KeyBank’s Broadway Series ‘Back To The Future’ is 88 mph of pure fun

First off, there is “the car” that in its own right is a star. Through the use of super imaginative videos you “see” the DeLorean racing through the streets. It also makes a pretty spectacular entrance at the beginning of the show. They even have it “flying” at the end.

This is a Broadway musical that is just for the fun of it. While billed as appropriate for ages 6 and up it is a long show weighing in at two hours and forty minutes. For adults, the time flies by. Small children may be a different matter.

The show is taken from the 1985 feature film of the same name that starred Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd and became a cult favorite with two sequels. The show closely follows the movie but does drop some content which is understandable due to the time factor. As in most “Movies To Broadway Musicals Attempts” it has a slew of easily forgettable songs for a total of 21 tunes with 5 reprises. On the plus side, they are performed with gusto with some pretty good choreography added. It is easy to predict that this musical will be as popular as the original movie.

Marty McFly (Caden Brauch) is living a dead end life with a dysfunctional loser family in Hill Valley, California. His dad, George (Burke Swanson) is a hopeless nerd who is controlled by his work boss, Biff Tannen (Ethan Rogers) who bullied him all through high school. His mom, Lorraine (Zan Berrube) is an alcoholic, his brother, Dave (Fisher Lane Stewart) a career hamburger flipper and his sister, Linda (Laura Sky Herman) is socially awkward. Marty leaves to pay a visit to his friend Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown (Don Stephenson) lab and finds a prerecorded message telling Marty to meet him at the Twin Pines Mall after midnight.

Later that day, Marty’s band is rejected at a high school audition, Marty’s girlfriend, Jennifer Parker (Kiara Lee) comforts him at the town square. They are interrupted by fundraisers trying to get funds to restore the town clock that was damaged by lightning in 1955. With a flier about the clock tower in hand Marty heads home where his dad, George (Burke Swanson) discourages him from chasing big dreams. George's boss Biff Tannen (Ethan Rogers) arrives to harass his employee.

Later that night, Marty is at Twin Pines Mall parking lot when Doc suddenly appears in a time machine made from a DeLorean that he explains to Marty how it works. While reloading the car with plutonium he is exposed to the deadly radiation and starts to die of acute radiation poisoning. Marty hops in the car to get help but upon reaching the speed of 88 mph finds himself sent back to Doc’s preset time machine date of October, 1955.

Here, Mary meets his high school aged parents who do not even know each other much less are dating. Biff and his gang hassle George and Marty finds that his dad was a peeping tom spying on his future mom. George falls out of his tree perch onto Marty, knocking him out. Lorraine’s father finds the unconscious Marty and brings him in the house to Loraine’s bed room where she falls for him. Marty finds his way to a younger Doc and convinces him that he is in fact from the future due in fact to a time machine that Doc built. With no plutonium Doc figures that a bolt of lightning could supply enough power to propel the car back to the future. Marty produces the clock tower flier that has the date and time the clock was destroyed.

At the high school the next day, Marty tries to hook up George and Lorraine for the upcoming school dance when Lorraine will fall in love with George but is thwarted by Biff who chases George and Marty around the school. Lorraine tells her friends about this “new boy” she tended to. Marty defends himself against Biff which has Lorraine falling further in love with him.

As for the cast, they are superb. Caden Brauch owns the part of Marty McFly without trying to pull off a Michael J. Fox imitation. Don Stephenson as Doc Brown is equal to the task as the brilliant yet scatter brained scientist. Burke Swanson as George McFly is over the top as the nerdy put upon. His laugh is priceless. Baldwin Wallace University alum Ethan Rogers as Biff Tannen is perfect for the part of the no nonsense bully. Cartreze Tucker as Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry has a great singing voice on his solo numbers. Another local graduate is Ina Black (Pretty Baby Trio /Ensemble/understudy Jennifer Parker).

The ten piece band under the direction of Matt Doebler (using five local musicians and four touring musicians) has it all down with the pop, do-wop, rock and show tunes. The special effect videos by illusion designer Chris Fisher are mind blowing. Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone do a stupendous job with the lighting. The stage design by Tim Hatley employs various revolving and sliding floors that ingeniously transport the new sets perfectly into place. Lastly, Chris Bailey’s Choreography is superb as well.

This show has a deep and thought provoking message. Come to the theater to have a good time. Be wowed by the special effects, be dazzled by the dance numbers, cheer for the car and enjoy the music. It is that simple. This is a show to see just for the fun of it. GREAT SCOTT!

The KeyBank Broadway Series touring production of “Back To the Future” will be on stage in the KeyBank State theatre at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio through July 7, 2024. for more information and tickets go to http.www.playhousesquare.org or call (216) 241-6000.