“It’s Only a Matter of Time”
The opening number is the first song Ballard and Silvestri wrote for the melodic , yet it ’s plump through pregnant change , even since the first prevue performance in Manchester . Ballard say this bit has had about 15 different iterations . antecedently , it in the first place featured ensemble members playing various denizens of Hill Valley , singing about how the town is down at its heels . It come through in capturing the fictitious townsfolk in the 1980s , but , Gale points out , they made changes so the show did n’t start on “ variety of a downer . ” Now Marty carries much of the Sung dynasty , singing about his aspirations : “ I ’ll be on MTV / I ’ll rock my future tense . ” Mayor Goldie Wilson gets a moment in the spotlight in this cut now too . ordered through the re - writes of this song is the melody of the chorus line : it puts to Word the notes of Silvestri ’s main theme from his score for the 1985 film .
“Audition/Got No Future”
Marty ’s fail auditory modality with his band , the Pinheads , is depicted in this short cart track , follow by a few bars of him losing hope , tattle , “ I ’ve bewilder no futurity . ” In this caterpillar track and others on the album , fans can hear actor Olly Dobson not only singing as Marty but also some spoken lines , expose his keenly craft impression of Michael J. Fox ’s recognizable voice .
“Wherever We’re Going”
This duet amount right after Marty ’s band is turn down in the tryout for the schooling dance . Jennifer , his lady friend , boosts Marty ’s spirits , singing , “ Something right is flow / Wherever we ’re travel . ”
“ We always felt it was of import for Jennifer to have this moment and for us to empathize how supportive she is with Marty , how much he really loves her — how essential she is to his life , ” Ballard sound out . “ Because when he goes back into 1955 , that ’s the first person he needs to leave out . ”
Courtney - Mae Briggs , who plays Jennifer , enjoy performing this birdsong because “ I screw telling love stories . It ’s one of my favorite things to do , ” she tell , and also because it was a reunification with Dobson — the two actors trained together at the Arts Educational Schools in the Chiswick territorial dominion of London . “ Wherever We ’re Going ” and “ Only a Matter of Time ” are sweet reprize together in Act 2 , when Marty ’s care that Doc ’s plan with the clocktower might not win in bewilder him back his girlfriend to 1985 , but then Jennifer ’s vocalism comes in from across the decades , assuring him “ wherever we ’re going is alright . ”
Photo: Sean Ebsworth Barnes
Of that reprise , Briggs said , “ It ’s a really poignant moment in the show — the audience are really with us because everyone can relate to that and what it feels to maybe drop off your love . ”
“Hello, Is Anybody Home?”
While the production explores a handful of medicine styles , this call is the show sounding its most purely musical theater . feature Marty , his elder siblings , and his parents around the dinner party board , “ Hello , Is Anybody Home ? ” found the McFly family dynamics , with Marty bemoaning how his dad “ does n’t have a spikelet / He creep , scrapes , and toes the line . ”
The Sung continues an worked up rollercoaster for Marty through the first four songs — from his confidence in the scuttle song , followed by rejection , then Jennifer ’s encouragement , then the bummer of seeing his father browbeat by Biff .
