From July 23 – Aug. 11, the sci-fi musical “Back to the Future” took the stage at the Kennedy Center. Adapted from the 1985 film, the show stars a boy named Marty McFly (Caden Brauch) who is taken back in time on an adventure by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown (Don Stephenson). As Marty tries to navigate his way back to the 1980s, he encounters his parents’ younger selves and accidentally messes up their first meeting. As he works to fix his mistake and restore his future, he learns the value of time and what it truly means to be family.

“You could argue this is the greatest time-travel story ever made and I think there’s a good case to be made for that,” actor Don Stephensen told WTOP. “It has all of the special effects, the sci-fi and the time travel, but the main thing that it has is heart. The way you learn to appreciate and love your parents and the relationship and mentorship between Doc and Marty is very heartfelt.”

Co-creator Bob Gale expressed great excitement for the production. Gale has always had questions similar to those of protagonist Marty McFly about what his parents were like when they were younger, which inspired him to spearhead the show. Don Stephenson said, “He tells this great story of flipping through his father’s high school yearbook, and he sees a picture of his dad, and he’s like, ‘Huh, I wonder what he was like then?’ which we’ve all done.

Fellow creator Robert Zemeckis wanted to keep the musical as faithful to the original movie as possible, so he dedicated many resources towards the special effects that were to be used on stage and lyrical soundtracks from big names such as Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard. “In many ways, the movie was leaning in the direction of being a musical because there was so much music in it,” Stephenson told WTop News.

WTOP shared that attendees of the musical are highly encouraged to view the spectacle dressed up in outfits inspired by characters from the film. Immersion and family are a key component of the experience, helping viewers forget about their troubles and dedicate their time to the themes of the story.

“Everybody loves ‘Back to the Future,’” Stephenson continued. “They identify with the characters, and it’s really great fun for the whole family. You’ll experience the story in a brand new way whether you’ve seen the movie or not.”