News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

Back To The Future previews

RaisedOnMusicals Profile Photo
RaisedOnMusicals
#1Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/21/23 at 2:23pm

I think that previews start in a couple of weeks. Anyone going to one of the early ones? I watched the video teaser for the show and it definitely looked as if it could be a lot of fun. From what I've heard, it's very technology heavy, so I'm wondering if they'll have it all worked out for the first week or two of previews. 


CZJ at opening night party for A Little Night Music, Dec 13, 2009.

Sutton Ross Profile Photo
Sutton Ross
#2Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/21/23 at 2:31pm

It starts next Friday, Im very excited. Tickets were so expensive but with the promo code, it wasn't so bad. Looks so fun! 

Dylan Smith4 Profile Photo
Dylan Smith4
#3Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/21/23 at 3:14pm

I just saw this in London last weekend! Believe me, Broadway is not ready for this musical! It was just a fantastic show! I definitely will be seeing this in NYC once I’m back! I definitely wanna see Roger and Hugh, not to mention Casey as Marty! This show is gonna be running for a long time! 


The idea is to work and to experiment. Some things will be creatively successful, some things will succeed at the box office, and some things will only - which is the biggest only - teach you things that see the future. And they're probably as valuable as any of your successes. -Harold Prince

DramaTeach Profile Photo
DramaTeach
#4Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/21/23 at 3:25pm

Going to the first preview. Back to the Future is my favorite movie, so I have to wrap my head around that fact that this isn’t Michael J Fox or Christopher Lloyd, but I’m hoping it’s a good time. 

DrMonicaDeMoneco Profile Photo
DrMonicaDeMoneco
#5Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/21/23 at 3:42pm

I love the movie and I am curious to see how it’s turned into a musical…and a bit worried! 

BuddyStarr Profile Photo
BuddyStarr
#6Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/21/23 at 4:41pm

Good Luck.  Saw this in London last August and it was dreadful.  Songs were unmemorable except the 2 from the movie.  The actor who played the father, who's coming over to do it on Bway was good but the rest of the show wasn't.  I wish I had a time machine to go back and make myself not see this disaster.

jacobsnchz14 Profile Photo
jacobsnchz14
#7Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 8:23am

I am so excited to hear about how Casey is as Marty. 

pablitonizer
#8Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 8:30am

BuddyStarr said: "Good Luck. Saw this in London last August and it was dreadful. Songs were unmemorable except the 2 from the movie. The actor who played the father, who's coming over to do it on Bway was good but the rest of the show wasn't. I wish I had a time machine to go back and make myself not see this disaster."

A few of my friends said the same thing, a complete disaster. I'll keep an open mind and go and see it whenever I get the chance on Broadway, but my thoughts are that not every movie needs to be adapted into a musical. But that's just my opinion

flord10
#9Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 9:45am

Going to the first preview as well. Can’t wait! Been excited for this one for a while.

hearthemsing22
#10Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 1:22pm

pablitonizer said: "BuddyStarr said: "Good Luck. Saw this in London last August and it was dreadful. Songs were unmemorable except the 2 from the movie. The actor who played the father, who's coming over to do it on Bway was good but the rest of the show wasn't. I wish I had a time machine to go back and make myself not see this disaster."

A few of my friends said the same thing, a complete disaster. I'll keep an open mind and go and see it whenever I get the chance on Broadway, but my thoughts are that not every movie needs to be adapted into a musical. But that's just my opinion
"

I completely agree that not every movie needs to be a musical AND vice versa, but I do hope you'll go in with your own opinion, and your own thoughts rather than judging based off of what your friends said. 

Leaf Coneybear Profile Photo
Leaf Coneybear
#11Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 3:56pm

I truly hate the new trend of every single movie ever being made into a musical, mostly because they're just not good imo. Mean Girls, Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire, etc, have all disappointed me of late. That being said, I did love Groundhog Day and am interested to see how this turns out.

I'll be in NYC for a week in July and I'm wondering if it's worth it to try and see it on a Monday night when not much else is playing.

RippedMan Profile Photo
RippedMan
#12Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 5:48pm

I think it depends on the creative process. "A Band's Visit" was a movie before a musical, but clearly it was a passion project for the creatives. "Tootsie" seemed like a for hire gig. Hence the outcome. 

Same with "Groundhog Day." Seemed like a passion project so therefore we got something intererstingi out of it. 

DaveyG
#13Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 5:58pm

RippedMan said: "I think it depends on the creative process. "A Band's Visit" was a movie before a musical, but clearly it was a passion project for the creatives. "Tootsie" seemed like a for hire gig. Hence the outcome.

I will always be baffled and fascinated by the critical and theatrical community’s embrace of “Tootsie” through the Tonys and then it’s like everyone got buyer’s remorse and started hating it. 