“It Works”
kick off with percussion that voice like clocks ticking and compact with attention-getting rhyme , “ It Works ” is Doc Brown ’s first Song dynasty of the show , celebrating his innovation of something that really mould — the time - traveling DeLorean , of course . Doc is backed by distaff ensemble phallus in flashy jump suit that evoke the DeLorean ’s stainless steel outside and trails of fire , leading to a meta moment in the middle of the call when Marty asks , “ Hey Doc , who are the girl ? ” and Doc Brown exclaims , “ I do n’t fuck — they just show up every time I come out scorch ! ”
Seasoned point and screenland actor Roger Bart , who plays Doc Brown , said he does n’t conceive himself an imitator like Dobson does , but he channeled the “ wideness ” of Christopher Lloyd ’s beloved performance as Doc Brown . “ I have a heart and , it appears , an aptitude for playing characters of vivid nature . It ’s already in my DNA , ” enjoin Bart , whose great - uncle was a vaudevillian who toured with George Burns and Gracie Allen . The songwriters recall wrestling with how to satisfactorily introduce Doc in the show , particularly since , like to the film , he does n’t appear onstage until about 18 moment in . Then , Silvestri put forth the uncomplicated idea of the two - word hook “ it form . ”
“ So we ’ve been chase that pilfer the whole time , and we ’ve indite five or six iteration of it , ” Ballard said , “ It always had to mull over Doc Brown ’s brilliance and his big vocabulary but [ that ] it ’s the first time in his whole life something work out . ”
Photo: Sean Ebsworth Barnes
“Cake”
In workshops , the melodious ’s creative team tried out using the Four Aces ’ 1954 recording of “ Mr. Sandman ” after Marty ’s arrival in 1955 , just as it appear in the film , drive home a “ we ’re not in Kansas any longer ” vibe , transporting us to mid - century Hill Valley . After watching recordings of a shop , Zemeckis suggested replacing “ Mr. Sandman ” with a new song that achieve musically what the visuals in the township foursquare do in the moving-picture show .
“ Cake ” became that song , and also became the songwriter chance to poke playfulness at the 1950s with the hindsight of the twenty-first century , as chipper townsfolk sing about the wonders of things that we now know are n’t so good for us , like baccy fag and asbestos .
“Gotta Start Somewhere”
A forcefulness of infectious positiveness , Goldie Wilson belt out this gospel act after Marty lets dislocate that he ’s hold out to be Hill Valley city manager someday . As Goldie , Cedric Neal ’s power station voice and industrious terpsichore has consistently take in monumental cheers from the interview at both Manchester Opera House and London ’s Adelphi Theatre .
“ It ’s so rousing , ” Silvestri said . “ We have such a magnificent performing artist to interpret that call and bring it to life . I commend Glen talking about the need for something that accomplished that — it would have a kind of undeniable physical gist on the consultation where they would have to move their bodies . And they do — sitting in the hearing you really feel it . The round of applause at the end of that , you may just feel the energy in the elbow room bump up two clicks . ”
“My Myopia”
Ballard said with this strain , “ we wanted to seek to discover at least a min of understanding from the audience for [ George ’s ] insecurity — so he ’s not just a consummate , one - dimensional loser . He ’s a veridical human being . It ’s a quick reveal of his own self - shame , but on some level it ’s also kind of funny self - shame . ”
“Pretty Baby”
“ [ Marty ] is so aware of what ’s happening and [ Lorraine ] is so completely clean-handed that it allows you to have some fun without citizenry ’s skin fawn , ” Silvestri said .
For this moment , Silvestri and Ballard write a song evocative of 1950s young lady chemical group like the Chantels and the Chordettes . plunk for singers show up disport identical hair style and dress just like Lorraine ’s imperial gingham frock ( one of several illustration of the melodic recreate the film ’s recognizable costumes ) . As she ’s bat her eye at the mysterious boy attain by her dad ’s car , Lorraine whack out , “ Pretty baby , wo n’t you feel it too ? ” while Marty , writhe away , clearly will not .
“Future Boy”
This song , title after Doc Brown ’s moniker for Marty from his first encounter with him in 1955 , limn their first word about how to deliver Marty to the ’ 80s . It begin with Marty despair about his place to the melodic line sung earlier by his father in “ My Myopia ” and then chemise into a 1930s musical fashion as Doc is struck by ideas about how to rule the 1.21 gigawatts needed to send Marty back to the future . Doc ’s backed by ensemble phallus again , this time a kickline donning top hats and tails .
“Something About That Boy”
Lorraine ( Rosanna Hyland ) and Biff ( Aidan Cutler ) conduct this song , both attempt to put their finger on what ’s up with Marty — Lorraine falling for him and Biff really not liking the guy . The song play along complex choreography and put piece of music in the student residence of Hill Valley High School where Biff is finally made to look like a fool — the musical ’s rendering of the skateboard / railroad car Salmon Portland Chase around the town square in the film . It ’s Biff ’s first song in the current iteration of the show . When trailer performance began in Manchester , he also had a song called “ Good at Being Bad ” in Lou ’s Cafe right before Goldie Wilson ’s song , but , Ballard explained , it was curve when Act One was incline long and Lando pointed out they should n’t have two birdcall in the cafe . At one point , though , the bumbling antagonist was at risk of not getting to sing at all .
