Where we’re going, we don’t need roads — we need ticket sales!
A new musical for “Back to the Future,” based on Robert Zemeckis’ classic 1985 science fiction film that starred Michael J. Fox and will debut on Broadway by 2023. Producers made the announcement Wednesday.
The Post has been informed by sources that DeLorean, a time-travelling deLorean, will arrive next spring at Winter Garden Theatre. “The Music Man”Hugh Jackman, the star of Hugh Jackman, is waiting to board the Wells Fargo Wagon.
A source close to production confirmed that Wolverine would be leaving when his contract expired. Also, the bankable star won’t be recast. This makes perfect sense. Jackman recently sold his West Village house for $38.9 Million.
What I saw “Back to the Future” last summer at London’s Adelphi Theatre. Thankfully the show only covers the first flick, so there’s no Biff’s baseball book or Wild West shootouts. And it’s very much a musical. Marty, Doc, and George dance and sing about the flux capacitor“It Works”Then, you will dance and sing more about George winning Lorraine.“Gotta Start Somewhere”).
Those oddball songs are the problem. None of the new tunes by Glen Ballard are any good — a strange dream sequence number called “21st Century” that starts Act 2 looks like a new age cult ritual and should be axed pronto — but fans will be relieved to know that movie favorites like Huey Lewis’ “The Power of Love” and Chuck Berry’s “Johnny Be Good”They are maintained in and possess 1.21 gigawatts each of energy.
The non-singing parts are also great. The DeLorean, which flies partially over the audience and lights up as it spins, is a highlight. Broadway is in dire need of a helicopter or new chandelier from Britain.
Although no casting is confirmed, Olly Dobson, a talented British actor, plays Marty McFly’s role in London. He captures every expression and inflection from the film, while Roger Bart, a Broadway veteran, plays Doc Brown. Don’t expect to see Dobson, a production source said, but Bart, who tackled a similar role in “Young Frankenstein,” will likely come to New York — Christopher Lloyd wig all.
“Back to the Future” boasts a great title that could appeal to tourists, and it won this year’s Olivier Award for Best Musical across the pond over heavy hitters “Moulin Rouge!” and “Frozen.”It also reminds me of another production which played in the Winter Garden in 2014. “Rocky the Musical.”Name recognition was high, technical accomplishments were jaw-dropping and the score was poor. It was an enormous failure.
We’ll soon see just how powerful “The Power of Love” is.
The full article is available here here
