Review Roundup: BACK TO THE FUTURE Launches National Tour; Read the Reviews!

The National Tour of Back to the Future the Musical is now underway! The tour kicked off in June 2024 at Proctors in Schenectady, New York, and will continue through Summer 2025. 

Joining Don Stephenson as Doc Brown and Caden Brauch as Marty McFly,  principals include Burke Swanson as George McFly, Zan Berube as Lorraine Baines, Cartreze Tucker as  Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry, Ethan Rogers as Biff Tannen, and Luke Antony Neville as Principal Strickland.

Ensemble members include Joshua Blackswan Abbott, Emily Applebaum, Tade Biesinger, Ina  Black, Brittany Bohn, Luther Brooks IV, Alyssa Carol, Jenny Dalrymple, Lucas Hallauer, Laura Sky  Herman, Will Jewett, Ben Lanham, Kiara Lee, Dwayne P. Mitchell, Zoe Brooke Reed, Fisher Lane  Stewart, and Ross Thompson.

Read the reviews below!

Roy Berko, BroadwayWorld: Yes, there was some carping that “the score [which contains such quickly forgettable songs as “Got No Future,” “Cake,” “Something About the Boy” and “For the Dreamers”] was mainly superfluous,” but audiences don’t seem to mind. In fact, if the assemblage at the Key Bank State Theatre the night I saw the touring show is any indicator, the musical will also become a cult favorite as it tours the hinterlands.

Joey Morona, Cleveland.com: The worst thing you can do is come to “Back to the Future: The Musical” and expect the movie. The differences — big and small — could drive longtime fans of the 1985 blockbuster crazy. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd aren’t walking through the door at the KeyBank State Theatre anytime soon either.

Christine Howey, Scene: In this stage iteration directed by John Rando, Caden Brauch plays Marty as if he's a minor character who surprisingly found himself with a lot of lines to read. His stage presence is minimal, and his singing and acting are no more than okay. But what's missing is the goofy charm that makes his character relatable. When he finds himself in the bedroom of high schooler Lorraine (Zan Berube), the exquisite strangeness of a teen being hit on by his own mom, now young as himself, is not played to maximum effect.

Sheri Gross, Cleveland Jewish News: Where the show tends to stall is during the long list of musical numbers, all performed well, but many feeling a bit unnecessary and unmemorable. It is certainly not due to a lack of creativity. This is not Grammy-winners Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard’s first rodeo. But it might be the fact that the story simply does not need 21 songs and four reprises to be “rad.” It just needs a strong cast, a script that every Gen Xer can quote from top to bottom and totally tubular special effects that appeal to the kid in all of us. And this production has all of the above.

Mary Lincer, BroadwayWorld: Caden Brauch makes a sturdy Marty. He's a fine comic actor and triple threat who should just keep fine-tuning his duckwalk in order to make it really goode, if you know what I'm sayin'. Don Stephenson's Doc is sensational. He underplays like an old vaudevillian, and he has mastered the very hard art of throwing lines and bits away. (Best one: When Marty asks him who the girls are who suddenly arrive to sing and dance behind their number, Doc shrugs, "They just show up when I start singing.") He's got the three best songs in the show (Music and Lyrics by Alan Silvestri, who wrote the scores for all three BTTF films, and Glen Ballard): "It Works," (the DeLorean, of course), "21st Century," in which Doc dreams what he might see in the future--The Doctor would like that Doc dreams of The Tardis, and a lovely ballad "For the Dreamers," sung with mostly solo piano which provides some Act II auditory respite from the onslaught of the overly loud rest of the show. And Stephenson never never never pretends that he's Christopher Lloyd; Doc belongs to him, and a good time is had by all.

Jared Strange, Washington City Paper: The uneasy musical blend is characteristic of the show itself, which, like the town of Hill Valley’s clock tower, finds itself weirdly stuck in time, trying to please generations of fans while simultaneously making something “new.” You can see it in how the writers try to hit the funny bone. Jokes that landed in the ’80s—when 1950s Doc learns that the future president is “Ronald Reagan, the actor,” for example—are still there, but are now especially dated considering that future came and went some 40 years ago. (It also seems quaint considering the caliber of celebrity we’ve had in the White House since.) On the other end of the spectrum efforts are strained to make the piece ironically contemporary, as when Doc Brown returns from the year 2020 heralding a world with no war, no hunger, and (wait for it) no disease. Cue groans from last Thursday night’s crowd.

Teniola Ayoola, MD Theatre Guide: The entire cast has developed a mastery of their roles that comes across effortlessly. Caden Brauch and Burke Swanson, as Marty and George McFly respectively, are perfect foils to the bullies portrayed by Ethan Rogers as Biff Tannen and Luke Anthony Neville as Principal Strickland. Swanson’s character who “doesn’t have a spine” excels in both acting and dancing like a flailing inflatable tube man often seen outside auto dealerships. He, along with Zan Berube as Lorraine Baines, own the nuances in their character transitions over the course of the musical and attest to their versatility. As Doc Brown, Don Stephenson excels in portraying the mad scientist archetype, except that he is genuinely likable and inspirational. His performance effectively keeps us on edge, particularly during the climactic race to the clock tower. He climbs a series of projected steps with the finesse of a video game character, and at the top, he convincingly makes us believe he is clinging to the rim for dear life.