Gale say , “ for me , that was the dealbreaker , ” while Silvestri also tell , “ At some point , we come to come up that we did n’t seem to tonally check in a very full way . [ … ] So it was another five years of [ count on out ] , what is that whole step ? ” at last , the musical ’s current originative team determine that “ we wanted everybody [ in the show ] to have a fortune to say who they are , for you to determine something else about them that you did n’t know in the plastic film , and that ’s what vocal give you an opportunity to do , ” Ballard enjoin .
“21st Century”
While much of the musical play with various musical styles from the ’ fifty and ’ fourscore , this is Ballard and Silvestri ’s chance to go full techno .
“ That special birdcall is our cutaway . We have a permit to do that stimulate this is Doc ’s dream . But everything else we tried to C - particular date to the earned run average it ’s from , ” Ballard order in Manchester . “ And hold this perspective from 2020 , look back at the ’ fourscore , looking back at the ’ fifty . It was really fun because we were able to move between two really distinctly dissimilar melodious ERA and have merriment with it . ”
“Put Your Mind to It”
After Goldie Wilson ’s number in Act One , “ Put Your Mind to It ” may be the musical ’s next - biggest crowd - pleaser — and it likely played a key part in earning Dobson and Coles their nominations for Olivier Awards herald earlier this week . This pollyannaish Sung dynasty is the melodious ’s depiction of the setting in George ’s family ’s backyard when Marty ’s prepping him on winning over Lorraine . The mantra that becomes its own grandfather paradox - of - sort in the movie—“If you put your psyche to it , you may achieve anything”—is lent to this Song dynasty ’s form of address , as Marty teaches his dad the toughness Lorraine apparently wants in a man but also how to carry himself himself with confidence . In the number ’s stage dancing , Marty ’s also teaching his dad how to trip the light fantastic toe .
David Bowie and Mick Jagger ’s 1985music video for “ Dancing in the Streets”served as inspiration for Rando as he lead “ Put Your Mind to It , ” leaning into the disparate styles of Marty and George . It could have well veered into the soil of mocking dorky George while Marty register off slicker saltation move , but because George is so lovely and because Marty ’s understandably being supportive of his daddy , it achieves draw the interview to express joy with , not at , George . Dobson explained that , as Marty , “ I do n’t require to make fun of [ George ] ever . It ’s more about work him feel better about how he is , and so that when we end up doing the fatuity of the ending of the strain , I ’m with him , and whatever he ’s doing , it ’s okay to be that someone . ”
Much of the phone number ’s dance moves came from an early workshop of the show , when Coles and Dobson were encouraged to just part goofing off .
Photo: Sean Ebsworth Barnes
“For the Dreamers”
This vocal is Doc Brown ’s moment to channel Emma Stone ’s hearing toward the close of La La Land . In this intimate ballad , performed right on after the misadventure with Doc ’s ( immaculate but not - to - scale ) model of Hill Valley , our favorite loony inventor sings a bittersweet ode to dreamer “ Who live on inspiration / Go as far as they can take it / Even if they do n’t quite make it . ” He peach about how “ a bang-up musical theme / Can change the world . ”
Bart maneuver out , “ There ’s lot of numbers in this show where there ’s a lot of room for laugh . It naturally is a very funny show . What I find really lovely about ‘ wishful thinker ’ is that we start off on a really funny bank note , and is actually probably one of the only numbers that ends sincerely . ”
After first partake in the song with Rando on the piano at his Hollywood office , Ballard initially suggested it be performed near the end of the musical , but Rando recalls saying , “ No , no , it ’s got ta be at the moment of crisis where the model fails , where just flop when everything does n’t look like it ’s gon na happen , you have to sing this song . ”
Photo: Sean Ebsworth Barnes
The Song dynasty can generally utilize to anyone who dreams and perseveres toward any finish , but it has its own poignance coming from the show ’s scientist . Bart , whose parents were both MIT scientist , said in Manchester , “ This is as close as I ’m gon na get to that , ” adding , “ It ’s good to be in a pro - science musical in our humanity now . I ’m beaming I can help boost pro - science feelings and vibes in untested mass — endeavor to give them the sentience that anything is potential in the human race of science . ”
“ For the wishful thinker ” may be heard more in the musical theater world in year to amount : Gale said that doorkeeper at the Adelphi , where the show is currently performed , have differentiate him , “ This is gon na be everybody ’s audition song in three or four yr . ”
“Teach Him a Lesson”
In this track sung by Biff and his toughie ( just two of them — Match does n’t appear in the melodious ) , Silvestri and Ballard played around with lyric poem kin to the verbal blunders drop by Tom Wilson ’s Biff in the plastic film : “ Why do n’t you make like a tree and get outta here ? ”
“ He ’s the king of malapropisms , so he can never quite articulate what it is he need to do , ” Ballard say .
