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Review: “Back to the Future” Musical Lands on Broadway a Stunning Visual Production Made for the Nostalgic by Artificial Intelligence

Roger Friedman
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Review: “Back to the Future” Musical Lands on Broadway a Stunning Visual Production Made for the Nostalgic by Artificial Intelligence

“Back to the Future,” a hit musical from London, has landed at the cavernous Winter Garden Theater. Based on the 1985 movie, the show is a crowd pleaser if only because everyone who sees it knows the story and is ready to see it re-enacted on a stage.

And boy, is it ever. From the moment you walk into the Winter Garden you can tell these people are serious with a capital S. The venerable showplace has been remade into a futuristic fantasy that lights up with neon everywhere. If you’re a kid, or an adult who saw the movie as a kid, this is heaven. It’s like watching a pinball machine light up over and over.

A machine made musical is really timely in our current discourse. It’s as if someone fed Robert Zemeckis’s clever movie into Artificial Intelligence and asked it to write a Broadway show. Out this thing has popped from a computer slot. All the characters, the sets, the plot, it’s all there. The only thing it’s missing is, to reference the Tin Man from The Wizard Oz, is a heart.

Aside from the pre-existing songs from the movie — like Huey Lewis’ two hits, and things like “Johnny B. Goode” — the music sounds like it literally came out of a computer program. The songs, by top 40 hitmaker Glenn Ballard and the movie’s original composer Alan Silvestri, are constructed from about 20 different styles with, no cohesion of any kind. (By the way nearly every song has the word “future” in it over and over. Okay, we get it.) They’re like Bob Gale’s book, which takes no time to develop the characters he wrote so well for the original movie. Either you know ’em this time, or you don’t.

It’s not like the total package isn’t enjoyable. It is. To counterbalance this weird situation, the actors are all superb. And the production design is A plus. This show had to cost $20 million or more and you can tell they’re in for the long haul. When Doc’s Delorean appears on stage, it’s so compelling it’s actually a character in the musical. It’s the equivalent of the chandelier from “Phantom of the Opera.” And — it talks! (Kinda.) It also lights up, spews smoke, and eventually, it flies. What kid wouldn’t want to see that on stage?

The cast tries hard not to imitate the movie’s actors, and they pull that off with aplomb. Casey Likes, the kid who survived “Almost Famous” the musical, is a charming Marty McFly. He can sing and dance, and provide just enough disgust when his own mother gets a crush on him. Roger Bart, certainly a musical star by now, is commanding as the eccentric Doc Brown. He’s part Einstein and part Dr. Irwin Corey, plays it broadly, which is all you need.

Bart tends to steal all his scenes but he’s got a lot of competition. British actor Hugh Coles comes from the UK Production playing goofy nerd George McFly or, really, actor Crispin Glover playing George McFly. Coles won some awards doing this, and he’s really kind of genius. Jelani Remy is an absolute joy playing the dual roles of Goldie (who becomes the mayor) and the soul singer Marvin Berry (Marvin Gaye/Berry Gordy?). Songwise, Remy gets the most organic, spiritual moments. I could have listened to him all night. Liana Hunt is lovely and refreshing as Marty’s mom, Lorraine.

This is not a Broadway masterpiece like “Sweeney Todd” or “Parade” or “Here Lies Love.” It’s more like “Miss Saigon” on a good day. It’s an event, a presentation, an Entertainment, the kind you’d see in Vegas or at Disneyland. But those big numbers, the production values, are stupendous. Illusion designer Chris Fisher deserves buckets of kudos. Just as he made “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” a dazzling experience, he does the same here. Director John Rando is able to keep the action moving without taking a breath and Fisher waves a magic wand over the proceedings.

So come to “Back to the Future” for fun. Don’t take it too seriously. And just be happy Broadway gets a strong ticket draw that should run for some time.

Finally: Donald Trump Arraigned, Arrested, Pleads Not Guilty, Faces 55 Years in Jail for Fomenting January 6th Insurrection

Roger Friedman
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Finally: Donald Trump Arraigned, Arrested, Pleads Not Guilty, Faces 55 Years in Jail for Fomenting January 6th Insurrection

Donald Trump has finally been brought to his knees. So to speak.

In federal Court today in Washington DC, Trump has been arraigned, arrested, and released on four counts in the fomenting of the January 6th capitol insurrection: conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights.

Trump was advised as he pleaded not guilty that he faces 55 years in jail.

This is third indictment so far, and the worst.

