Back to the Future musical

[sam31]

Posted: 7/13/14 at 6:31am

Over the last few years there has been a trend in the the theatre to turn Hollywood films into musicals. Now we have another one coming and as the title said its Back To The Future. Now this is not new news. The good news is that the writer and director and musical supervisor from the film will be involved. They have brought in one of the song-writers from Ghost The Musical and it will be directed by Jamie Lloyd.. They will keep the songs and music from the film but write a few new songs for the musical. Somehow they will re-create the skateboarding scenes from the film.
I wonder who they will get to star in this film and will it be a hit or a miss. I hope it will be a hit.
If anyone has any news on this please do tell?

[Nickhutson]

Posted: 7/14/14 at 11:48am

Well - first of all comparing movies to stage musicals is not a new trend.

Secondly, I think BTTF is in pretty safe hands. To have the film creatives involved will be a coup for the show, and especially having Paul Kieve in charge of the illusions will be a major plus for the show.

I am most interested to see how Alan Silvestri copes with his first musical writing; whilst he's shown his chops in writing film scores, the task of crossing over to musical theatre isn't as easy as some composers think. However, he's worked well with Glenn Ballard before (on Disney's Christmas Carol and The Polar Express).

It'll be a huge hit if it's done well... which, fingers crossed, it will be!

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/14/14 at 12:03pm

Personally I have no interest to see this what so ever and the fact its the Ghost team behind it worries me hugely!

Colin Ingram is very tricky to work with and destroyed Ghost. Paul Kieve as great as he is won't sell the show, especially at The Dominion..

Plus Jamie Lloyd I am tired of and I find the majority of his work massively over thought and too much on the dark/dull side.

My early thought is - its going to struggle at somewhere like The Dominion.

[Nickhutson]

Posted: 7/14/14 at 6:52pm

Yeah - but the general public don't care who's directing or producing; they'll merely go because it's a very famous title and they'll want to see it on stage.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/14/14 at 7:24pm

It could be written by a blind dog and this would still sell, the movie is such a part of history

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 7/15/14 at 9:08am

^^ that could have been said about plenty of shows, most recently The Full Monty. The curiousity factor will sell it initially however if it doesnt have the right creative team resulting in mixed reviews and word of mouth AG23 is right, it will struggle just like Charlie is starting to at the Drury Lane

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/15/14 at 7:47pm

I dont agree with Full Monty, i think that shows reputation was done in years ago with the musical. I think Back to the Future is the kind of show that if marketed right will bring a whole new audience to the theatre but also the theatre fans as well as that film transcends ages, sex, sexuality, types etc, its a totally universal film

[ilovebroadway2014]

Posted: 7/15/14 at 8:15pm

Will the car fly?

[Nickhutson]

Posted: 7/16/14 at 2:50am

Yes - and disappear over the audience, apparently.

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/16/14 at 3:00am

I think BTTF audience, on a mass term, don't do musicals. Maybe I missed something but I've never heard anyone gushing about this film. I don't think it's quite generation defining at all that it's got a huge market, especially not one to fill 2000 seats midweek. Could be wrong but....

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 5:46pm

If you ain't heard anybody gushing about what people class as one of the all time best movies then I guess you ain't been listening

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 6:40pm

But you'd say the same about Gone With the Wind and look how Ingram handled that!

I put Back to the Future in the same category as Big- and look what happened there!

This could be a theme park flash in the pan with no heart. Ingram has botched Ghost, GWTW, and Movin' Out. He's still Cameron's office boy at heart.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 8:22pm

Back to the Future in the same catogry as Big????? Not a chance, one of them was a fun film that has not really lived on, the other was an epic hit with 2 sequels that is often voted one of the best films of recent decades.

As for Gone With the Wind it's a classic of course but to a certain age or niche of people, Back to the Future as I said plays across all types and generations of people.

[TBFL]

Posted: 7/17/14 at 9:27pm

I dont think BTTF appeals to a female audience at all and men are not the best theatre goers. After the inital hype, it could be a tough sell.

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/18/14 at 2:49am

I think songanddanceman you are clearly as massive fan of the film so i hope this happens for you .... But .... I do challenge that this film is as huge and generation defining as believed, IMO

Still Roger Bart in workshop sounds good... Trouble is not massively well known outside theatre circle.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/18/14 at 12:23pm

I enjoy the film like many but i would not say im a fan, ive not watched it in a good few years. As for the film not appealing to women, well thats not what was said on its release and re release on DVD. I am a HUGE film buff, write for some film sites etc, im just saying what i know of the film from a film buff point of view.

