National tour of ‘Back to the Future’ is a timely hit at Saenger
By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“)
The national tour of Back to the Future: The Musical materialized onto the stage of the Saenger Theater this week and left wakes of laughter and positive vibes throughout the venue just in time for the holidays.
With state-of-the-art video projections and an extremely well-designed set that flies in quickly and efficiently as physics will allow, this is a show with lots of spectacular effects that enhance a strong book by Bob Gale. Gale and film director Bob Zemeckis wrote the beloved 1985 film that starred Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Doctor Emmett Brown. Back to the Future: The Musical recounts most of the plot of the first of the trilogy of Zemeckis films that made stars out of Fox and Lloyd.
Lucas Hallauer stars in this national tour as Marty, a typical 1980s skateboarding teenager with a pathetic family life and a dismal prospect for his future. David Josefsberg plays the zany and eccentric Dr Brown role to hilarious results, a Tony-nominated role originated on Broadway by Roger Bart.
Hallauer is the main star and he is seen in almost every scene throughout the show. Accidentally transported to 1955 in a time machine contained within a Delorean, he interacts with his own parents, both of whom are now his contemporaries.
Unintentionally, he interferes with his own timeline and finds that unless he can repair the damage, he will be stuck in the Fifties along with poodle skirts and crew cuts or, worse, might even be phased entirely out of existence.
Set in 1985, the same year of the film’s release, the opening number of “It’s Only a Matter of Time” paints a picture of quaint Hill Valley. There’s a lot of moving parts in a complex musical structure. Marty expresses a belief that he is overdue to find his true mission in life. It’s echoed by the town’s Black candidate for mayor, Goldie Wilson (Catreze Tucker), that the town is about to break out from its past, too.
“Got No Future,” a song by Hallauer as Marty, comes next. Following a failed audition for his rock group Marty and the Pinheads, he is at a low ebb. Principal Strickland (Luke Anthony Neville), who knew his father 30 years earlier, pronounces judgment against the music and the McFly family calling them “slackers.” Marty considers: “Seems no matter what I do, my dreams are never coming true.” His father George (Mike Bindeman) lacks a spine and his mother Lorraine (Zan Berube) is pickled most of the day, a depressed boozer. Even his older McFly siblings – George (Fisher Lane Stewart) and Linda (Abbie Friedman) – are no role models for Marty.
The one good thing going for him is his relationship with his girlfriend Jennifer Parker (Sophia Yacap). The two consider their hopeful questionable together in “Wherever We’re Going.” As Jennifer, Yacap is supportive and nurturing, knowing that despite what Principal Strickland and others think, he is talented and will find his way in life. “It’s alright with me” they harmonize.
Josefsberg’s character of Doc Brown is a source of great humor throughout the show. The act two opener “21st Century” is a dream sequence and an opportunity for him to show off some of his dancing moves with the ensemble backing him up and lighting him up across the stage with several special effects.
In “For the Dreamers,” a sweet ballad in which he sings solo, the scientist acknowledges his trust in science. ” Knowing that Marty’s life depends on him, he waxes romantically for his heroes – Franklin, Einstein, Edison and Newton – and imagines the best possible outcome.
Bullied by Biff Tannen (Nathaniel Hackmann) and his punk friends 3D (Zachary Bigelow) and Slick (Fisher Lane Stewart), George McFly needs to become a man and take a stand. Marty remembers his parents had said they shared their first kiss at a school dance. Marty knows his future depends on their getting together. It means not only will he be have a chance to returned to his own timeline, but his own life and that of his siblings will entirely depend on it.
In “Put Your Mind to It” there is a wonderful opportunity for Marty to bolster George. The songs inspires the two of them to engage in some creative dancing as the background singers elevate the scene. It’s a moment of father-son bonding that is ever more affirmative than Dear Evan Hansen’s more detached and underlyingly sad “To Break in a Glove.”
Cartreze Tucker turns in an excellent performance as both Mayor Goldie Wilson and Marvin Berry, his powerful instrument soaring above the ensemble.
As fine an Equity cast as is assembled here, the biggest star in the show does not hold an Equity card. It’s the time-traveling Delorean that in the final scenes is given prominent display with special lighting and projections that connect directly with the musical arrangements.
The music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri, who also wrote the original soundtrack for the film, and Glen Ballard (Jagged Little Pill) moves the action along. While the lyrics stick straight to the task of advancing the characters, the music also carries the action along, especially punctuated in the more dramatic portions of the script dealing with time travel. But the closing numbers originally written and performed by Huey Lewis and the News for the movie prove to be the most engaging and memorable numbers of the show.
Directed by John Rando with designs by Tim Hatley and lighting by co-designers Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone, Back to the Future: The Musical also features video designer Finn Ross and illusion designer Chris Fisher. Dramatic sound esign is by Gareth Owen. Music supervisor and araanger is Nick Finlow along with orchestrators Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook. Matt Doebler serves as the music director. Chris Bailey is the choreographer , while dance arrangements are by David Chase.
The national tour of Back to the Future: The Musical continues at the Saenger Theater, 1111 Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana as part of the Broadway in New Orleans series through, Sunday, Dec. 11. For tickets, click here or call 504-287-0351l
