Up next in 10
Video: BACK TO THE FUTURE Company Is Getting Ready for Broadway
May 17, 2024
Back to the Future: The Musical begins Broadway performances Friday, June 30, 2023 and officially opens Thursday, August 3, 2023 at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre. In this video, watch as Casey Likes, Roger Bart, and the rest of the cast get ready for Broadway!
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:02
Everyone set your clocks because the Olivia Award-winning Best Musical, Back to the Future
0:07
is coming to Broadway's Winter Garden Theater, where performances begin on June 30th
0:11
and we drop by the rehearsal room to meet the company, led by Roger Bart and Casey likes
0:15
Being in this rehearsal room, with this incredible company, what is meant to you
0:22
Wow, it's meant a lot of things, man. This is something that
0:29
I didn't see coming at all. And people really, really believed in me to get me to this position
0:37
And, yeah, I mean, it's a lot of support around the whole room
0:41
From the top down, John Randos sets a good vibe as the director, and all of our composers and our team
0:47
and then the cast is very supportive of each other. So, yeah, it's nice to be in a place that people believe in you, for sure
0:53
Oh, it's so good to be back in New York City and to be playing on Broadway again is that
1:00
the, it's the greatest thing for any, any actor who loves being on the stage. And on top of it
1:07
I get to sing with a, somewhere on like 18 pieces orchestra, which is, it, it, it is just
1:15
nothing better than singing with a live band. You know, I was, I grew up in high school as a
1:20
um, with my own little rock band and, um, loved it. And, and it was always one of the most
1:24
fun things I've had in my life. And so sometimes I kind of pinched myself. And so, sometimes I kind of pinched
1:29
myself and I said really I get to sing not with a track I get to sing with live genius musicians
1:34
every single night and a great score so yeah it's it's great and I love Broadway audiences I always
1:40
have what about iconic role you about to play it it really iconic and I think it one of the the roles um in history that is cemented in in history because of the actor who originally portrayed it Michael J Fox is Marty McFly and always will be Marty McFly
1:55
And I don't shy away from that. If I do my job well, I'll be able to remind you about how special Michael was in this film and still is
2:08
And also add a little bit of my own flair because, you know, Marty is us and everyone wants to be Marty
2:14
So, yeah, hopefully I can bring that to it. It's such an extraordinary part for so many reasons
2:21
It's beloved by most... I'll get entrance applause. It has nothing to do with Roger Bart
2:26
Has everything to do with Doc Brown, created by Bob Gale and Robert Semeckis
2:31
this great character. And Chris Lloyd, you feel all of it when I get out of the Delorean
2:37
And on top of it, he's a hero, and he's a great friend
2:42
He's a great friend to a young man. and you see that friendship
2:46
and the choices they make for each other throughout the show. It's just really, really
2:50
enriching. And the greatest thing of all is that when we were in London
2:56
we made so many fans of musicals and musical theater and theater
3:02
made so many fans of young kids who came to show and just
3:07
some of them hadn't even seen the movie or had seen it a year ago with their parents. They come to the theater
3:12
I can't tell you how many parents came to the show and said, my kid was absolutely still and like, through this thing
3:21
And they love Doc Brown and they relate to Marty and they just feel like, oh gosh, this is incredible
3:27
They just, so I'm most proud of that and most excited to bring a whole other generation
3:34
of theater goers and get them hooked on this incredible show that is both so satisfying in its relatability and its great story and its great effects How excited are you back to the future
3:46
I'm thrilled. I'm deeply excited, I have to say, yeah, it's a special show, and I'm really
3:52
excited about the American cast. We had such a great time in London, and it's doing so well over
3:57
there, and I'm just, you know, very, very honored and happy that we get to bring it to Broadway
4:01
It's very special. It's a real moment for you. You were the creators of the original movies
4:07
You're all working on the Broadway production with John Randow. And you're bringing this musical to life
4:11
Do you ever sit in the girl soon and be like, I can't believe we're here? Oh, yeah, we have the WTF moment kind of multiple times every day
4:21
We literally look at each other and go, you know, we can't believe it
4:25
It's happening, apparently. Well, I mean, I grew up with the films
4:29
I went to, I'm old enough to have gone to the cinema and seen the film when I, the film
4:34
when I was 15 and I always stayed with me but I thought the story was inherently theatrical you
4:39
know had a great soundtrack and you know everyone was like well how do you do the delorians and having
4:45
done ghost and worked with illusions before I was felt very confident about it so when Glenn Ballard
4:51
Glenn Ballard brought me into this project and he of course worked on ghost with me and that's how I got
4:56
to meet the Bob's just around the corner from here so all actually started on 44th street the first time
5:02
I met Bob Gail and we started talking about Back's Future. That was 10 years ago
5:06
Can you believe it? So I have just, yeah, listen, going to work and producing back to the future
5:12
I mean, come on. It doesn't get much better than this. So I'm thrilled. Gosh, oh, it's thrilling
5:17
It's an honor. It comes with a big responsibility. We're going to take good care of these characters
5:23
We going to take great care of this story And we going to crack it open and expand it breathe new life into it breathe songs into it Yeah it thrilling
5:34
I think the score, as well as the songs and the script
5:39
it's so faithful to the film, but allows you your own sort of space to grow
5:43
And so you'll be doing moments which are just beautifully scored by Alan Silvestre
5:47
and you think, I'm in the film. It's like the punch at the end
5:52
It's, for me, it just feels like you're in the film and people react to that and it's such a great accompaniment
6:00
to the film trilogy that you get that original feeling you had
6:04
when you first saw it back to the future and you get to watch it with your kids this time and they get to see these characters in real life
6:09
It's a really faithful accompaniment to the three films. This is really a part of our modern mythology
6:15
and I feel like we are working so hard to honor the fandom and the people for whom
6:21
this property. is so important. And I'm one of those people. I have the most vivid memories
6:27
of going to the theater as a young kid and seeing back to the future two and three
6:31
especially vivid for me. I collected all the classes from Pizza Hut
6:35
Do you remember those? I had the poster on the wall with the cars from the future from 2015
6:39
from the sequel. So I've loved this property from the very, very beginning
6:45
And when I tell you that the book that Bob Gale has written
6:50
the music that Alistavis has written, The choreography that I saw, John Rando's direction, and these actors bring this work to life
6:59
The 1.21 gigawatts is already there. We don't need a lightning bolt
7:03
It's happening right now. But you're getting that lightning bolt. You're getting that too
7:07
And so much more because I got to see the scenic design
7:11
We had a presentation of what the show is going to look like. And let me tell you something
7:15
It is out of this world. Truly
#Events & Listings
#Music & Audio
#Musical Films
#Vocals & Show Tunes
#Broadway & Musical Theater