That his followers, and Republicans, would still vote for him is inexplicable. There’s either mass stupidity or they’ve all had a brain infection brought by space aliens.

This is the Donald Trump we New Yorkers have known all along since the 1980s: corrupt, lying,, full of hubris. and an unreal reading on public life. For decades he was puffed up in the New York tabloids and came to believe his own publicity — which he planted — as the King of the World.

In the end, he was just a petty thief who conspired to undermine our country and overthrow the government. It doesn’t seem possible that he could run a presidential campaign with three trials pending and a fourth indictment coming in Georgia. Trump may at last be finished.

Box Office: Barbenheimer Movies Hitting Landmark Numbers Today After Just Two Weeks, “Mission Impossible” Killing it in…China

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: Barbenheimer Movies Hitting Landmark Numbers Today After Just Two Weeks, “Mission Impossible” Killing it in…China

Tonight is two weeks since the Barbenheimer marketing Goliath began.

After 14 days, both movies will hit landmark numbers today.

“Barbie” will cross the $400 mark today, which isn’t surprising considering the Mattel involvement. More shockingly, the serious three hour epic “Oppenheimer” crosses $200 million. And these are just the US numbers. Abroad, both movies are massive hits.

The loser at the box office is “Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning.” The 7th installment in the series should have been as big as “Oppenheimer.” Instead, it’s running $30 million behind “Mission Impossible Fallout.”

Although “Dead Reckoning” has amassed almost $700 million worldwide, almost all of it is from international box office. And of that, nearly all the foreign box office came from China — about $350 million so far.

Lizzo Says Accusations of Abuse are Bananas, Flutist Flouts, Sows Seeds of Doubt About Lawsuit

Roger Friedman
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Lizzo Says Accusations of Abuse are Bananas, Flutist Flouts, Sows Seeds of Doubt About Lawsuit

Lizzo, the outspoken flute playing R&B star, denies any of the accusations hurled at her in a lawsuit from the former employees who danced on her last tour. The dancers said they had been “exposed to an overtly sexual atmosphere that permeated their workplace,” in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Lizzo says it’s ‘bananas’ that she’d be sticking peelable fruit in ladies’ private places. She also reminds us that she’s always stood up to body shaming and wouldn’t do it to her staff. My gut instinct is that I believe her.

It’s ABOUT DAMN TIME she spoke up. All kinds of anonymous sources are speaking up, telling backstage stories.

Jonathan Majors Domestic Abuse Trial Set for September 6th in NYC, Marvel Movies Depend on Outcome

Roger Friedman
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Jonathan Majors Domestic Abuse Trial Set for September 6th in NYC, Marvel Movies Depend on Outcome

Serious stuff: a date has been set for Jonathan Majors and his domestic abuse trial in New York.

This morning at a hearing the judge chose September 6th for the trial as a start date. Majors was arrested last March in New York, one week after the Oscars, after his girlfriend accused of attacking and choking her. Majors denies the accusations and his lawyer has suggested the girlfriend was the abuser.

Majors began the year with a zooming career. He starred in movies in “Creed III” and on streaming in “The Mandalorian.” A Sundance movie, “Magazine Dreams,” was set for Oscar release in late 2023.

He’s also the star of the as yet unfilmed Marvel Avengers trilogy in which he plays the villain, Kang the Conqueror.

Now all of that rests on the outcome of the trial. If Majors is proven guilty. his life will be destroyed. But also hundreds of millions of Hollywood dollars are at risk. No pressure!

Majors must be considered innocent until proven guilty. Let’s hope an impartial jury can be selected.

MSNBC Trounces Fox News, CNN Under Maddow Charge, as Trump Jack Smith Indictment Revealed and Debated on Tuesday Night

Roger Friedman
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MSNBC Trounces Fox News, CNN Under Maddow Charge, as Trump Jack Smith Indictment Revealed and Debated on Tuesday Night

Tuesday night, 6pm, was when the whole Jack Smith-Trump Indictment story broke. It was a story ready for prime time.

And who won the battle? MSNBC, of course, trounced Fox News and CNN. MSNBC averaged 2.6 million viewers in prime time to Fox News’s 2.1 million. Some people (like me) watched CNN. The indictment did little for CNN’s viewership, which now averages 700,000 on a good night.

