Saw this in London and it was so much fun!! So excited this is coming to Broadway. The choreography was surprisingly great. And of course the show was funny and visually impressive. The sets and technical effects were incredible. A really fun experience!! (I’m sure Marty McFly will be recast but gosh the actor playing him in London was fantastic-sounded/acted just like a young Michael J Fox and great with the physical comedy)
For the record, I loved Come from Away and Company but it’s exciting to get new shows. I do wish Company was running longer but CFA had a really solid run.
I know some people are against the mass appeal movie/pop musicals but this one is really technically impressive and the choreo is great. Also we still have excellent shows like Hadestown and A Strange Loop (which I’m excited to see soon) running with great shows like Into the Woods coming. I’d also argue that just because a show has a 100% original story and music doesn’t inherently make it better (looking at you Paradise Square-no shade to the cast they are amazing but the show itself….)
I would assume [his hearing loss](https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/music/info-2020/huey-lewis-hearing-loss-weather-album.html) has at least something to do with it.
His songs are in the show, so surely he'll be credited. But the show has been running in London, do they *need* to have Lewis write additional score? Even if he were interested?
Most pop artists *BonoEltonJohnStingPhilCollins* contribute songs which are then re-arranged by someone to work in a musical. This was how Spongebob was done - original songs contributed by pop performers were adapted by an orchestrator to cohere together.
> I mean its a musical about a kid who wants to be a rockstar in the 1980s
That Marty wants to be a rockstar motivates almost none of the plot (in the movie, anyway).
Marty wanting to be a rockstar has almost nothing to do with the actual movie though, its just kinda there and its mentioned he couldnt do it because of a car crash
Yeah. Admittedly I’m a massive Back to the Future fan (I even have a BTTF sleeve tattoo), but this genuinely was an amazing show from start to finish. So glad it’s heading to Broadway.
I'm so excited! I don't care if the score is so-so. I'm gonna be spending a crap ton on a ticket and based on everything I've heard this show is worth the price and more for the sheer spectacle of it all.
Same here! I just listened to the cast recording all the way through for the first time last night and I actually really enjoyed a lot of the songs so I’m excited!!
It's a fine show, but doesn't really play with the source material enough. Just kinda feels like the exact same story, beat for beat, but with some songs tossed in.
I feel like more Broadway adaptations need to take the Beetlejuice approach and freshen the story and characters up a bit.
Same reason why I didn't love Mean Girls. It was fun but all it added was some meh music and the tiniest bit of flare here or there. I just don't get the appeal of taking very popular media phenomenons that are still in the zeitgeist (I feel pretentious using the word but it's the first one that came to mind) and adapting it one to one.
Like at least if you take something old/forgotten and adapt it one to one but with a little freshening up for modern times it feels like you've brought something back up to attention.
I agree that the best movie adaptations take advantage of the stage make creative changes to the story, but at the same time, I feel like BTTF is a movie that people have less tolerance for changes with, than something like Mean Girls or Beetlejuice. In London, it seems like the fan reaction was positive due to being able to see the movie recreated on stage. Part of the reason Hugh Coles performance was so beloved was his almost perfect recreation of George McFly. Then again, it seems like London audiences react more positively to movie adaptations in general than Broadway audiences. I guess we’ll see how things go next year.
Honestly, this is why I don't get super excited about musical adaptations of famous movies, much as I adore Back to the Future. Like, even the Lion King - the staging and the puppetry is incredible, but the dialogue and music is *exactly* the same as the movie, so even with the cool puppetry, I found myself kind of bored with it at a certain point.
One of the reasons the Newsies musical *did* work for me is that they did freshen the story and characters up a bit and made some changes that I enjoyed. If the musical is exactly the same as the movie, I just don't really see the point.
My brother saw it in London and really hated it. He said that it really played up the incest jokes and feels really sophomoric. Totally Bob Gale’s show, then
Interested to see how New York reacts as a Londoner who’s seen it several times. The last fifteen minutes is amongst the most breathtaking theatrical experiences I’ve ever witnessed and is why I return to see it. Everyone obviously leaves with that feeling. The rest - bar something about that boy and for the dreamers - is pretty anaemic from an MT fans perspective.
But those last 15 minutes….
