Interview: Sandra Leitner And Terence van der Loo of ZURÜCK IN DIE ZUKUNFT at Stage Operettenhaus

When it comes to "Back to the Future, The Musical," the same images immediately pop into most minds: a sleek DeLorean with gull-wing doors tearing through the time barrier, leaving streaks of fire, Doc Brown with his wild hair, and Marty McFly with his guitar, and of course, the Cult-Song THE POWER OF LOVE.

The Musical, now playing at the Stage Operettenhaus in Hamburg, is widely regarded as a supreme sci-fi  fun night-out adventure.(click here to read Opening Night's review)  Yet, with all the attention on flux capacitors and time paradoxes, a central truth easily fades into the background: at the absolute heart of the story lies something completely different—a love story.

The clever twist of the story is that the spectacular time travel is merely the framework for a truly human drama. When Marty McFly gets stranded in 1955, it’s not simply about finding a route back to 1985. His far more urgent mission is romantic.

Before Marty can even think about saving his own future, he has to play Cupid and guarantee his (future) parents fall in love.

 

If Marty can’t succeed and Loraine and George won’t fall in love, his own existence and that of his whole family will fade away. Their future doesn't depend on technical know-how; it depends on a kiss. Of course, everybody wants to see the DeLorean in action, but audiences bite their nails because everyone wants to see George McFly stepping out of his shadow and showing Lorraine his feelings for her. We had the chance to chat with Sandra Leitner and Terence van der Loo, who are starring as Lorraine Baines and George McFly in the German production at the Stage Operettenhaus Hamburg about the Power of Love.

 

 

Sandra Leitner: The biggest challenge of this role for me is finding the balance between a lovestruck teenager and a mother who has no idea what her future will look like. I consciously try to make her seem a little crazy, almost creepy in certain moments, so that it's absolutely clear this relationship could never happen. To me, that's also the essence of the humor in this show. That's what makes it so funny. These two completely different realities. For Marty, it's a nightmare; for Lorraine, it's a dream. She believes in fate, and when this young man ends up lying in her bed, she takes it as a sign that they're meant to be. She immediately feels a strong connection to him and, of course, mistakes it for the maternal love she will one day have for her son. Later, when we see her relationship with George, the connection is much quieter, more
genuine, and more honest. That love is real, and as we know, it lasts for the rest of their lives. Showing the contrast between this twisted reality and the real one is what makes the role so fascinating for me.

Terence van der Loo:  One of the biggest challenges for me in playing George is staying true to the character as he was portrayed in the film without simply becoming a copy of the George played by Crispin Glover. What he created was truly unique and world-class. I think it's fair to call his performance iconic—even something of a cult classic. Precisely because his portrayal is so remarkable, I have to find my own version of
George. As an actor, you always bring a part of yourself to a role. I try to stay faithful to the character that has already been established while also exploring his motivations for myself. I look for the similarities and differences between George and me, and that's how I build a genuine connection with him. After all, the emotions George experiences are universal. We all know what it's like to feel sadness, insecurity, love, fear, and hope. That's where I start in trying to bring him to life as honestly and authentically as I can.

 

Sandra Leitner:  Well..It’s definitely an interesting idea to think about. I grew up in a small town, and my parents met at a young age, much like George and Lorraine. I don't know if I believe in fate, but when I look at them today, I do think they found each
other at exactly the right time. They're two people who are truly well matched and have managed to grow together over the years.
Who knows what would have happened if they'd never met. But I'm very glad things turned out the way they did.

Terence van der Loo: I could answer that question very simply: if my parents had never met, I wouldn't be here. (Haha) But on a more serious note, I do sometimes wonder, what if I had made different choices? I was born and raised in the Netherlands, but I've been living and working in
Germany for the past two and a half years. What if I had never auditioned in Germany? What would my life have looked like then? Or what if my fiancée—who was my girlfriend at the time—had said, "I'm not moving abroad with you." We're building a life together here now, but every now and then I wonder where we'd be if we had stayed in the Netherlands. Those thoughts do cross my mind from time to time. At the same time, I also believe that life isn't something you can completely control. As much as I'd sometimes like to—there's definitely a bit of a control freak in me. In the end, you can't plan everything. Sometimes you simply have to go where the wind takes you and trust the journey.

"Back to the Future" is a Musical milestone. It is fun to join Doc Brown and Marty on their journey, but the true fuel driving them isn't plutonium or 1.21 gigawatts of lightning energy. It's love. Because without that smitten teenage couple in 1955, there simply wouldn't be a 1985 worth returning to, and we wouldn't have a Musical like this to enjoy.

For further information, visit: www.stage-entertainment.de