Yes, flying cars are great, but ‘Back to the Future’ could do with a little heart too

Audiences apparently are shelling out money for tickets to Back to the Future: the Musical, now at the Academy of Music, just for a glimpse of the time-traveling DeLorean. But the rush from those high-action sequences is not unlike the thrills of a Universal Studios theme park ride — short-lived and emotionally hollow.

That is perhaps less a fault of the movie-to-musical pipeline, but more of the plot of Back to the Future. Marty McFly, high school boy of the 1980s, wants nothing more than to rise above his “loser” family and become a rock star. But when he accidentally transports himself back through time to the 1950s, he must help his parents fall in love to ensure his own survival.

Oh yeah, and his mom has the hots for him now and his father is a peeping Tom.

While these morally gray and otherwise two-dimensional characters are a product of the original source material, now in the medium of musical theater, their story falls flat with audiences. Characters sing because they have to — it’s a musical — and audiences grin and bear it until the next action sequence.

It is unfortunate, too, that even the dancers’ incredible execution of choreographer Chris Bailey’s lively interpretation of both ’80s and ’50s dance styles is not enough to save these long numbers. There is hardly a hummable tune in the bunch, and the plot rarely moves forward through a song.

There are bright spots, though.

Cartreze Tucker (Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry) is a joy to watch sing and dance. Goldie is perhaps one of the only characters that gives audiences the musical theater warm and fuzzies as he dreams of becoming the mayor. Zan Berube (Lorraine) shines with her adept comedic timing and truly lovely voice. Overall, the cast, led by Lucas Hallauer (Marty McFly) and David Josefsberg (Doc Brown), does a wonderful job playing into the fan service element of the show. Audiences, clad in red puffer vests, are looking to hear their favorite lines and see their favorite moments and that, the show delivers.

Tim Hatley’s design is sleek and economical. The downstage scrim allows for inventive solutions to some of the more difficult action sequences. The DeLorean sequences in particular are aided by truly amazing work from video designer Finn Ross and illusion designer Chris Fisher. While at times those tricks could feel a bit smoke-and-mirrors with some conveniently timed blackouts, the work gives audiences a glimpse into the future of high-tech, commercial theater.

That is perhaps why the lack of heart in the book and lyrics feels so disappointing. The show does its best work when it leans into the campy, almost-parodic nature of the adaptation, using savvy theatrical solves to some of the harder scenes to reinterpret, like Doc climbing the bell tower with the clever use of projections.

It is when the production turns its attention back to the musical theater genre that it feels like a drag.

It seemed even Hallauer could feel the dead air when he called out “Philly, how you feeling?” during his rendition of “The Power of Love,” and there was no reply. It takes a lot for a Philly audience not to respond to the simple mention of Philadelphia.

But then, when the car flies, it’s pretty incredible.

(Community/Arts)

In the latest big IP movie-to-musical pathway pipeline production, some truly amazing video and illusion work wow the audience. The cast does a wonderful job playing to the red puffer-vested fans.

⌚️ Through Nov. 30, 📍 240 S Broad St, Philadelphia 🌐ensembleartsphilly.org

Theater reviews are produced independently by The Inquirer without editorial input by their sponsor, Visit Philadelphia.