Roads, where this show is going you don’t need roads…except that you probably will if you’re coming by car or bus to see it…
The iconic 80s film Back To The Future is to be turned into a musical next year. Initially performing a 12-week run at the Manchester Opera House, it’ll then transfer for a West End run. Details of the London theatre that will house Marty, Doc and co are still under wraps though.
Playing the part of the time-travelling Marty will be Olly Dobson, who’s previously appeared in the original cast of Bat Out Of Hell The Musical and Matilda. Further casting is still to be announced.
And the creative team is pretty much a who’s who of Theatreland. The film’s co-creator Bob Gale will write the musical’s book, while music and lyrics will be done by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, who’s sold over 150 millions records worldwide. There will also be additional songs from the film including The Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode.
Bob Gale, who wrote the film with Robert Zemeckis said, “Bob Zemeckis and I have been trying to get this project off the ground for years, but good things take time and finally, the time is right. Our cast is outstanding, the songs are fantastic, and director John Rando is doing an amazing job ensuring the show truly captures the magic of the movie. We’re thrilled that we can retell our story on stage in a brand-new way, and we’re certain that Back to the Future fans all over the world will share our enthusiasm. In the words of Marty McFly, ‘your kids are gonna love it’ – and so will you and your parents. There’s truly no better way to celebrate the movie’s 35th Anniversary, and we’re happy to say ‘The Future’ is coming back!”
The director will be Tony Award-winning director John Rando (Urinetown, On The Town), alongside the multi-Tony and Olivier Award-winning design team of Tim Hatley (set and costume design), Hugh Vanstone (lighting), Gareth Owen (sound) and Finn Ross (video), with choreography by Chris Bailey, illusions by Paul Kieve and musical supervision and vocal arrangements by Nick Finlow. Orchestrations will be by Ethan Popp, with dance arrangements by David Chase.
Producer Colin Ingram said, “This show has been six years in the making and we are delighted to be showing it to the people of Manchester first before the rest of the world gets to see it. As I did with Ghost – The Musical, Manchester gets it first, so synchronize your watches because, when this musical hits 88 mph, you’re going to see some serious…entertainment!”
Back To The Future tells the story of Marty McFly, who steps into a time-travelling DeLorean, created by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown. Travelling from 1985 to 1955 sounds exciting, but it creates a whole heap of trouble for Marty, whose accidental meddling causes problems with his timeline, and before he knows it, he’s got to make sure his high-school-aged parents fall in love at the school dance to save his own existence.
The movie was released in 1985, starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Dr Emmett Brown. The film grossed $360.6 million (£279 million) at the box office worldwide and the total box office for all three films in the Back to the Future franchise was $936.6 million (over $1.8 billion in today’s money).
Christopher Lloyd, who played Doc Brown, said, “Ever since Bob Gale told me about this, I’ve been eagerly anticipating it and, in particular, wondering what it will be like to hear Doc Brown sing. So I’m really looking forward to attending the opening in Manchester to experience our wonderful movie as a musical. I’m only sorry I don’t have a real time machine so that I could see it tomorrow!”
Back To The Future will run at the Manchester Opera House between 20 February – 17 May 2020, before transferring to London. Tickets go on sale on 24 May at 10am.