'Back to the Future The Musical' Just Xeroxes the Film

As a film, "Back to the Future" seemed like a musical waiting to happen.

That is due to its central plot device in which a teen must go back in time and ensure his parents fall in love to solidify his own existence. It's a wacky premise – both funny and "heavy," as the teen, Marty McFly, says repeatedly. In the musical's national tour (at the Citizens Opera House through July 20) Lucas Hallauer plays the role made famous by Michael J. Fox in Robert Zemekis' 1985 blockbuster. That he has a resemblance to Fox is an advantage, underscoring how this stage version aims to please by being faithful to its source.

It took some time for the musical to find its way to the stage, first in London in 2021, where it is still running; then Broadway in 2023, where it is not. Now it's on the road in a slightly streamlined production that may not be as technically dazzling. Its main problem is its slavish adherence to its source material. This approach makes sense given that many who will pay Broadway prices to see the musical want to see more a facsimile with songs than something more original. In this respect, "Back to the Future the Musical" delivers. It mines its clever plot for screwball comedy rather than romance. It's a primer on how to bring a special-effects-laden movie to the stage, thanks to the genius of its expert design team. The DeLorean, so crucial to the film's time-travel, is front and center, even speeding down the main street of Hill Valley in the climatic sequence and inching across the footlights in the musical's final moments. While it spins on a hydraulic lift, everything moves around it, creating the spellbinding effect of motion. In these moments "Back to the Future" wins you over thanks its technical wizardry rather than its content.

Not that the libretto by Bob Gale (who co-wrote the film) and the songs (by the film's composer Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard) aren't up to par; both book and score are diverting enough. Gale pretty much reproduces the script for the stage, and the songs have the right amount of pop pastiche for the two eras the musical recalls (they are enhanced by the excellent period-styled orchestrations by Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook). While the songs don't delve into the story's emotional center, they are fine for evoking the beats of the movie – very busy beats at that, as seen in director John Ranko's fast-paced direction and Chris Bailey's enjoyably busy choreography.

That the tour ensemble is first-rate likely makes the creative elements appear better than they are – a plus for any road production. And when the show hits a right note, as in Cartreze Tucker's empowering "Gotta Start Somewhere," it is better than just alright. With his ringing high tenor and smooth moves, Tucker is terrific as the ambitious bus boy in the 1950s who goes on to be the town's mayor in the 1980s. But he is surprisingly wasted in the second act where he plays the bandleader at the dance with the flamboyance of Little Richard. If only he got a show-stopping turn, as well. Instead, Hallauer does a capable job recreating Fox's vocal of "Johnny B. Goode" from the film. While the role requires little more than for him to appear vexed, he is personable and commands the stage when he sings. In the role of his dad, lanky Mike Bindeman is saddled with a hyped-up impersonation of the nerd Crispin Glover played so memorably in the film, but when he finally gets to break out of that characterization in his second act duet with Hallauer, "Put Your Mind To It," he shows his range as a musical performer.

Not as good is David Josefsberg as Doc, the wacky scientist with time-traveling theory who is Marty's bff. Resembling Christopher Lloyd's over-the-top performance from the film, he is a one-note caricature. This isn't entirely Josefsberg's fault; Gale lets him down at every turn with lame one-liners, as does Silvestri and Ballard by giving him two of the score's worst songs. Nor does the creative team explore his bond with Marty for any emotional payoff. But the show avoids a strong emotional pull. Instead, it just gets by on its zany, improbable premise. This means that Zan Berube as the boy-hungry Lorraine has little to do than make a play for the new boy in town, not knowing he is her son – icky, but funny. To her credit, Berube is a skilled comic actress who plays the part quite nicely, and Sophia Yacap makes her presence known with her strong vocals in the thankless role of Marty's latter-day girlfriend.

That the DeLorean ends up stealing the show in the final clock-tower sequence is credit to designer Tim Hatley, lighting designers Tim Lutkin and Hugh Vanstone, and video designer Finn Foss. Their seamless collaboration of mixing live action and animation make this sequence the show's high point. But in bringing a story ripe with musical possibilities to the stage, its creative team take the easiest and safest route possible, replicating a beloved film instead of delving into its dramatic possibilities. That it does so with such a professional sheen is its saving grace, but don't go to "Back to the Future The Musical" expecting anything more than a theme show attraction plopped onto a stage. Is it a glass half full or a glass half empty? Feel free to decide.

"Back to the Future The Musical" continues at the Citizens Opera House, 539 Washington Street, Boston, MA through July 20. For more information, visit the Broadway in Boston website.

For upcoming dates in the national tour, follow this link.