As one of the most iconic movies of the 1980s, Back to the Future: The Musical brought an innovative and captivating production to Broadway. In an io9 song and dance interview with the cast of the musical, actors Olly Dobson, Hugh Coles, Roger Bart, Leslie Bricusse, and Claybourne Elder talked about their experience in bringing the beloved story back to life.
Back to the Future: The Musical was the first Broadway show of its kind to blend classic songs and 100 minutes of new material into a modern musical experience. Through their performances, the cast gave audiences a unique take on the time-traveling adventures of Marty McFly and “Doc” Brown.
For Olly Dobson, the role of Marty McFly was about connecting with the character and understanding his arc in the story. In the interview, Dobson stated, “My biggest challenge was to try and channel the spirit of Marty’s character, from the film and try and make it my own for the stage. I wanted to show the story progression for this character tried by his own predicaments, and yet there is a light-heartedness that the whole story entails, and I wanted to capture that.”
Hugh Coles added to the idea of adapting the story for the stage. His character, future Biff Tannen, was an often-misunderstood antagonist of the movie, and he said, “The material was a gift, and I enjoyed adapting the script and music and making them my own.”
For Roger Bart, it was all about being a scene stealer: “My role in Back to The Future: The Musical is a bit of a scene stealer and I didn’t want to come on stage and do a labored impression of the character. So, I was aiming to capture the spirit of the character from the movie, combined with the thoughts and ideas of a modernized version of the character for the stage.”
Most of the musical numbers were penned by Leslie Bricusse. He noted that, as with any other musical, the goal is to have the music inform the story: “I was trying to create an innovative yet nostalgic feel to the music to capture young and older audiences alike. It was also a challenge to try and create melodies across different genres, that would fit in with the storyline and characters, and still be entertaining.”
The entire cast of the musical was in agreement that their performances, along with the score composed by Claybourne Elder, all played a role in bringing the story to life on stage. As Elder discussed, “The blend of the old with the new helps the show appeal to multiple generations. I think the combination of music, orchestra, and vocals are what bring the story to life.”
Back to the Future: The Musical is an innovative and entertaining production that still fascinates audiences today. From individual interpretations of beloved characters, to inventive musical scores, the cast of the musical brought a new and exciting energy to the stage with their performance.
