Reasons to see 'Back to the Future: The Musical' on Broadway

Discover why this nostalgic, energetic, plutonium-powered stage adaptation of the hit sci-fi film is worth your time to see at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Where Back to the Future: The Musical is going, it doesn't need roads. The hit stage adaptation of the 1985 cult-classic film touches down in America following a premiere in London's West End, where it won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical. If that strong start is any indication, Back to the Future has a bright future ahead.

Bob Gale, who co-wrote the film's script, adapted it for the stage, so expect all your favorite movie moments and iconic lines. Even those unfamiliar with the story — about a teenager who time-travels from 1985 to 1955, where he almost prevents his parents from falling in love — will pick it up quickly and be mesmerized by the futuristic, vibrant production.

Set your watches and discover why Back to the Future on Broadway is well worth your time. See the show today or tomorrow — or yesterday!

You'll see the future of theatre design and special effects.

Who said the set just has to stay on stage? Back to the Future isn't an immersive show — one where the audience actively participates in the action — but the musical proves you can feel fully part of a show's world while staying in your seat. Think of the show like a theme park attraction where you're seated the whole time, but projections and (near-)360-degree designs put you in the world firsthand. That's the experience of Back to the Future.

Glowing LEDs surround the proscenium such that if you're in the orchestra section, the older interior of the Winter Garden Theatre is barely noticeable beneath them, putting you right into the futuristic world of the show. Expertly rendered projections transport you to the driver's seat of the flying DeLorean, the top of the clock tower with Doc during a lightning storm, and more. Even set designer Tim Hatley's renderings of more ordinary places like the school and Doc's house spare no detail, and watching the DeLorean fly above the stage — and even flip upside down — is alone a sight to behold. (It even elicited tears of joy from a friend of mine.)

Back to the Future is heavy with '50s and '80s references.

Of course, the entire show is a '50s and '80s throwback, but the script includes lots of specific references to keep an ear out for. For example, there are multiple references to McDonald's, a fairly new company gaining traction in the '50s. Another scene sees Marty tell a '50s-era Doc that Ronald Reagan will be president, which Doc disbelieves. "You mean the actor?" he replies with a "yeah, right" scoff, eliciting plenty of audience laughter. On the zanier side, Doc also tells Marty the bottle of soda he's drinking contains "coke" — note the lowercase. It's a reference to the trace amounts of the drug that famously once existed in the soda.

Back in the '80s, Marty's girlfriend, Jennifer, name-drops her music-executive uncle Huey — a nod to Huey Lewis, the frontman of the band that recorded "The Power of Love" for the film.

As a bonus, there are even tongue-in-cheek references to the present day. Doc sings an ironic song, "21st Century," foreseeing how technology will advance beyond our wildest dreams and everything will be perfect in the 2020s. Ah, Doc, if only you knew. Dream big.

Feel the power of love and music.

If you love hearing songs like "Earth Angel," "Johnny B. Goode," and "The Power of Love" in the Back to the Future film, just wait until you hear them live with a full Broadway orchestra! The rock-and-roll power is turned up to 11 (or should we say 88), enough to rival any '80s rock concert.

Besides these songs, though, Back to the Future contains entirely original music. But it's co-written by Alan Silvestri, who scored the Back to the Future films — talk about a blast from the past! He wrote the new tunes with Glen Ballard, and naturally, they stay true to the larger-than-life spirit of Back to the Future.

Get tickets to Back to the Future on Broadway

You don't need a plutonium-powered DeLorean to go Back to the Future — you just need a ticket. Grab the family and get ready for 1.21 gigawatts of spectacular sci-fi fun.

Photo credit: Roger Bart and Casey Likes in Back to the Future on Broadway. (Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)