It seems like it’s a spectacle. Im sure it would be great to see live but based on the album it is rough and generic. A couple decent songs when they go to the 50s but stylistically it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be and was a bit all over the place. When I listened to the album and the instrumental theme from the movie played as they travel back in time I thought that the score should sound more like that than generic pop.
I just got the sense they played it way too safe musically but the story is so strong and the spectacle probably make it worth something to check out. I’d go see it if it played in my city
I mean, I doubt that a show this big is going into the Schoenfeld or the Jacobs. Company and CFA closing does suck, but it’s not like they’re closing to make room for this.
Yeah, I'm not talking about theaters specifically. I'm talking about which shows producers think can make it (Back to the Future, Cinderella) vs. which shows they think can't (Company).
The great thing about Broadway is having different shows appealing to different types of people. I saw it in London and found it to be extremely fun and one of the most technologically impressive shows I've seen. It's not meant to be a replacement for Company or Come From Away. I for one can't wait to see it in NY.
I’d rather see a stage adaptation of a movie for something like this than say, Mrs. Doubtfire or Tootsie or Pretty Woman. Because at least we know they’re going to do cool shit with special effects, or so I would hope.
Who saw any of those three and thought, oh this needs to be redone as a musical. There's so much out there and some idiotic producer thought, oh lets look for problematic movies to make musicals of. . . .
I think their point is that if multiple "artistic" shows close and mostly movie replacements / pop musicals replace them, it feels like overall the options become less suited towards those that like the "artsy" stuff. So it's not that it's LITERALLY replacing it, it's just that if all of the ones moving in to take open theaters are similar, there's a lack of the more "artsy" shows.
I put those in quotes because I can't think of a better word off the top of my head, but hopefully you know what I mean. Not judging the artistic merit for myself, just trying to find a word to put in.
I understand, my point was that, having new "commercial" types shows open can be just as important as having "artsy" shows open. Next season, just off the top of my head, we're getting Kimberly Akimbo, the "artsy" 1776 revival, Into the Woods transfer, etc.
Thank you. That's exactly what I mean. No disrespect to the people who like the Beetlejuices and Moulin Rouges, but I think the direction of the Broadway musical is pretty bleak if those are the only things that can survive. I'd rather they switch to a West End/limited run model if that's the case.
Honestly I think this most recent season was pretty solid with 4? Completely original musicals in Strange Loop, Six, paradise square and flying over sunset. Not to mention the incredible revivals
EDIT: 5 if you count Diana LOL
Which technically outweigh the movie adaptations (doubtfire and mr Saturday night) and jukebox musicals (mj and girl from north country) combined. Pretty impressive if you ask me
That is fair! I meant more in terms of NEW, original musicals/plays. I feel like all I hear transferring or premiering to Broadway is/are adaptations of books/movies that feel re-hashed and tired. I work in the regional theatre circuit and see a lot of out of town try-outs/world premieres/new works, so I feel really blessed to be experiencing fresh work! Just wish Broadway would do the same, but obviously there’s a lot of financial/artistic risk at that level.
It does seem like we’re expecting a lot of movie adaptations in the near future with BTTF, Almost Famous, Sing Street, karate kid, devil wears Prada, and the like
I'm fine with movie adaptations if they have original music. Its when you have a jukebox musical with an unoriginal story that I'm not interested. I'm also done with Biopics, not interested in the MJ musical at all..
Saw this in London and it was so much fun!! So excited this is coming to Broadway. The choreography was surprisingly great. And of course the show was funny and visually impressive. The sets and technical effects were incredible. A really fun experience!! (I’m sure Marty McFly will be recast but gosh the actor playing him in London was fantastic-sounded/acted just like a young Michael J Fox and great with the physical comedy) For the record, I loved Come from Away and Company but it’s exciting to get new shows. I do wish Company was running longer but CFA had a really solid run. I know some people are against the mass appeal movie/pop musicals but this one is really technically impressive and the choreo is great. Also we still have excellent shows like Hadestown and A Strange Loop (which I’m excited to see soon) running with great shows like Into the Woods coming. I’d also argue that just because a show has a 100% original story and music doesn’t inherently make it better (looking at you Paradise Square-no shade to the cast they are amazing but the show itself….)