Throughout the song , Biff has it out for Marty and attempt to vocalize menacing ( and even ends the song with a classic maniac laugh ) , but his villainy is comedically undercut by his inability to get any threat right : “ I ’m gon na teach him a lesson / That he ’ll always forget , ” he babble , so his sidekicks rectify him : “ Never leave . ”
Photo: Sean Ebsworth Barnes
“Deep Divin’”
This song enthrall us into the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance , functioning as “ Night Train”—popularized by Jmmy Forest in 1952 — does in the film . Like that instrumental rhythm and blues track , “ Deep Divin ’ ” is saxophone - powered , but in the musical , this moment feature lyrics sung by Neal , who encounter both Goldie and Marvin Berry , frontman of the band at the terpsichore . Marvin Berry and the Starlighters are on - point with the saltation ’s musical theme , croon about buried treasure , the sea level , and “ deep diving for love . ”
“Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)” and “Johnny B. Goode”
The final four song in the musical are memorable percentage of the movie ’s soundtrack , starting with doo - wop group the Penguins ’ 1954 first appearance single “ Earth Angel , ” originally selected for the film by music supervisor Bones Howe . It ’s the medicine for the climatic moment when Marty is well-nigh wipe off from existence before George selective service up some braveness and saves McFly kinfolk chronicle by swooping in and kissing Lorraine . On the melodic soundtrack , the “ Earth Angel ” mix admit the forbidding orchestrations that come in as Marty starts to see himself disappearing into lean air , plus dialogue from Lorraine and George , who also sing the call ’s final lyrics together .
Paul Hanson — Fox ’s guitar instructor for the 1985 film — enounce in 2015that he taught Fox to play it in B because “ B unconditional is such a massively strange key for guitar actor , ” even though the Berry ’s song is in B bland , when the key still had some popularity from the horn - dominated boastful band era . The musical ’s creative squad chose to reference the song ’s original winder “ because the line should be unfeigned ! ” Silvestri said .
“The Power of Love” and “Back in Time”
Gale add , “ Bob Zemeckis was a Brobdingnagian Huey Lewis lover , even bad than I was . He just said , ‘ We got ta go after Huey . We come to . ’ I said , ‘ Alright , let ’s go after him . What the infernal region . ’ ” It pay off : “ The Power of Love ” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was ubiquitous on the radio as the movie hit theaters in July 1985 .
Before the musical open , some devotee speculated that “ Back in Time ” would look midway through the show , as it depict Marty beg Doc to get him back to his own time . The strain ended up functioning much like it does in the movie , where it dally during the ending reference . In the musical , the form sings it after their drapery call , practically guarantee the audience is already on their feet quick to trip the light fantastic toe along to the final figure . Ballard said they tried sliding “ Back in Time ” into a handful of position in the show too soon on , but “ it ended up being the double-dyed encapsulation of everything you ’ve just seen , maybe the best send - you - out - in - a - happy - mood Sung dynasty that we could ever have . ”
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Photo: Sean Ebsworth Barnes
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