The Fabulous Fox Theatre is temporarily home to the “Back to the Future: The Musical” national tour as part of its 2024-2025 season. Taking the audience back in time using incredible special effects, intoxicating music and the legendary storyline, “Back to the Future: The Musical” is a performance that is sure to make anyone say, “Great Scott!”
Originally premiering in theaters on July 3, 1985, the “Back to the Future” film had a rocky start, its script rejected over 40 times before being brought to life. The movie was a hit, grossing over $11 million in its opening weekend. Co-written by University City native Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, St. Louis claims the title of the birthplace of “Back to the Future.”
“If 73 year old Bob Gale went back in time to fall of 1980 when [Robert] Zemeckis and I were struggling to write this thing and said this is what’s going to be happening in 2024, they would have accused me of being drunk, and asked me if I had any more of whatever I was drinking,” Gale said in an exclusive interview for the Webster Journal.
The story tells the tale of teen Marty McFly who ends up time-traveling back to the 1950s in a DeLorean after an experiment by his eccentric friend, Doc Brown, goes wrong. There, he runs into his parents, Lorraine Baines and George McFly, as teenagers and ultimately has to force them to meet lest he ceases to exist.
“It touches a human nerve about who we are and where we come from,” Gale said.
Featuring exciting musical numbers and choreography to match, “Back to the Future: The Musical” is unforgettable. The show also utilizes special effects that are out-of-this-world, and they bring the same unreal feeling as the movies.
“That is why I have been so intensely involved in this, to make sure that the musical really does capture the spirit of the movie, and that if you enjoyed the movie, you’re going to equally enjoy the musical,” Gale said. “I’ve had people tell me that they like the musical even better than the movie.”
The musical opened at The Fabulous Fox Theatre on Sept. 24, marking its St. Louis debut. During the curtain call, Gale joined the cast to announce that Sept. 24 has been declared “Back to the Future Day” in St. Louis and “Bob Gale Day” in University City, presenting two awards to honor the occasion.
For Gale, witnessing his creation come to life in his hometown added a personal touch to the hit story, making St. Louis more than just another stop on the tour.
“Cosmic is the best adjective I can use to describe it,” Gale said. “I used to go to the movies at the Fox Theatre.”
“Back to the Future: The Musical” ran from Sept. 24 to Oct. 6 at The Fabulous Fox Theatre. Caden Brauch as Marty McFly and Don Stephenson as Doc Brown are undeniably talented actors, melding the already well known movie characters with theatre in a way that gives these unforgettable personalities a new, refreshing twist.
The stage mechanics and the DeLorean time machine are memorable parts of the show. Witnessing scenes that defy all expectations of theatrical effects is an unbelievable sight.
However, it is Zan Berube as Lorraine Baines and Burke Swanson as George McFly who steal the show. Their characters arguably have the most charming songs. “My Myopia,” George McFly’s ballad about having bad eyesight, is a hilariously written piece that encapsulates the near-unbearable awkward essence of his character. In contrast, Baines’ catchy number, “Pretty Baby,” features lyrics that are suggestive yet somehow sweet.
Later in the show, Gale makes a cameo as a radio weather forecaster, announcing mostly clear skies as the plot suggests otherwise — a line he’s noticed has received an increasing amount of crowd laughter from the tour audiences.
“I suppose it’s because we’re playing in cities where the weather changes so frequently,” Gale said. “Back to the Future: The Musical” is nothing short of electric. It incorporates key scenes from the movie while still capturing the iconic charm. The set and lighting design are of the highest caliber, and even from the back of the auditorium, it was clear how much attention to detail was present.
“You need to see this because, yeah, it’s the story of the movie, but it’s told with all these different paint brushes and tools and things that we can do live on stage that we cannot do in a movie,” said Gale.
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