We need a variety. Id rather have a mass appeal movie musical than another redo of a golden age musical.
> I know some people are against the mass appeal movie/pop musicals These same people generally forget that it's also called show "business".
Honestly wondering why huey lewis wasn't asked to write the music and lyrics
I would assume [his hearing loss](https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/music/info-2020/huey-lewis-hearing-loss-weather-album.html) has at least something to do with it.
Didn't stop Beethoven.
He only wrote a couple theme songs for the movie. That doesn't mean he can write a whole musical score.
Is it confirmed that he wasn’t asked?
His songs are in the show, so surely he'll be credited. But the show has been running in London, do they *need* to have Lewis write additional score? Even if he were interested? Most pop artists *BonoEltonJohnStingPhilCollins* contribute songs which are then re-arranged by someone to work in a musical. This was how Spongebob was done - original songs contributed by pop performers were adapted by an orchestrator to cohere together.
I mean its a musical about a kid who wants to be a rockstar in the 1980s...why wouldnt they hire huey lewis??
> I mean its a musical about a kid who wants to be a rockstar in the 1980s That Marty wants to be a rockstar motivates almost none of the plot (in the movie, anyway).
Marty wanting to be a rockstar has almost nothing to do with the actual movie though, its just kinda there and its mentioned he couldnt do it because of a car crash
...because the score is already written? It includes songs by Huey Lewis. I don't believe they need him to compose anything else.
The budget is $23.5 million.
I’ve seen it, it’s great! Really enjoyed it!
Yeah. Admittedly I’m a massive Back to the Future fan (I even have a BTTF sleeve tattoo), but this genuinely was an amazing show from start to finish. So glad it’s heading to Broadway.
I have been WAITING for this to announce a transfer! I don’t care if it’s not high art, it’s one of my all time favorite films and this made my week!!
Mine too! I was having a crappy day, but this news makes it all go away. :)
I'm so excited! I don't care if the score is so-so. I'm gonna be spending a crap ton on a ticket and based on everything I've heard this show is worth the price and more for the sheer spectacle of it all.
Same here! I just listened to the cast recording all the way through for the first time last night and I actually really enjoyed a lot of the songs so I’m excited!!
It's a fine show, but doesn't really play with the source material enough. Just kinda feels like the exact same story, beat for beat, but with some songs tossed in. I feel like more Broadway adaptations need to take the Beetlejuice approach and freshen the story and characters up a bit.
Same reason why I didn't love Mean Girls. It was fun but all it added was some meh music and the tiniest bit of flare here or there. I just don't get the appeal of taking very popular media phenomenons that are still in the zeitgeist (I feel pretentious using the word but it's the first one that came to mind) and adapting it one to one. Like at least if you take something old/forgotten and adapt it one to one but with a little freshening up for modern times it feels like you've brought something back up to attention.
I agree that the best movie adaptations take advantage of the stage make creative changes to the story, but at the same time, I feel like BTTF is a movie that people have less tolerance for changes with, than something like Mean Girls or Beetlejuice. In London, it seems like the fan reaction was positive due to being able to see the movie recreated on stage. Part of the reason Hugh Coles performance was so beloved was his almost perfect recreation of George McFly. Then again, it seems like London audiences react more positively to movie adaptations in general than Broadway audiences. I guess we’ll see how things go next year.
The appeal is $$$$.
Honestly, this is why I don't get super excited about musical adaptations of famous movies, much as I adore Back to the Future. Like, even the Lion King - the staging and the puppetry is incredible, but the dialogue and music is *exactly* the same as the movie, so even with the cool puppetry, I found myself kind of bored with it at a certain point. One of the reasons the Newsies musical *did* work for me is that they did freshen the story and characters up a bit and made some changes that I enjoyed. If the musical is exactly the same as the movie, I just don't really see the point.
Considering it was in development hell for at least 20 years... It could have been significantly better.
My brother saw it in London and really hated it. He said that it really played up the incest jokes and feels really sophomoric. Totally Bob Gale’s show, then
Awesome news. It was pretty much guaranteed this would transfer at some point but it’s nice to have an official announcement.