Rachel Weinberg, BroadwayWorld: Hard-core BACK TO THE FUTURE fans will definitely enjoy the visuals — Marty and his scientist friend Doc Brown have their quintessential adventures in a souped-up DeLorean from set designer Tim Hatley; Finn Ross’s video designs help give the illusion of Marty time traveling at the iconic 88 miles per hour. Marty travels back from 1985 to 1955; when he accidentally interferes with his parents’ meeting, he must find a way to bring them together — or erase himself and his siblings Dan and Linda from existence. Likewise, Marty knows he must return back to 1985 so he can save Doc from plutonium poisoning. While Marty calls his situation “heavy,” it’s all in good fun.

Dennis Polkow, New City Stage: The performances are admirable but in virtually every case imitations of the caricatures in the film rather than the performers being allowed to develop their own characterizations. The real star of the show, however, is the DeLorean, which dazzles much like when chandeliers and helicopters once reigned on Broadway.

Steven Oxman, Chicago Sun Times: It’s fair to say that the success relies completely on longtime devotees of the films and the kids they bring with them, because this musical works only as fan service. For the critical — hey, it’s my job — there’s more pleasure to be had appreciating the nostalgia-driven joy of the audience than there is in what’s on stage, which is all frantic adrenaline.

Jared Fessler, BroadwayWorld: The musical stays true to the movie, with some impressive lighting effects and set designs that really brought the story to life. As for the ending—wow! I won’t spoil anything, but it’s truly spectacular.

Jacob Aloi, MPR News: Still, the show seems like a lot of fun to perform. The cast buzzes with energy. For example, Burke Swanson plays George McFly, Marty’s nerdy father. His physical comedy is that of a master clown — in one scene he gets entangled with a broom, leading to a Rowan Atkinson-style routine.

Analisa Swerczek, BroadwayWorld: Casting for this national tour could not be more spot on. From the leading characters to the supporting roles to the ensemble, every person on stage plays their part to near perfection. The dedication to the storytelling makes for an unforgettable evening of music, laughter and (in some regards) technical magic.

DC Felton, BroadwayWorld: When thinking about the cast, there are two characters that people's minds go instantly to: Marty McFly and Doc Brown. The roles were played by Caden Brauch and Don Stephenson, respectively, on opening night. Caden does an excellent job of finding the moments we all expect to see out of Marty McFly while finding moments that he can make the character his own. One example of this is during "Johnny B Goode." We get to see him do some of the iconic moves from the movie, but it doesn't feel like he is replicating what was done in the film.

Evan Henerson, BroadwayWorld: About those songs: they’re more serviceable than exciting. Silvestri and Ballard have cinematic and pop credit to burn, and there would be no JAGGED LITTLE PILL (album or musical) without Ballard, but apart from future Mayor Goldie Wilson (Cartreze Tucker) laying into “Gotta Start Somewhere” and, later Doc Brown’s ode to the power of science “This One’s for the Dreamers,” when music director Matt Doebler’s orchestra kicks in, we’re just marking time waiting for, yup again, “Johnny B Goode” and the Huey Lewis-sung favorites from the movie. Thankfully, we get them. And the composers have given that familiar riff from the film an accompanying lyric: “It’s on-ly a mat-ter of time.”

Victoria Munck, Daily Bruin: But for anyone who truly loves theater, or film, or understands why they are separate art forms to begin with, the production is somewhat unsettling. In a time where it feels increasingly difficult to push original stories forward, this adaptation – and its estimated $23.5 million budget – do not alleviate the struggle. It is hard to believe it was created by artists with a real passion for musical theater, as evidenced by its prioritization of sensational effects over thoughtful writing. Nonetheless, its producers have no obligation to save the integrity of performing arts. So, if they wanted to unite fans of a 1980s classic, they did their job well.

Jay Irwin, BroadwayWorld: OK, so the music is a disaster and the effects, while flashy, didn’t always work. What of the performers? Brauch is fine. In fact, he’s better than fine with a great voice and moves and tons of stage presence. He commands the stage and leads the show well. But so many of the others, especially Stephenson and Swanson, are doing such campy, broad, overdone impressions of the characters in the movie, that the jokes were no longer funny, just embarrassing. And how much do we need to pander to the audience? Let’s make them cheer by having an opening projection showing the current date and the town we’re in (in case you forgot) or by having local references (Marty: “What are you looking at George?” George: “Hawks. See? Hawks.” Get it? Seahawks?). Again, super thirsty.