Great Scott! 1.21 gigawatts!? Where are you going to get that kind of power in 2026!? At Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre, of course! Back to the Future: The Musical is proof positive that you can achieve anything if you just put your mind to it! Based on the film by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale (book), Back to the Future (with music & lyrics by Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard) is zooming at 88 miles per hour into Charm City— but for one week only! Directed by John Rando with Choreography by Chris Bailey, this screen-to-stage spectacle will have you tripping, slipping, hoverboarding, and time-traveling down memory lane faster than you can say “heavy.”
It’s a show built solely on spectacle, but the spectacle and all the nifty illusions that accompany it, are worth every time. You won’t walk out humming or singing any of the numbers and if you know the film, you know the plot, but when the DeLorean explodes into existence for the first time you’ll be in utter awe. The technical spec on this show is outrageous— mirroring Disney-level intensity and the production feels almost like one of those 4D Ride experiences, without the moving seats or splashing water (though there are bubbles at one point!) All of the meticulously programmed lighting effects (Tim Lutkin & Hugh Vanstone) combined with the videography and projection work (Finn Ross) coupled with the various illusion design work (Chris Fisher) makes for one intense visual experience. Add in the wild sound effects and intense vibrations created by blasting speakers at their maximum capacity (sound designer Gareth Owen) and you’re in for a wild ride!
Outside of the aforementioned quintet fabricating lights, video, sound, and effects into this production’s existence, credit is given to a single title and person: Tim Hatley— Designer. If Hatley gets the credit for the DeLorean, the moving scenery, the vivacious 80’s clothing style, the dapper more becalmed sartorial selection of 1955, and everything else that isn’t covered under the auspices of lights, video, illusions, and sound, then he’s master of his craft by far. When you’re in 1985, there’s no mistaking it. Day-glow activewear and huge poofy hair-styles (wig, hair & make-up credited to Campbell Young Associates) really clue you into that temporal stamp. The hairstyles get more plastic, the pants go full-wait-high, and the dresses get crinoline by the time you fly back to 1955 and the detailed work on both the costumes and the change in the scenery are great. Hatley, working in tandem with his audiovisual creative team, really keeps the audience on the edge of their seats— particularly in those final moments of Marty trying to escape back to the future. The switches between Doc on the clock tower, Marty in the car on the streets, and all the calamity that ensues between is nail-biting, high-octane anxiety at its finest and it really amps up the action of the overall experience.
While the show’s musical numbers and lyrics may not be those ubiquitously catchy earworms, you won’t soon forget the show’s dance routines. Choreographer Chris Bailey has infused some bodacious bounce into “It’s Only a Matter of Time” but keeps those swinging swell signature moves of the 1950’s well ensconced in “Johnny B. Goode” and “Gotta Start Somewhere.” And of course, every time the Gigawatt Gals (Doc’s dance crew at least during “It Works”) pop on stage you’re treated to a plethora of dance routines that appear to span time itself, particularly during “21st Century” where you get space-style moves galore. Bailey also focuses on bringing focus to that comedic golden nugget “Put Your Mind to It” which is a veritable showcase of 80’s moves being adapted by a 50’s dancer.
You get vocal pops aplenty all throughout the performance— like our two Starlighter Singers, Joshua Blackswan Abbott and Tay Marquise, who lend backing vocals to Marvin during “Earth Angel” and “Dive Deep” at the Enchanted Dance. There’s also the Pretty Baby Trio— Alexis Lilley, Gio Martinez, Liliana Rodriguez— who pop right through Lorainne’s bedroom window during their eponymous number and deliver divine 1950’s style sister-bridge harmonies. Slick (Braden Allen King) and 3D (Zachary Bigelow) also serve as backing vocals to Biff during “Teach Him A Lesson” in addition to lyrically correcting all of the big, bumbling buffoon’s vocabulary blunders. The ensemble as a whole have strong voices, making for good blends and sturdy support during those big numbers like “Something About that Boy” (a chaos-chase scene that is really fun to watch because of all the ‘stage-based sleight of hand’ that’s involved with making you think they’re moving all over the school!) and during “The Power of Love”, the show’s penultimate splashdown number.
Hands down, the vocal standout in this production is Cartreze Tucker as Goldi Wilson. Going full Elphaba at the end of “Gotta Start Somewhere” (they even gold-glitter-coat his broom, which he thrusts skyward), Tucker is belting out the best of the best when it comes to vocal talent. There’s heart, soul, intensity, and a really wild sound happening in that song. So much so that he even gets a cheeky-nod reprise when he walks out of the diner in the second act. Tucker doubles up as the high school crooner Marvin (so that the audience can be treated to his delectable voice just a few more times) and the character differences are striking. Tucker is a singing sensation and has exquisite dance moves in addition to that totally tubular voice.