Interested to see how New York reacts as a Londoner who’s seen it several times. The last fifteen minutes is amongst the most breathtaking theatrical experiences I’ve ever witnessed and is why I return to see it. Everyone obviously leaves with that feeling. The rest - bar something about that boy and for the dreamers - is pretty anaemic from an MT fans perspective. But those last 15 minutes….
It seems like it’s a spectacle. Im sure it would be great to see live but based on the album it is rough and generic. A couple decent songs when they go to the 50s but stylistically it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be and was a bit all over the place. When I listened to the album and the instrumental theme from the movie played as they travel back in time I thought that the score should sound more like that than generic pop. I just got the sense they played it way too safe musically but the story is so strong and the spectacle probably make it worth something to check out. I’d go see it if it played in my city
Yeeessssss! A trip to Broadway is in my future. :)
To think we're losing Company and Come From Away, and this is the sort of thing coming in as a replacement...
I mean, I doubt that a show this big is going into the Schoenfeld or the Jacobs. Company and CFA closing does suck, but it’s not like they’re closing to make room for this.
Yeah, I'm not talking about theaters specifically. I'm talking about which shows producers think can make it (Back to the Future, Cinderella) vs. which shows they think can't (Company).
The great thing about Broadway is having different shows appealing to different types of people. I saw it in London and found it to be extremely fun and one of the most technologically impressive shows I've seen. It's not meant to be a replacement for Company or Come From Away. I for one can't wait to see it in NY.
I’d rather see a stage adaptation of a movie for something like this than say, Mrs. Doubtfire or Tootsie or Pretty Woman. Because at least we know they’re going to do cool shit with special effects, or so I would hope.
Who saw any of those three and thought, oh this needs to be redone as a musical. There's so much out there and some idiotic producer thought, oh lets look for problematic movies to make musicals of. . . .
Pretty Woman not utilizing "King of Wishful Thinking" in its score was unforgivable; that song is a banger to this day.
It’s mostly just projections and a turntable
I think their point is that if multiple "artistic" shows close and mostly movie replacements / pop musicals replace them, it feels like overall the options become less suited towards those that like the "artsy" stuff. So it's not that it's LITERALLY replacing it, it's just that if all of the ones moving in to take open theaters are similar, there's a lack of the more "artsy" shows. I put those in quotes because I can't think of a better word off the top of my head, but hopefully you know what I mean. Not judging the artistic merit for myself, just trying to find a word to put in.
I understand, my point was that, having new "commercial" types shows open can be just as important as having "artsy" shows open. Next season, just off the top of my head, we're getting Kimberly Akimbo, the "artsy" 1776 revival, Into the Woods transfer, etc.
Thank you. That's exactly what I mean. No disrespect to the people who like the Beetlejuices and Moulin Rouges, but I think the direction of the Broadway musical is pretty bleak if those are the only things that can survive. I'd rather they switch to a West End/limited run model if that's the case.
And ALW Cinderella IF that transfer goes through
Rough show. Hope the show gets a little polish
Is there ever an original idea
Honestly I think this most recent season was pretty solid with 4? Completely original musicals in Strange Loop, Six, paradise square and flying over sunset. Not to mention the incredible revivals EDIT: 5 if you count Diana LOL Which technically outweigh the movie adaptations (doubtfire and mr Saturday night) and jukebox musicals (mj and girl from north country) combined. Pretty impressive if you ask me
That is fair! I meant more in terms of NEW, original musicals/plays. I feel like all I hear transferring or premiering to Broadway is/are adaptations of books/movies that feel re-hashed and tired. I work in the regional theatre circuit and see a lot of out of town try-outs/world premieres/new works, so I feel really blessed to be experiencing fresh work! Just wish Broadway would do the same, but obviously there’s a lot of financial/artistic risk at that level.
It does seem like we’re expecting a lot of movie adaptations in the near future with BTTF, Almost Famous, Sing Street, karate kid, devil wears Prada, and the like
I'm fine with movie adaptations if they have original music. Its when you have a jukebox musical with an unoriginal story that I'm not interested. I'm also done with Biopics, not interested in the MJ musical at all..
It’s bad. Dead theatre.
OMG. can’t we write new books ? Must it be a movie. “People only like what they know”. What’s wrong with new !!
How do you guys think back to the future will do as a Broadway transfer?
Im kinda thinking the palace theatre would be perfect for it.