CHICAGO—Once upon a time, successful Broadway musicals were made into movies that often improved upon the original stage productions. “West Side Story” (1961), “The Music Man” (1962), “My Fair Lady” (1964), “The Sound of Music” (1965), “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971), and “Cabaret” (1972) all started out as musicals. Now that process has been reversed.
Popular movies are now being adapted into theatrical musicals—a transformation that doesn’t always improve on the original. Such is the case with “Back to the Future,” the musical adaptation of the beloved film. The musical opened in London in 2021, and is now part of an American tour that’s arrived at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago.
