Back to the future is a perfect movie. It carefully connects its various parts and weaves them into a film that is funny, heartfelt and exciting. From iconic performances to an iconic vehicle, the impact of Back to the Future on pop culture cannot be understated and choosing to make a musical version of Back to the future was certainly a challenge for anyone.
Now playing at the San Diego Civic Theater and currently touring the US, Back to the Future The Musical is a mostly successful adaptation of the Robert Zemeckis film. It stumbles in a few key areas, but its technical aspects mirror the impressive effects shown in the original. Casting is where things are most inconsistent, and some of the musical numbers are more engaging than others, but what Back to the Future The Musical offers is a fun time at the theater – and an experience whose highs certainly outshine its lows.

Family
Mrs. Doubtfire The Musical Review
Mrs. Doubtfire The Musical uses the abundant talents of its lead cast to deliver a fun and moving time at the theatre.
With a longer run time, Back to the Future The Musical takes few chances to develop the motivations and experiences of its main and supporting characters. It's not something superfans would call sacrilege, but it doesn't feel necessary either. Goldie Wilson's deeper ambitions to become mayor are more of an opportunity to showcase Cartreze Tucker's incredible vocal range, for example, than anything revealing about the character. Perhaps the most successful part of the musical not explored in the film involves a scene/duet with Marty and his father, George McFly (Mike Bindeman), about instilling confidence. But overall, the musical hits all the right narrative beats and to do so in a stage production is a feat all its own.
Facing the same energy as Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd's Doc Emmett Brown was sure to be a challenge for anyone, let alone someone who also needs to sing and dance. Caden Brunch (as Marty) and Don Stephenson (as Doc) are decent facsimiles of their on-screen counterparts. Stephenson has the bigger hurdle of having to be spread out and still project to a live audience. He has to navigate complex dance numbers and still look mischievous. Overall, Stephenson is good as Doc but he lacks some of the frantic energy that makes the character tick. Brunch is solid as Marty and is at his best when playing into the awkwardly incestuous relationship with his mother, Lorraine (Zan Berube) or letting Marty's love of Rock N Roll shine through.
Berube and Bindeman are fantastic as Marty's mom and dad, both are incredibly funny and play their characters for the big moments. Bindeman is particularly notable for bringing George's awkwardness to life as both a tribute to Crispin Glover and in his musical/dance numbers. The rest of the cast is fun but hardly memorable – there are no major standouts.
In a way, that's also true of the music in Back to the Future The Musical. You expect to hear some Huey Lewis and the News and Chuck Berry, and you do. But there are few memorable songs in the production. It's not predictable by any means, and the comedic elements come through, but few of the songs left an impression on me. They are less about impressing with clever texts and more focused on doing it with the visuals.
And there it is Back to the Future The Musical clears the bar by a wide margin. The dance numbers have some intricate choreography and a lot of fun moving stage elements, from a rotating turnstile in the middle of the stage, to the DeLorean itself. The former gets a lot of play, as the actor uses the entire scope of the scene to keep his eyes quivering in all directions. Swing dance numbers are just as exciting as the action/fight sequences, which use the music to build tension and are wonderfully crafted.
But it's the iconic DeLorean that steals the show Back to the Future The Musical. Using a rear projection screen and some good old live stage magic, the DeLorean literally moves before your eyes and energizes the production in a way I've never seen before. The key moments involving the DeLorean are simply amazing and well worth the price of admission.
For fans of the original film, Back to the Future The Musical hits enough of the right notes that it's enjoyable. The music is not exceptional on the same level as Hadestownfor example, but it's also not bad, by any means. The way the tracks incorporate Alan Silvestri's work also deserves a nod, especially when the lyrical elements match the memorable musical cues. Casting was always going to be a challenge and overall the cast is decent, with some highs and some lows. But to me, the DeLorean displays a level of technological wizardry that you don't often see in the theater. The choreography and dance numbers in the show are amazing, but the antique car is its biggest star.