And you can challenge it all you want AnythingGoes but im afraid its fact, you know your theatre stuff, i love reading your theatre posts on here, but clearly on film you are way off mark

'In 2008, Back to the Future was voted the 23rd greatest film ever made by readers of Empire. It was also placed on a similar list by The New York Times, a list of 1000 movies. In January 2010, Total Film included the film on its list of The 100 Greatest Movies of All Time. On December 27, 2007, Back to the Future was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". In 2006, the original screenplay for Back to the Future was selected by the Writers Guild of America as the 56th best screenplay of all time

[AnythingGoes23]

Posted: 7/18/14 at 2:28pm

Haha! I agree film I'm not such a buff.. I just dunno despite those facts in all the people I've met and spoken about films to stage etc nobody has said this film

I could wrong and it could be an amazing show..time will tell

[devonian.t]

Posted: 7/18/14 at 3:30pm

I love Michael J Fox, but I hate Back to the Future.

[TBFL]

Posted: 7/18/14 at 6:45pm

Lord of the Rings was higher on the list of all time great films and look how that turned out on stage...

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/19/14 at 8:15am

Lord of the Rings also tried to get 1000s of pages in one to musical

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 7/19/14 at 10:59am

Ah the old 'I'm a movie buff therefore I'm right' comments.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/19/14 at 1:39pm

Princeton shut up, nobody said that, i said i can only speak from the point of view of been a movie buff. I am a huge theatre fan and work in theatre and also write for some film sites, so MY OPINION is based on that, plain and simple.

I aint talking about if the show will be good or the quality, simply that i think the thing will find a bigger audience than most imagine due to the film enduring legacy and success, i simply just pointed out its legacy etc as facts, researched facts.

Updated On: 7/19/14 at 01:39 PM

[Phantom of London]

Posted: 7/19/14 at 8:12pm

The truth is if we actually knew the recipe what works and goes on to become a hit, none of us would be sitting here and we all be either in our apartment opposite Central Park ori in our condo in West Palm Beach, Florida. We know what seems to work on paper, often doesn't work in theory, look at Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, Ghost or Rocky should of been big hits, all were big on spectacle. Who would of ten thought Avenue Q, Spamalot, Wicked or Book of Mormon would of been the box office superstars they are.

I can see. Case for Back to the Future being a hit, but can understand why people think it will be a flop. One thing is true though spectacle no longer sells tickets, the audience are long in the tooth now.

Who would of thought I Can't Sing would of been a hit? Well no one exactly.

[IndyTheatreGeek]

Posted: 7/19/14 at 11:46pm

Phantom said
We know what seems to work on paper, often doesn't work in theory, look at Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, Ghost or Rocky should of been big hits, all were big on spectacle.


My take (hindsight being 20-20):
LOTR-boring story Snooze music and staging.
Spider-Man-Spectacle yes, story?
Ghost-Actually did pretty well, not a hit but not too bad. Still touring in the US
Rocky-well done but no compelling reason to be over the film. Uninspiring music

Phantom said:
Who would of ten thought Avenue Q, Spamalot, Wicked or Book of Mormon would of been the box office superstars they are.

Avenue Q - R rated Muppets (who wouldn't want to see that?)
Spamalot - John Cleese as the voice of God. Story well suited to theatre.
Wicked - Behind the scenes of the Wizard of Oz
Book of Mormon - There is actually a story here of an underdog triumphing.

The thing I've not heard about BTTF as a musical is how is it going to take the familiar story and make it compelling? They can do whiz bang things with the car but unless the story/music grabs the audience it will be like Spider-Man, all show no substance.

I would have invested in R rated Muppets but someone would really have to make a case for Back to the Future. What would make it so much better than sitting in my comfy chair, popping in a blu-ray, and watching it on my large screen that I'd get dressed up, haul my butt to a theatre, sit in a semi comfortable (at best)seat, and spend many ?s on the experience.

That's what needs to be answered by the show's creators and producers, not an expression of Hollywood "High Concept."

[sam31]

Posted: 7/23/14 at 5:32am

When I wrote this post I was asking if anyone has any new Info about this. I was not asking you to debate weather it will be a hit or miss or be negative about this.
We all know that the theatre world is full of shows over the last few year that were first films then they got turned into theatre shows. Just look at a list of shows that worked Billy Elliot Priscilla The Musical, Ghost the Musical, The Ladykiller, Wizard Of Oz, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Rain Man and Matilda The Musical.