Rachel Maddow led the MSNBC charge. She took over Chris Hayes’s 8pm show and scored 2.86 million. The Maddow show went on to 9pm, where she held on to the number 1 slot with 2.6 million. At 10pm, Maddow handed over the reigns to Lawrence O’Donnell but was still on the air. They pulled in 2.4 million. I watched Maddow with her all star MSNBC gang including Hayes. Ari Melber, and Alex Wagner. They’re a smart group, and their persistence in telling the truth has paid off.

PS I’m a big Erin Burnett fan on CNN. Also Wolf Blitzer. But they have no marketing or PR to create buzz. I Also loved it when the indictment was being read and Trump said it was like Nazi Germany. Jake Tapper said, “Read me that part again” because he couldn’t believe it.

Soap Opera for Real: “Days of our Lives” Actors Sign Petition to Remove EP, Most Want Previous Producer Back, Where is Deidre Hall?

Roger Friedman
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Soap Opera for Real: “Days of our Lives” Actors Sign Petition to Remove EP, Most Want Previous Producer Back, Where is Deidre Hall?

It’s really turned into a soap opera at “Days of our Lives.”

The show is on hiatus this week as Ken Corday, who owns the show with Sony TV, decides what to do about EP Albert Alarr. The cast want him out. According to Deadline, 25 actors have signed a petition saying just that.

Some actors are speaking out on social media, others are hiding. Both Arianne Zuker and Peter Reckell have Tweeted about the situation. Alarr has been investigated internally within the company for years of sexual harassment and misconduct.

Fans have reacted also, taking to social media to demand Alarr’s removal and the reinstatement of previous EP Greg Meng. Never have backstage politics at a soap spilled out into the public like this before.

And there’s been nary a peep from the nominal star of the show, Diedre Hall, who’s played Dr. Marlena Evans since 1976. You’d think by now she’d say something, but remaining mum is probably what’s kept her there all these years.

A lot of the trouble at Days can be attributed to Corday, who inherited the show from his parents, Ted and Betty Corday. I’m told he’s the absolute example of the second generation mismanaging the first generation’s creation. He produces the show on the cheap, and seems to be loyal to himself only. According to Deadline, Corday’s office is removed from the set, and there’s no HR rep for the show except for Alarr.

Soap actors are famous for not speaking out about anything lest they be blackballed. As the number of shows has fallen from around 13 to just 4, actors vie for spots as if the shows were rescue rowboats from the Titanic. If anyone complains about poor treatment, low pay, long hours, getting written out, etc, it’s unlikely they’ll work again in this town.

So now everyone waits to see what happens with Alarr, who cannot possibly remain with the show with so much public enmity. Or can he? Or will he be killed off only to be replaced by a lookalike, a “good” twin brother who shows up unexpectedly?

Stay tuned!

PS There’s also a subplot on “Days.” I broke the story last week that the character played by late great actor John Aniston would finally have a funeral this month. Aniston died last November. I mentioned in a second column that his character, Victor Kiriakis, would die in a plane crash. That news has traveled fast, with reports of Jennifer Aniston “objecting” to this because she doesn’t like to fly. That part of it seems preposterous. But what doesn’t at that show right now?

Rudy Giuliani Wrong About the Size of Things Among Jews, Italians: Milton Berle Was the Undisputed King of Kings

Roger Friedman
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Rudy Giuliani Wrong About the Size of Things Among Jews, Italians: Milton Berle Was the Undisputed King of Kings

You will read this afternoon about crazy, brain addled Rudy Giuliani, who’s being sued by a former assistant for sexual harassment.

She provides transcripts of Rudy’s rants, which have been picked up by Rolling Stone and other outlets. Among other things, Rudy says: “Jewish men have small cocks because they can’t use them after they get married,” Giuliani said, according to the transcript. “Whereas the Italian use them all their lives so they get bigger.”

Giuliani is wrong about many things. He also says Matt Damon is five feet two inches. Here’s a message to you, Rudy: Damon is at least 5’9″ and more like 5’10”. I’ve stood with him many times. Maybe you’re thinking of Tom Cruise.

On the first subject, let me remind Rudy that the king of all, uh, private parts was a Jew, Mr. Milton Berle. The great comedian was renowned for his stature.

I had the opportunity to ask Uncle Miltie about this once, in the 90s. We were guests, along with his wife, on a syndicated talk show. The show had a diner set, and Milton and his wife, Lorna, were seated at a small round table in cafe chairs. Milton was cracking wise and carrying on, and we couldn’t stop laughing. Finally, I said, “Mr. Berle, may I ask you about your famous reputation?”

Berle, who was 90 or so, didn’t miss a beat. Before I could finish the question he made the little table rise off the ground. “Ya see?” he said. It was hysterical.

