'Back to the Future' review: Movie comes to the stage

Paging children of the 1980s: “Back to the Future” is coming to a theater stage near you.

“Back to the Future: the Musical,” that is. This touring production has just arrived in Seattle at the Paramount Theatre and runs through Dec. 22.

Yes, not a movie screen but a stage. Wouldn’t time travel require the special effects available to film? And how will this show play with kids who take those special effects for granted? Well …

As it turns out, on opening night, the special effects failed. In the very pivotal scene toward the end, the DeLorean (otherwise very impressive throughout) seemed to come off its tracks or otherwise not go where it was supposed to go. This resulted in an error message on the screen, multiple false starts, apologies and some jokes about it. All in all, the delay was close to an hour. People who stayed were rewarded with a fun and triumphant ending (and the promise of an unspecified make-good coming by email).

As of this writing, I don’t know the explanation for the troubles, but I trust that they’re frantically being repaired.

How we liked ‘Back to the Future’

Getting back on track, here’s the plot, for the uninitiated or anyone needing a refresher:

Marty McFly is a rock ‘n’ roll teenager who is accidentally transported back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown. But before he can return to 1985, Marty must make sure his high school-aged parents fall in love in order to save his own existence. Naturally, hilarity ensues. I thought some of that hilarity, in addition to some of the scenes between Marty and Dr. Brown, was over the top to the point of distracting goofiness. Boomer husband assured me that the movie had the same tone, but I’m not convinced.

I was more curious about the viewpoint of the skeptical teen, and she surprised me a little, explaining that she breaks musicals into two categories: “deeper life meaning” and “just for laughs.” This was clearly in the latter category and, while she said she prefers a message, she thought “Back to the Future: The Musical” did its job just fine for her. We had previously showed her the movie (and its sequels, I believe) but none of it had left an impression, so she clearly went into this without the emotional connection that her parents had.

The show had very high energy, and the song-and-dance numbers were very good and felt like classic Broadway. I remain partial, however, to the 1985 film.

A pivotal moment in “Back to the Future” involves Dr. Emmett Brown and this clock tower. (Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

‘Back to the Future’ details

Based on the hit 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox, “Back to the Future: the Musical” opened in London in September 2021 and on Broadway in August 2023. The current production has been touring since June and will play The Paramount Theatre through Dec. 22. Ticket information here.

And here’s something super cool: The role of Marty McFly is played by Caden Brauch, who grew up in Kenmore, graduated from Inglemoor High School and acted in local theater productions. The Seattle Times talked to Brauch about his career and this homecoming.