Interview: The Crew of BACK TO THE FUTURE on Tour Talks Special Effects, Time Travel

It’s time to go back in time… again. Broadway’s version of the classic 1985 time-traveling flick is coming to the Segerstrom December 26. 

Chock full of perky tunes and dazzling visuals, the touring show stars Caden Brauch as Marty McFly, Burke Swanson as George McFly, Don Stephenson as Doc Brown… and a life-sized time machine DeLorean that will wow the audience evenbefore it hits 88 miles per hour.  

The show also features a slew of special effects, including scenic projections that make that final clock tower lightning scene feel as good as the movie’s version—and some other surprises the team behind the show made me promise I wouldn’t give away. 

But how do they do it? How does a show with special effects originally made for the Winter Garden Theater travel from city to city, theater to theater? 

BroadwayWorld talked with the touring crew to find out. 

This interview was conducted via e-mail and answered collectively by production stage manager Eric Sprosty; stage manager Caitlin Kellermeyer; and assistant stage managers Malashia Carter and Domingo Mancuello. 

BWW:  So… I saw Back to the Future on Broadway, and I remember saying, “It’s going to be hard to take this show on the road” because of all the amazing special effects. Which leads me to my first question:  

Was taking this show on tour a more challenging prospect (than most “traditional” shows), given that it has all these high-tech elements? 

Most definitely! The high-tech elements are what drew us to the show. Eric Sprosty, production stage manager, has been touring for 20-plus years and says this is not only the hardest show he has ever called but also has one of the hardest sequences he's ever called 

BWW: Without giving too much away, what are your favorite special effects in the show?  

Malashia Carter, assistant stage manager, loves the way the DeLorean moves on stage! There's so much more to the car than it moving back and forth.

BWW: What props/special effects were the most challenging to take on tour?  

The pyro, or flame effects, were the biggest challenge to recreate on stage without using actual fire. And, believe it or not, one of the most difficult things to acquire in each city are our fire extinguisher special effects. 

BWW: How long does it take to “prep” each theater on the tour so that it can house the production (set-up, load-in, etc.)? Is it more challenging because of the car and the special effects?  

It takes 16 hours to load into a theater and 12 hours to load out. It is more challenging because of the deck and the size of the show to support the car. 

BWW: How do the LED effects work? Do all theaters have this capability, or do you have to bring the screens and technology with you? 

We bring all of our screens and technology with us! It takes high-speed special computer software and hardware to manipulate the LEDs. 

BWW: Does the car have a name, and does the crew treat it like a cast member? Tell us something fun about it (or any other prop/special effect) that people may not know.  

We don't have a name for the car, but Caitlin Kellermeyer, stage manager, calls it the diva of the show.  

BWW: How does it travel? And… Is it a real, working car?  

Domingo Mancuello, assistant stage manager, says it is not an internal combustion or electric vehicle per se, but it does drive on stage and more...

BWW: How hard is it to get the car on and off the stage (and into the theater in the first place!)? 

Getting the car into the various theaters across the country can be very challenging and sometimes requires a crane. Once the car is in the building and on stage it has its private parking spot in the wings. 

BWW: When all is said and done, what is the hardest-to-pull-off effect of the show? 

It all boils down to the clock tower sequence. Which is the return to 1985.

BWW: If you could travel in time…. Where would you go and why?  

Eric: I would go to Athens during the golden age of Greece. I find the explosion of culture, philosophy, and politics at that time fascinating. 

Caitlin: I used to synchronize swim and tap dance so I would like to see the golden age of film and maybe try and meet Esther Williams!

Malashia: I think I would go back to the year 1,000 and see my father's homeland of Liberia and just see what it was like. But also, I truly have no idea. 

Domingo: I would go to Sedalia, Missouri, in 1899, to hear Scott Joplin play The Maple Leaf Rag for the first time in public.

Back to the Future will play at the Segerstrom from December 26 through January 5. Tickets are available at Scfta.org.

Want a freebie? On December 26, each ticket to Back to the Future will include a free Back to the Future commemorative poster (while supplies last). Also, from 4 to 7 p.m. on December 26 (after the matinee or before the evening show!), ticket-holders can meet members of the Southern California DeLorean Club and enjoy a special appearance by the Anaheim Ducks Street Team. 

*All photos courtesy of Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

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