@showsiveseen Just saw "Back to the Future: The #Musical" at the Paramount Theatre from @broadwaycom Seattle & @Seattle Theatre Group. Starring Caden Brauch & Don Stephenson. Stunning projections & a vibrant celebration of 80s/50s culture, fashion, & music! The story was easy to follow, though the DeLorean tech had a few bumps. Definitely a fun ride through time! Closes 12/22/24 Review: showsiveseen.com/10639 Director: John Rando Music/Lyrics: Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard Stage Managers: Eric Sprosty, @Caitlin Kellermeyer, Malashia Carter, & Domingo Mancuello Conductor: Matt Doebler Choreography: Chris Bailey #BackToTheFuture #DeLorean #timeTravel #theatre #showsiveseen @Back to the Future Broadway ♬ It's Only a Matter of Time – Olly Dobson
Elevator Thoughts (aka Tweet): Just saw Back to the Future: The Musical at the Paramount Theatre from Broadway Seattle & Seattle Theatre Group. Starring Caden Brauch & Don Stephenson. Stunning projections & a vibrant celebration of 80s/50s culture, fashion, & music! The story was easy to follow, though the DeLorean tech had a few bumps. Definitely a fun ride through time! #BackToTheFuture #DeLorean #timeTravel
See it, especially if you enjoyed the movie.
My Synopsis (No Spoilers): A teenager from the 1980s accidentally travels back in time to the 1950s and must find a way to return home to the 80s without drastically altering the course of history.
Synopsis from the Licensor or Theatre Company: Great Scott! Back to the Future, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical. Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical, Back to the Future: The Musical is adapted for the stage by the iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and directed by the Tony Award®-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy® winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside hit songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Earth Angel,” and “Back in Time.” When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself… back to the future. When Back to the Future hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.
Attended Performance Date: 12/10/24 – Opening Night
Type: Musical
World Premiere: No
Several or Few Scenes: Several
Several or Few Settings/Locations: Several
Static (Stationary) or Dynamic Set: Dynamic
Prior Exposure/Knowledge Required: No, but you’ll probably appreciate/enjoy this more if you saw the movie.
Defined Plot/Storyline: Yes
Live Band/Orchestra: Yes
Union Actors: All
Total Actors: Too many to count
Perceived Pace of the Show: Medium speed
Was there an intermission? Yes
Length (Including Any Intermission): 2.75 hours
Was This the First Time I Attended a Production of this Show? Yes
Would I See It Again 3 Years from Now? Maybe
Mainstream Appeal: High
Other Rave(s) Not Mentioned Above
- Story: In most live theatre shows, I often need a few scenes before fully grasping the storyline. However, this musical stood out for its clarity and accessibility, making it easy to follow right from the beginning, even without prior familiarity with the movie.
- Mother: The scenes and songs involving the mother’s (Lorraine played by Zan Berube) misguided romantic love for her time traveling son were delightful, darling, … and oedipal! “Pretty Baby” and “Something About That Boy” reminded me of retro girl group songs like “My Boyfriend’s Back” or the songs from The Marvelous Wonderettes.
- 1950s Hazards: In the song “Cake,” the 1950s ensemble ironically and cheerfully boasted about things from that era that are now recognized as harmful, such as leaded gasoline, cigarettes, asbestos, and DDT insecticide.
- 1980s and 1950s: This show celebrated the distinctive culture, music, and fashion of both the 1980s and 1950s. The musical opened with an overwhelming vomit (in a good way) of garish tubular 80s aesthetics like blaring rock music, workout spandex, preppy plaid, jean jackets, fanny packs, headbands, scrunchies, leg warmers, Polaroid cameras, corniness, bully/geek caricatures, and mullets. This gaudy display starkly contrasted with the more subdued, clean-cut, Grease-like ambiance of the 1950s that emerged later in the performance. Tim Hatley (Scenic/Costume Designer) truly did a remarkable job.
- Seahawks: The slight reference to the Seattle Seahawks and the 12th fan was a nice wink to the audience. I wonder if the cast performs similar gags at other cities.
Rant(s)
- DeLorean Technical Difficulties: Although this production introduced the DeLorean in a spectacularly flashy manner, the iconic vehicle experienced significant technical difficulties at the climax of the show. Such is the unpredictability of live theatre! The performance paused multiple times as the DeLorean repeatedly stalled with the following projected message. I lost count of the scene re-attempts and false starts (perhaps five?) which extended the show by over 45 minutes while the audience gradually trickled out in the dark. Since ‘the show must go on,’ the cast and production team ultimately drastically altered the final scenes, and it was evident that substantial portions were cut. Imagine my FOMO! This is a glaring example of the risks inherent in productions with complex technical requirements. Among the 500+ shows I’ve seen, this was undoubtedly the most severe technical mishap I’ve witnessed. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Kudos to the team for their valiant efforts to continue. I can only imagine the adrenaline coursing through stage managers Eric Sprosty, Caitlin Kellermeyer, Malashia Carter, and Domingo Mancuello during this crisis.
Other Musing(s) and Observation(s)
- “21st Century” Song: The second act opener was a thrilling, visually spectacular display, featuring futuristic projections and a light show that beautifully illustrated the concept of the space-time continuum with some surprising stage magic at the end. The only drawback was both the lead singer and the background vocalists were difficult to understand because of poor sound balancing.
- Projections: It is easy for productions to overly rely on projections as a crutch for scenery and this show was no exception. However, it was a well-chosen artistic decision from video designer Finn Ross to utilize projections when depicting the DeLorean vehicle speeding. It was also a clever technique to project video onto a transparent screen between the audience and actors to simulate rain and stairs.
- George McFly: Burke Swanson’s interpretation of George McFly reminded me of a funny sloth.
- Formulaic Artificiality: This musical felt overly artificial and formulaic. Despite the well-executed production (and the fact that I kind of love musical formulas), it came across as too commercialized, as if it was conceived solely to capitalize on the movie’s popularity rather than make a dent in the American theatre canon. While that is already innately difficult for musicals based on movies, it’s still possible like with the superficial Legally Blonde. Back to the Future: The Musical lacked soul, leaving me feeling disconnected. Perhaps my opinion would differ if I saw the movie first.
Theatre Company: National Tour from Broadway Across America and Seattle Theatre Group
Venue: Paramount Theatre
Venue Physical Address: 911 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101
Price Range: $40-150 plus the insane Ticketmaster fees. Buy your ticket at the box office to avoid the exorbitant fees. Down with the Ticketmaster Live Nation monopoly!
Ticket Affordability Options: Seattle Theatre Group might partner with an organization you’re affiliated with for discount tickets. For example, I believe UW employees/students are eligible for an organization discount.
Dates: December 10 – 22, 2024
Seating: Assigned Seating
Parking: Paid street parking and paid garage parking. The best parking garage is under the convention center w/ the entrance on Pike around the Pike and Terry intersection. Last I checked, this is one of the cheapest, least busy, and closest garages. Alternatively, you can probably find street parking as you move closer to the West Precinct (810 Virginia St, Seattle, WA 98101). Do NOT park where the Paramount subscribers park. Last I checked, they usually park in the garage attached to the Cheesecake Factory. It’ll take you at least 30 minutes to exit that garage after the show.
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Buy a Ticket or Learn More:
- https://www.stgpresents.org/events/back-to-the-future/
- https://seattle.broadway.com/shows/back-to-the-future/
- https://www.backtothefuturemusical.com/
- Program
Pictures: See production pictures below by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman.
Cast and Production Team: See pictures below.
the Future: The Musical. Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman, 2024.