You get bit-character hilarious from Dave (the eldest McFly child, played by Braden Allen King) and Linda (the middle McFly child, played Abbey Friedman) during “Hello— is Anybody Home?” The musical number itself is a little clunky but King and Friedman add hilarity to it. Luke Anthony Neville, who shows up as the agitated and perpetually furious Principal Strickland also has some cameo moments that add humor to the show— though his most hilarious moment is during the encore presentation, “Back in Time” where he’s busting a move at the edge of the stage, house right, and getting funky like nobody’s business. Jenny Dalrymple, listed simply as ‘Clocktower Lady’ deserves a shoutout as well, she’s got a really solid voice, which opens up “Cake” and can be heard hollering for donations in the 1985 scenes.
Nathaniel Hackmann, playing the odious and totally grody Biff Tannen, presents a character every bit the meat-headed bully you remember from the film. He’s a little dumber, somehow, for this stage adaptation, a little bit rougher around the edges, but really fun to watch, especially when he’s chasing poor Marty and George all over the school during “Something About That Boy.” He even gets his own ‘feature’ song midway through the second act, giving the audience a little extra fuel to loathe him with, though the way Hackmann carries the character does that well enough on its own. He’s really good at sliding from that comedic stereotype of ‘all brawn and zero brains’ into that revolting ‘me man get my way’ brute when coming at Lorraine in the car scene outside the dance. There’s a discernable difference, proving that Hackmann can bring intriguing layers to an otherwise static caricature of a bully.
It’s hard to say who’s more priceless in their respective role of Marty’s parents— 1955 edition: Mike Bindeman as George or Kathryn Adeline as Lorraine. Watching Adeline fling herself all over Marty (and by proxy his glorious, overly-animated facial responses and body-language) is hilarious. But so too is watching Bindeman ‘dork-out’ and spazz out every time something happens in 1955. The consistent physicality with them both is unmatched, with Bindeman having this jittery, nervous moves (and despite being extremely tall) constantly slouching and shrinking to fit his character’s meager, wimpy personality and Adeline having this exuberant confidence that radiates through every fiber of her being, from posture to floating step, to the way she tries tackling Marty onto her bed. The pair are marvelous. Bindeman’s George and Adeline’s Lorraine both have an exemplary handle on the way speech in 1955 is supposed to sound and it carries into their respective singing voices. Adeline is favorite by Gale’s book with more musical numbers to sing but Bindeman appears to be seen on stage more, so it feels balanced. When Adeline sings— numbers like “Pretty Baby” and “Something About That Boy (Reprise)”— you get this dulcet, mellifluous sound that’s like a serenading cloud just drifting to your ear. That’s echoed when Bindeman sings “My Myopia” (arguably the most ridiculous assortment of lyrics, though not without their own humor) and both have exquisite vocal capabilities for their respective characters.
There was something a little off about David Josefsberg’s performance as Doc Brown, though it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what. He was humorous and had an extraordinarily beautiful moment of sincerity when he hit that swan song number “For the Dreamers.” You wouldn’t expect something so heavy and sincere to come out of this show at all, let alone from Doc’s character but man did Josefsberg nail it with utter compassion, complete earnest, and intense sincerity. But there was just— a lack of energy in places? Almost like Josefsberg was in need of hooking himself up to the 1.21 gigawatts before the show started. He recouped by the time he hit “21st Century” (it didn’t feel like a clean character choice to have him be somewhat low-key in the first act only to spark to life by Act II) but it was likely not noticed by too many folks. Josefsberg had great chemistry with Marty and his reactions were well timed. He even had a few little asides at the audience— like when he was mouthing certain ‘questions’ during one of the dance-moments. His ability to really drive home meaning and pathos during “For the Dreamers” made up for anything that felt off otherwise during his overall performance.
Spastic and enthusiastic and bouncing with indefatigable energy— like the ‘bottle it, sell it, and we’ll be millionaires’ kind of supercharge— Lucas Hallauer’s Marty McFly was gnarly, wicked, and out of this world! Channeling some of those inspiring Michael J. Fox moves, physicality, and even facial responses, Hallauer was giving the audience what they wanted— their very own cinematic Marty McFly— while simultaneously crafting his own version of the time-traveling teen into the mix. Watching him tweak out every time Lorraine went to make a move in 1955 was hysterical beyond compare. And he’s got the ‘tude for miles when it comes to every aspect of his character. Vocally strong, numbers like “Got No Future” and its reprise, just land, man, in Hallauer’s capable hands. When Hallauer finally gets to rock out for “Johnny B. Goode” it’s as wild a ride as the DeLorean that got him there. There’s just something deeply satisfying about the energy level and the amazing vocals Hallauer was bringing to the show that really pulled you into the experience; it was on par with the show’s technical spectacles.
Don’t wait— Marty, the Doc, and the DeLorean aren’t going to hang around in Baltimore forever— they’ve got time to travel! And it’s time— to travel! To Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre to catch Back to the Future: The Musical before it hops the time-space continuum to somewhere-some-time else!
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission
Back to the Future: The Musical plays through March 1st 2026 at The Hippodrome inside The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center— 12 N. Eutaw Street in Baltimore’s Bromo Arts District. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 410-837-7400 or purchasing them in advance online.
