That’s heavy, doc.
It was announced Friday that the long-awaited musical based on the 1985 film Back to the Future will at last blast to the stage.
The show will play the Manchester Opera House in the U.K. from Feb. 20, 2020 through May 17. A London engagement will follow at a West End venue to be announced, Playbill reports.
The musical will be directed by Tony winner John Rando (originally, Jamie Lloyd was attached) with a book by the film’s co-writer Bob Gale. Glen Ballard and original Back to the Future composer Alan Silvestri are to handle the score. Chris Bailey is the choreographer.
Classic tunes, like Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” and Huey Lewis and the News’ “The Power of Love” will be featured in the show, according to Playbill.
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The stage adaptation of the franchise-spawning movie about a teenager who travels back in time and has to ensure his parents end up together before figuring a way back to his future life was being discussed as far back as 2014.
Playing the role of Marty McFly, made famous by Michael J. Fox, will be Olly Dobson, who previously appeared in the West End in Bat Out of Hell and Matilda. Casting for the role of Dr. Emmett Brown, the brilliant, but goofy scientist played by Christopher Lloyd in the movie trilogy, has not yet been announced.
Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis is attached as a producer.
“Bob Zemeckis and I have been trying to get this project off the ground for years, but good things take time and finally, the time is right,” said Gale. “Our cast is outstanding, the songs are fantastic, and director John Rando is doing an amazing job ensuring the show truly captures the magic of the movie. We’re thrilled that we can retell our story on stage in a brand-new way, and we’re certain that Back to the Future fans all over the world will share our enthusiasm. In the words of Marty McFly, ‘your kids are gonna love it’ — and so will you and your parents.”
No Broadway plans have been announced for the show, though given the enduring popularity of the movies, it seems certain that producers will be looking closely at the Manchester and London productions for import potential.