Berle was married four times to three women (married and divorced twice to the first wife). He was with his second wife, Ruth, for decades, but he traveled a lot. Lorna was his fourth wife, technically. Unlike Giuliani, he was never married to a family member. Rudy’s first wife was his cousin.

That should tell you everything. See below:

Superstars Meryl Streep, Matt Damon, Nicole Kidman, George Clooney More Donate $1 Million Apiece to SAG-AFTRA Fund for Strikers

Roger Friedman
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Superstars Meryl Streep, Matt Damon, Nicole Kidman, George Clooney More Donate $1 Million Apiece to SAG-AFTRA Fund for Strikers

The superstars are coming out now with big money and picket signs for SAG strikers.

SAG says a bunch of stars have donated $1 million apiece to their fund for strikers. They include George and Amal Clooney, Luciana and Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Jackman and Deborra-lee Furness, Dwayne Johnson, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, Julia Roberts, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Meryl Streep, and Oprah Winfrey.

There’s also word today that Cate Blanchett has cancelled a film festival appearance in Europe for a film she produced. Sean Penn was seen on a picket line in Los Angeles. More and more stars are stepping up and joining the hundreds of actors who’ve been picketing for the last month — and in the case of the Writers Guild, for 100 days.

As I wrote last night, on Friday the AMPTP will finally talk to the WGA about setting up negotiations.

In the background, as I wrote last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom is trying to back channel between the studios and the unions to get this catastrophe solved before Los Angeles has an economic crisis.

Meryl Streep said in a statement: “I remember my days as a waiter, cleaner, typist, even my time on the unemployment line. In this strike action, I am lucky to be able to support those who will struggle in a long action to sustain against Goliath. We will stand strong together against these powerful corporations who are bent on taking the humanity, the human dignity, even the human out of our profession. I am proudest of my fellow actors who have immediately offered to fund the Emergency Financial Assistance Program.”

Clooney thanked SAG-AFTRA Foundation president Courtney B. Vance (acclaimed actor and husband of Angela Bassett) for organizing the fundraising efforts.

“We stand ready to get back to the table and make a fair deal with the AMPTP. Until then, I’m proud to be able to support the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and my fellow actors who may be struggling in this historic moment. We’ve stood on the shoulders of the likes of Bette Davis and Jimmy Cagney and it’s time for our generation to give something back. I can’t thank Courtney enough for his determination in putting this effort together by shedding light on the human toll happening right now, and how we can work together to alleviate some of the pain and suffering.”

Broadway Summer: Oops! Britney Spears, Neil Diamond Juke Box Musicals Playing to Half-Full Theaters While Other Shows Selling Out

Roger Friedman
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Broadway Summer: Oops! Britney Spears, Neil Diamond Juke Box Musicals Playing to Half-Full Theaters While Other Shows Selling Out

Broadway is mostly booming this summer even with fewer shows than usual.

“Back to the Future,” which will publish reviews tomorrow, did $1.3 million even with comp tickets for critics friends. I’m seeing it tonight and will report back tomorrow night.

Around 20 of the 31 shows playing now are filling or overflowing their seat capacities.

But two shows are in trouble despite having big starts and being based on big stars.

Both “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” and “Once Upon a One Moe Time,” inspired by Britney Spears and her “music,” are playing to half full or half empty houses depending on how you look at it.

The Diamond musical at least has the singer’s story and his great catalog of songs like “Sweet Caroline” and “Solitary Man.” The audience loves Will Swenson as Neil.

The Britney Spears show is more complicated since it is/isn’t her real story, and the songs are basically junk pop. There are a lot of talented people in the cast, but there’s no book, evidently, and no effort by Spears to promote the show. (Her Instagram is largely devoted to videos of herself doing burlesque dancing at home.)

As far as I can I tell Spears didn’t come to the opening and has not seen the show. Neil Diamond, even with Parkinson’s, came to his opening night and sang from his seat.

Last week, the Spears show made just $579,378. (The Diamond show was about $100,000 higher.)

What’s happening is the rude awakening that Britney Spears is not a commercial commodity. While she’s the star of tabloids, and probably could still sell out Las Vegas showrooms, the latest products tied to her aren’t making money. In addition to the musical, she recently released a single with will.i.am that flopped in its first week.

How either “Beautiful Noise” or “Once Upon a One More Time” can make it through August with 56% capacity theaters is a mystery. And come the fall, with news shows arriving, it will be impossible.

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