Back to the Future: The Musical at the Saenger Theatre through December 14
It had been a long day and I was in the mood for just some pure entertainment as I headed to the Saenger Theatre to see Back to the Future: The Musical. I wish I could time travel back and, instead, just have stayed home, perhaps binging on some other ‘80s nostalgia like The Golden Girls which would’ve made for a much more enjoyable evening.
Though I had somehow never seen the original movie, I was more or less familiar with Back to the Future’s general plot; my companion for the evening assured me the musical’s book didn’t stray too far from the cinematic version.
What I can imagine as being a fun, suspenseful comic sci-fi romp on screen, however, has on stage become a charmless, tedious 2 hour and 40 minute slog. I’m not sure how much is due to the pedestrian book by Bob Gale (who coauthored the screenplay) and how much is due to director John Rando’s scattershot production–blame can certainly be spread around–but the result does not make for a satisfying evening of theater.
Sure, we get plenty of imaginative videos (Finn Ross) and illusions (Chris Fisher), but that doesn’t substitute for a generic sounding, utterly forgettable 18 song score (except, of course, for Johnny B. Goode and The Power of Love which come at the very end) by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard. The applause at the end of most numbers, especially in Act One, had to be the most tepid I’ve ever heard at the Saenger.
David Josefsberg and Lucas Hallauer in Back to the Future: The Musical (photo by Evan Zimmerman)
While usually touring shows sport excellent performances, not so with Back to the Future. The two leads–Lucas Hallauer as Marty McFly and David Josefsberg as Doc Brown–are capable but have none of the charisma and idiosyncrasy that I can imagine Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, respectively, brought to the screen. Flat notes could too often be heard, especially when Sophia Yacap, as Marty’s 1985 girlfriend, was singing.
Rando had the rest of the supporting cast act in too much of a cartoonish manner which prevented the audience from ever really caring about or being fully invested in their characters, thus lowering the dramatic stakes. I actually felt bad for Mike Bindeman as Marty’s future Dad who was forced to play a parody of a nerdy shy teen type; that the guy’s also a peeping Tom didn’t exactly endear George McFly to us.
I appreciated some witty meta moments as when Doc wryly observed that the 6 chorus girls just seem to pop up when he starts singing, and some of the jokes (people in 1955 think it pretty ridiculous that actor Ronald Reagan will be President some day) still land. Marty’s future Mom having the hots for him, however, which could’ve been really funny or touching or whimsical or something, is merely cringey, as it’s meant to be, but nothing more.
Gareth Owen’s sound design, which too often allowed the music to overpower the singers, and Chris Bailey’s more athletic than inventive choreography added to an already mediocre evening.
I hate to be a Grinch and some folks did seem to enjoy it (tho my companion felt the same way I did), but consider this review my Holiday gift to you as a way to save time and money. Unless you already have tickets. In which case, you might want to see if there’s a DeLorean around that can take you back to the moment before you clicked on the “Buy” button.
[For tickets and more info, go to https://www.saengernola.com/events/back-to-the-future/. Next up in the Broadway in New Orleans series will be Grammy winner Alicia Keys’ semi-autobiographical musical Hell’s Kitchen (https://www.saengernola.com/events/hells-kitchen/)]
The Nutcracker at Jefferson Performing Arts Center, Dec. 19-21
[JPA’s production of The Nutcracker, performed with a live orchestra, returns to the Jefferson Performing Arts Center December 19-21. Here are excerpts from my review of 2020’s presentation.]
With his traditional approach to The Nutcracker, Director Kenneth Beck takes the audience back to a world of yesteryear where women wore big dresses, guests danced a “rousing polka”, and there’s not a cell phone in sight. Beck and co-choreographer Kimberly Beck handle the narrative portions of the opening scene well, making the relationships among the principal characters clear.
In this version, Herr Drosselmeyer, who presents young Clara with the eponymous Nutcracker, comes off as a fairly benign character as any darker overtones, which some other interpretations emphasize, are here banished. Given the many challenges facing our community today, that’s just fine.
To Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous music, the choreography pleases the eye whether in large ensemble numbers or solo turns. While all the featured dancers were excellent, what truly impressed me was how accomplished and assured the children’s corps was; even the smallest ballerina dazzled and the entire group of young ones, even the teeniest, were superb in their mastery of the steps.
