Christopher Lloyd is a DeLorean salesman in teaser for Broadway's 'Back to the Future' musical
GREAT, SCOTT! No one knows how to sell a time-traveling DeLorean better than Christopher Lloyd. Just make sure to pay him in plutonium when the check comes due. The OG cast member of the Back to the Future films makes an appearance in a new trailer teasing the American debut for the musical adaptation of the seminal film trilogy.
Lloyd enjoys a small exchange with Roger Bart (Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events), who plays Doctor Emmett Brown in the 88-mile-an-hour production, which kicks off at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre next summer. Casting for hapless teenager out of time, Marty McFly, has yet to be announced, though it's been announced that Hugh Coles (Atlanta) will play his father, George.
Bob Gale — co-writer of the original trilogy with director Robert Zemeckis — returned as lead scribe for this project, which boasts all-new music from Back to the Future composer, Alan Silvestri, and Glen Ballard (Ghost the Musical) alongside classic tracks like Huey Lewis' "The Power of Love," The Penguins' "Earth Angel," and Chucky Berry's "Johnny B. Goode." You might not be ready for the latter, but your kids are gonna love it.
Related: The 'Back to the Future' stage musical is finally ready to take you back in time
"If Bob Zemeckis and I time traveled back to 1980 and told our younger selves that the script they were struggling to write would become a Broadway musical 43 years later, they'd kick us out of their office and call us crazy," Gale said in a statement. "Well, sometimes, crazy ideas give birth to great entertainment, and now Bob and I are eager to share our musical vision with New York audiences. The London production exceeded our original expectations on every level, and we're certain the Broadway version, anchored by the brilliantly talented Roger Bart and Hugh Coles, along with the fantastic songs by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard, will be even better. Regardless of whether you've seen the original film, Back to the Future: The Musical, with its outstanding performances and incredible stagecraft, will delight and enthrall you, your kids, your parents, and everyone you know!"
Check out the teaser below:
“It all began for us with the story and characters that made Back to the Future a much beloved, cinematic classic," added Silvestri and Ballard in a joint remark. "The magic of musical theater presented us with the possibility of adding new dimension and depth to our familiar Hill Valley residents. Through song and dance their innermost thoughts, hopes, and dreams are now revealed. It’s a story first told in 1985, that traveled back to 1955, and will now be told in 2023 in New York City. We are thrilled and excited to invite you to join us on this epic journey through time. ‘Where we’re going’ . . . is Broadway!!"
Both Lloyd and Michael J. Fox gave the production their blessings earlier this month during a reunion at New York Comic Con. "I don't see how they could have done it better," Lloyd said.
Fox, meanwhile, described the show as "fantastic," going on to add: "They could have fallen into the trap of imitating us, but they didn't. The characters were fully-realized on their own. I thought the play was really well-written, the music was great, and I'm gonna go when it comes to New York."
The show first opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London's West End last year and became the recipient of an Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Since then, it has brought in over half a million audience members and broken Adelphi box office records.
“After playing for two years in London and winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical, we are thrilled to be bringing Back to the Future: The Musical to Broadway where we see it as its natural home," concluded lead producer, Colin Ingram. "Marty, Doc and everyone in Hill Valley will be living on Broadway and 50th Street for hopefully many years to come and we look forward to entertaining and thrilling audiences with this moving and spectacular musical version of the much beloved film. I’m delighted to be bringing Tony Award winner Roger Bart back to Broadway and introduce Olivier Award nominee Hugh Coles as George McFly who have enthralled audiences in London."
Broadway previews of Back to the Future: The Musical begin on June 30, 2023. Opening night is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 3.
John Rando (Urinetown: The Musical) directs with a support team that includes Tim Hatley (set and costume design); Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone (lighting); Gareth Owen (sound); Finn Ross (video); Chris Bailey (choreography); Nick Finlow (musical supervision and arrangements); Chris Fisher (illusions); Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook (orchestrations); David Chase (dance arrangements); Ted Arthur (music direction); and Tara Rubin (casting).
The entire Back to the Future trilogy is now streaming on Peacock.
