiss happen. Otherwise, the time-space continuum will rupture and Marty’s very future will be jeopardized.
So that’s the story. Let’s talk about the tech-heavy elements.
There are a lot of projections. When the show begins, there’s a screen covering the stage. It shows “Providence, RI” and pinpoints it on a map of the United States, then whisks us westward to Hill Valley, CA. At the top of the second act, another screen shows images of Doc Brown’s futuristic dreams to accompany his song-and-dance number, “21st Century.” Once the DeLorean is revealed, there are projections showing its travels.
And then, there’s the DeLorean. Full-sized, completely decked out, and its first appearance is seemingly out of thin air. It plays a big enough part in the show, it should have taken a bow at the end. It’s fun to note that many of the show’s technical aspects were rewarded with applause, sometimes thunderous.
There were fine performances here. Hallauer’s Marty was reminiscent of Michael J. Fox’s. Hallauer’s build and enthusiasm are similar to Fox’s. Similarly, Bindeman’s George McFly is very similar to Crispin Glover’s.
Josefsberg’s Doc Brown, on the other hand, is very different from Chrisopher Lloyd’s. The character is iconic, but Josefsberg manages to make it his own. His performance of “For the Dreamers” is a touching and poignant ballad.
Berube’s Lorraine is also different from Lea Thompson’s. She pulls off the two 47-year-old versions nicely, ranging from the drunken frustrated mom at the top of the show to the put-together half of a power couple at the end. Her 17-year-old Lorraine is the perfect blend of innocence and raging hormones.
Cartreze Tucker has a stand-out moment as Goldie Wilson, the 1955 bus boy who’s inspired by 1985 Marty to run for mayor of Hill Valley. His performance of “Gotta Start Somewhere” is a show-stopper – especially the way he holds the song’s final note, which he reprises on its own later in the show.
There’s a lot of schtick involving the ensemble singers and dancers. Be sure to watch/ listen for it. And don’t leave when the screen shows “The End” – two full songs are performed when it’s lifted, including “Power of Love” which was featured in the original movie.
“Back to the Future: The Musical” is a fun bit of escapism. Sit back, relax and forget the outside world for a few hours. You’ll enjoy it.
Word of warning to “Back to the Future” purists. There are a few significant differences between the movie and the musical, but none of them are detrimental. Not to me, anyway.
And a fun note: weather permitting, the DeLorean will be parked in front of PPAC prior to the show. Patrons are encouraged to stop and take selfies with it, tagging @provpacri and @bttfbway on social media. Unfortunately, it was raining on press night, otherwise you’d have seen me posting pictures.
“Back to the Future: The Musical” runs at the Providence Performing Arts Center through June 16. For tickets and information, visit www.ppacri.org or call the box office at 401.421.ARTS.