 

RippedMan Profile Photo
RippedMan
#14Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 6:02pm

I thought the physical production was very cheap looking. And the lead performance was fine, but something I think a lot of leading men could do. But for me, having not seen the movie, I just thought the story was really stupid. Like he takes a part away from a woman and then falls in love and we're suppose to want that? But I thought the score was fun. I think it just hit at a weird time. I would have thought "Doubtfire" would have been a runaway hit. So who knows.

flord10
#15Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 6:03pm

Back to the Future is an interesting case. It certainly seems like the aim of the creatives was to recreate the movie on stage, but at the same time, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis are extremely protective of the BTTF brand, and have constantly rejected and proposal to do a 4th film or reboot of the series (which would certainly be an easier and safer way to make a quick buck). The fact that they are fully on board with a musical, but won’t allow any other continuations of the franchise definitely interests me from a creative perspective.

Kad Profile Photo
Kad
#16Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 6:04pm

Well a lot of these aren’t artist-conceived projects- the studios make them happen to capitalize on their IPs now, and hire writers accordingly. It’s not a new practice - I believe this is how Ragtime came about, more or less- but it’s happening on larger scale. 


"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."

ErmengardeStopSniveling Profile Photo
ErmengardeStopSniveling
#17Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 6:10pm

With every show you're going to have a certain number of people involved who are passionate about it and believe in it. Nobody sets out to create a bad show, and everyone involved is rooting for its success.

There's just so much iconography attached to this movie that can make a stage musical feel more like a theme park attraction than a first-class Broadway show, and I know from London that they lean into a lot of it (including playing the score as the overture). Can this show stand on its own, separate from the iconography of the movie? Maybe, but I have doubts. We'll see what happens.

With this show, the authors also give me pause: all 3 authors are primarily of the film or pop music world (Bob Gale, Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard), and you have a director (John Rando) with a verrrrry spotty track record who also knows that he needs to lean into a certain amount of iconography (hence why sometimes these shows can feel like a "work for hire" job).

songanddanceman2 Profile Photo
songanddanceman2
#18Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 6:28pm

Is this a great musical? No.

Is the music memorable? No.

Is it entertaining? Yes.

Is it all nostalgia and lighting and stage craft? Yes.

If you are going in expecting a great musical, you will be disappointed, if you are going for a night of fun and spectacle, then that's what you will get. 


Namo i love u but we get it already....you don't like Madonna

JasonC3
#19Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 6:40pm

I know "every single movie ever" is hyperbole, but let's get real.  Hundreds of movies are released every year.  hardly any of them ever become the basis of plays or musicals.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/187122/movie-releases-in-north-america-since-2001/

Sutton Ross Profile Photo
Sutton Ross
#20Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 7:09pm

If you are going in expecting a great musical, you will be disappointed, if you are going for a night of fun and spectacle, then that's what you will get. 

People are going to see the movie on stage. It needs to elevate the material in the film, or it's DOA (what's good Almost Famous/Doubtfire/Tootsie)?

 

BenjaminNicholas2 Profile Photo
BenjaminNicholas2
#21Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 8:06pm

Saw it in London.  It was...  A theme park show on steroids.

Forgettable music.  The car effect at the end is what you remember.

Perhaps it's indicative of what works now on Broadway.  We shall see.

blaxx Profile Photo
blaxx
#22Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 8:08pm

Leaf Coneybear said: "I truly hate the new trend of every single movie ever being made into a musical, mostly because they're just not good imo. Mean Girls, Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire, etc, have all disappointed me of late. That being said, I did love Groundhog Day and am interested to see how this turns out.

I'll be in NYC for a week in July and I'm wondering if it's worth it to try and see it on a Monday night when not much else is playing.
"

Oh love, we've had movies from the last millennium turned into musicals for decades now. Nothing new, and the vast majority flop.


Listen, I don't take my clothes off for anyone, even if it is "artistic". - JANICE

BrodyFosse123 Profile Photo
BrodyFosse123
#23Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 8:20pm

I definitely would NOT consider TOOTSIE a musical adaptation of the Oscar winning 1982 film as it truly had zero semblance to the film aside from using the character’s names. The timeline was different, the plot was different, nothing from the film was present on that stage. 


QueenAlice Profile Photo
QueenAlice
#24Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 9:32pm

flord10 said: "Back to the Future is an interesting case. It certainly seems like the aim of the creatives was to recreate the movie on stage, but at the same time, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis are extremely protective of the BTTF brand, and have constantly rejected and proposal to do a 4th film or reboot of the series (which would certainly be an easier and safer way to make a quick buck). The fact that they are fully on board with a musical, but won’t allow any other continuations of the franchise definitely interests me from a creative perspective."

I believe some of this is out of their respect for Michael J. Fox, who they view indispensable to the film franchise.


“I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then.”

Leaf Coneybear Profile Photo
Leaf Coneybear
#25Back To The Future previews
Posted: 6/28/23 at 10:09pm

Oh love, we've had movies from the last millennium turned into musicals for decades now. Nothing new, and the vast majority flop."

Very fair! As I said, many of these I do actually enjoy. Someone made the point that Ragtime is technically an adaption as well as and I adore it. I guess it just seems like more and more of these shows that are just there to make money and not to actually do something with the material. Like, what is Back to the Future or Tootsie or Mrs. Doubtfire or Almost Famous doing to make a statement about the original or elevate it on some level? Why do we need to hear these stories with song, on stage?

Although I guess that could be said about anything: Why did Les Miserables need to be sung? Wicked? Maybe I'm just a hater because it's a movie. Either way, interested to see where this goes.


Videos