Sometimes, a story is a delight, even if you know exactly what is coming. This was the case with the Wednesday evening production of "Back to the Future: The Musical" at Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre.
The play stuck closely to the plot of the 1985 Robert Zemeckis movie, which I have seen multiple times. Still, the story, the actors, the dancing, the characters, and the music kept the audience engaged throughout the play's 3-hour run time.
Caden Brauch did an excellent job channeling Michael J. Fox's interpretation of Marty McFly, the boy who finds himself transported 30 years back in time to the week that his parents met and fell in love. Marty unintentionally disrupts their first meeting, and his high-school-age mother falls for Marty instead.
Similarly, Burke Swanon's performance as the nerdy George McFly was almost identical to Crispin Glover, who portrayed George on the big screen.
Don Stephenson puts a slightly different spin on his portrayal of Doc Brown, the mad scientist who invented the time machine and assists Marty in both the present and the past at different times in Doc's life. Stephenson eschews Christopher Lloyd's gravelly voice, sounding much younger than the film version; but he retains Doc's manic quirkiness.
Early in the show, Marty asks Doc where all the dancing girls came from. Doc responds with a straight face: I don't know. They appear every time I start singing.
Director John Rando brings it all together, weaving a fun tale of relationships, consequences, and science fiction. He brilliantly used a translucent screen between the actors and the audience to portray technical effects, such as flying and time travel, and natural effects, such as rain storms.
The music of Alan Silvestri (who composed the soundtrack of the Zemeckis film) and the lyrics of Glen Ballard (best known for co-writing and producing Alanis Morisette's "Jagged Little Pill" album) entertain and advance the story.
Besides the music, the show inserts some minor twists, including Uncle Huey, who is mentioned in the first act but makes an appearance near the end.
This show felt like a trip back to 1985. I enjoyed this week's performance so much that I will consider seeing it again. But not until I re-watch the movie trilogy.