Rediscover the '80s goes to a musical... Back to the Future
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF), wow! Go see it!
My family and I were afforded the opportunity to attend the Back to the Future: The Musical while cruising on our family vacation. We were all interested in seeing this performance, yet ever since I heard about the musical, I was both excited and apprehensive about this rendition.
Excited because Back to the Future earned another level, to continue into the future by entertaining audiences of every generation and age without the limitation of date/time stamped in the 1980s filmography. Apprehensive because I was leery and concerned that any variation, including the addition of musical ensembles, would take away or be adapted well out of the canon of the three films.
Our 2026 family vacation included this performance and I was equally stoked to discover that my wife was able to secure seating for all eight of us (yes, you read that count correctly). Our second day at sea was the day of this performance and we, unfortunately, were divided into three groups to watch this performance: my oldest son and twin boy in the back row; my second son, youngest son, and I sat about three rows ahead of them, and my the remainder of my family to the right of us about four rows ahead.
My second son has become a near mini-me as he has come to appreciate much of my 1980s and early 1990s era music, toys, and television shows. My oldest, while he is very hesitant with anything old that dad likes, he does appreciate a few nostalgic, dare I say, relics of yesteryear and I kept an eye on his facial expressions as I watched the performance.
As the show began to count down towards opening, the music steered from instrumental to familiar music from Huey Lewis and the News: Back in Time. Then, the show began and I was already impressed as the actors and actresses, performers, and the orchestra excelled with the story. While there were adaptations to the story to include a voice command for the DeLorean Time Machine instead of physically entering the time, the ripping of the radiation suit versus the original shooting scene from the first movie, and several other minor variations, the musical story was grand.
Arguably, much of the original movie story was intact with the aid of an active DeLorean performed the turns, the speed changes, and even a hover mode at the end of the show.
The cast were all phenomenal!
|
Performer |
Character |
|
Jacob
Beresford |
Marty McFly |
|
Justin R. G.
Holcomb |
Doc “Emmet”
Brown |
|
Sienna Hughes |
Lorraine
Baines |
|
Jarrad Green |
George McFly |
|
Darius Harper |
Goldie Wilson
/ Marvin Barry |
|
Asher Van Meter |
Biff Tannen |
|
Qawiyya Haqq |
Jennifer
Parker / Bluebird Motel Staff / Cheerleader |
|
Jason Kennedy |
Principal
Strickland / Lou / Sam Baines |
|
Luke Di Liddo |
Dave McFly /
Slick |
|
Helena
Geoghegan |
Linda McFly /
Stella Baines / Lou’s Café Waitress / Cheerleader |
|
Jamie Bailes |
Craig / Lou’s
Café Guy / Audition Judge / Texaco Guy / Ensemble |
|
Caitlin Blair |
The Pinheads’
Keyboardist / Female Worker / DeLorean Girl / Ensemble |
|
Taylah Brady |
Teacher Joyce
/ Bluebird Motel Staff / Ensemble |
|
Emily
Carpenter |
‘80s Rocker /
DeLorean Girl / Ensemble |
|
Kelsi Carter |
Movie Theater
Staff / Cheerleader / Ensemble |
|
Nina-Simone
Diaz |
Betty / DeLorean
Girl / Pretty Baby Trio / Cigarette Girl / Jogger / Movie Theater Staff / The
Pinheads’ Backing Singer / Ensemble |
|
Cameron
Doherty |
Tex / Ensemble |
|
Tom Emery |
3D / Ensemble |
|
Holly
Henderson |
Clock Tower
Woman / Mechanic / Lunch Lady / DeLorean Girl / Ensemble |
|
Julio
Jantjies |
Starlighter /
Visor Guy / Texaco Girl / The Pinheads’ Horn Section / Ensemble |
|
Samari
Johnson |
Reginald/Starlighter
/ The Pinheads’ Bass Guitarist / Ensemble |
|
Caroline Lambert |
Pretty Baby
Trio / Jogger / DeLorean Girl / Cigarette Girl / Cheerleader / The Pinheads’
Backing Singer / Ensemble |
|
Micah J.
Lawrence |
Reginald/Starlighter
/ The Pinheads’ Bass Guitarist / Ensemble |
|
Brendan
Matthew |
Homeless Guy
/ Cigarette Doctor / Ensemble |
|
Anna Sofia
McGuire |
Babs / Pretty
Baby Trio / Audition Judge / DeLorean Girl / Cigarette Girl / Lou’s Café Waitress
/ The Pinheads’ Backing Singer / Ensemble |
|
Kaimana Neil |
B’Boy / Ensemble |
|
Will Perkins |
Texaco Guy / Ensemble |
|
Dante Thomas |
Starlighter /
Texaco Guy / The Pinheads’ Horn Section / Ensemble |
|
Caroline Eby |
Ensemble |
Each persons' character was uniquely their own, yet they performed equally as if they were the movie character's rendition. Jacob performed astoundingly close to Michael J. Fox's Marty. The same can be said about Justin's performance of Christopher Lloyd's Doc. Sienna paralleled Lea Thompson's character traits of Lorraine. Now Jarrad was near identical performing as George McFly however he joyfully over performed the chuckle that Crispin Glover introduced us to and it was hilarious. Asher performed as a great Biff...well, the entire cast were phenomenal.
In all, an absolute glorious performance.
0 Comments