As E.T.A. Hoffmann’s tale proceeds from the reality of the holiday party into the realm of fantasy, an elegant Snow Queen and Snow Prince transported us to the Kingdom of Sweets where the narrative is mostly cast aside and we are treated to a succession of dances inspired by a buffet of international goodies like candy canes from Russia and hot chocolate from Spain, all set to some of Tchaikovsky’s most beloved tunes.
Following the “French Variation”, a baker’s dozen of adorable wee dancers emerged from Mother Ginger’s enormous skirt and acquitted themselves fabulously. With its unalloyed beauty, the “Waltz of the Flowers”, was a sheer delight to watch; its Roses’ costumes looked like they had previously adorned a Rex Mardi Gras float.
Last but certainly not least, the Sugar Plum Fairy, shimmered across the stage accompanied by her Sugar Plum Cavalier in an especially memorable pas de deux.
Morgan McEwen as the Sugar Plum Fairy in JPA’s 2019 production of The Nutcracker (photo by John B. Barrois)
[For tickets and further information, go to https://www.jpas.org/performance/the-nutcracker-4/]
New in New York
Something is off when, in a big musical, you care more about three of the featured characters than the main one. Alas, such is the case with The Queen of Versailles (St. James Theatre thru Dec. 21).
Based on Lauren Greenfield’s documentary film of the same name and the life stories of Jackie & David Siegel, this new musical certainly focuses on Jackie and her incredible rags to riches to rags to riches tale, though JCPenney to Chanel might be more like it.
Still, I found myself more interested in those parts of Lindsey Ferrentino’s book that dealt with the Siegels’ daughter Victoria (Nina White) who eschews her parents’ lifestyle of the nouveau riche & famous; Jackie’s niece Jonquil (Tatum Grace Hopkins) who, after a hardscrabble youth, comes to live with the Siegels and embraces their extravagances; and Sofia (Melody Butiu) their Philippine housekeeper/nanny who, as loyal as she is to the Siegels still, understandably, prioritizes her family back home.
Each of these women have an emotional subtext that, as they navigate challenging situations, draws you in to their ambiguities and conflicts, thus making for involving theater.
Jackie, on the other hand, despite Kristin Chenoweth’s terrific lead performance as her, is presented in this ostensible biomusical as having a more or less straightforward storyline–she gets what she wants, whether thru hard work, luck or some combination of both, and manages to face circumstances head on and, invariably, overcome them. Where’s the dramatic tension in that?
Kristin Chenoweth, Nina White, and Tatum Grace Hopkins in The Queen of Versailles (photo by Julieta Cervantes)
This could’ve been overlooked had Stephen Schwartz’s score been filled with great, hummable songs, but despite a few brief melodies that linger in the ear, one wonders where is the composer of Godspell, Pippin and Wicked? I yearned for another Day by Day or Corner of the Sky or Popular to no avail.
Interestingly, the two best songs in the show are sung by Victoria (Pretty Wins) and Jonquil (I Could Get Used to This); I expect (and hope) we’ll be hearing them in various cabaret acts in the future. I just wish Sofia had gotten a song of her own and that Butiu had been given more to do in general.
That said, this “truth is stranger than fiction” musical may be flawed but is never less than good, which may be damning it with faint praise, but I’ll certainly take it over Back to the Future. It’s a pleasure to listen to Chenoweth’s fantastic voice sing anything. Christian Cowan’s opulent costumes for Jackie dazzle. And, in addition to the entire excellent cast, how can you not appreciate the luxury casting of 86-years-young Oscar-winner F. Murray Abraham as David Siegel.
Despite its shortcomings, musical comedy aficionados may want to check out The Queen of Versailles. Given the tough economic climate of Broadway these days, this reunion of Chenoweth and Schwartz will be closing all too soon. Which is rather wicked. (For tickets and more info, go to https://queenofversaillesmusical.com/)
I had seen Liberation last spring when it ran off-Broadway. Bess Wohl’s dramedy examining second wave-feminism as seen through a group of women (one of whom is based on Wohl’s mother) who join a consciousness raising group in 1970s Ohio is now on Broadway at the James Earl Jones Theatre through February 1. It’s a lovely, thoughtful, formally daring play which is likely to make you think of your own mother, the sacrifices she made, and the challenges she overcame. I strongly encourage you to see it as I don’t expect that, with its brief but vital nude scene, it will be done locally anytime soon. Perhaps understandable but a shame. (https://liberationbway.com/)
