Great Scott! 'Back to the Future: The Musical' on Broadway features two Vermont performers

Lyric Theatre in Burlington produced the musical “Grease” in the fall of 2004. The community-theater company cast two young Vermont actors in the lead roles of Sandy and Danny – Liana Hunt of Morrisville and Merritt David Janes of Colchester.

Nearly two decades later, Hunt and Janes are paired again in a production. This time, instead of performing on Main Street in Burlington, they’ll be on Broadway in New York City.

Hunt and Janes have featured roles in “Back to the Future: The Musical,” which opens in previews June 30 before its official opening Aug. 3 at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Vermont has had plenty of connections to big Broadway productions in recent years, including the Tony Award-winning musicals “Fun Home” and “Hadestown.” But has the state ever had two native Vermonters in credited roles in a Broadway musical? Probably not.

“Our plan for Vermonters to take over the world is solidly intact,” according to Janes.

He and Hunt spoke June 27 with the Burlington Free Press about their connections to the Vermont theater scene and their excitement as the musical based on the hugely popular 1985 film approaches its Broadway debut.

Liana Hunt: Lorraine Baines McFly

Hunt has one of the top-billed roles in “Back to the Future: The Musical.” She portrays Lorraine Baines McFly, the mother of central character Marty McFly. Marty (portrayed in the film by Michael J. Fox and on Broadway by Casey Likes) ventures back in time with the help of his friend Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd in the film, Roger Bart on Broadway). Marty discovers that he has to make sure that his parents fall in love to ensure he has a future of his own.

Lea Thompson portrayed Lorraine Baines McFly in the film. Hunt said the musical’s director, John Rando, told the cast as rehearsals began that it is their responsibility to “take really good care” of the characters viewers know and love from the movie.

“We already have a source for this musical, which is the film,” said Hunt, who became familiar with the film but did not see the London version of the musical preceding the Broadway show. “The role was so brilliantly created by Lea Thompson. I think it is my job to honor that.”

The beauty of a musical version of “Back to the Future,” Hunt said, is that it allows cast members to explore aspects of their roles that weren’t seen in the movie. “One of the coolest things about turning this film into a musical is we get more time with these characters,” she said, providing the opportunity to explore their inner thoughts more deeply.

Hunt took part in the theater department at Peoples Academy in Morrisville in her youth and was cast in productions at Lyric Theatre, Stowe Theatre Guild, Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier and the Hyde Park Opera House. She studied theater at New York University, and her career has included a couple of Broadway stops in the musicals “Mamma Mia!” and “Newsies.”

“Back to the Future,” though, ranks at the top for her.

“I’ve always replaced (Broadway cast members) in existing shows where the role has already been created by somebody and my job is to step in and do my interpretation of what they created. This is a huge bucket-list thing for me,” Hunt said, as with “Back to the Future” she gets to establish a role and be in the original Broadway cast. “This has been something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s really exciting.”

She’s also excited to be representing Vermont and welcome friends and family from her native state to see her on Broadway. “I’ve already heard from a lot of people from back home, which is so cool,” Hunt said.

She likes that she and Janes are carrying the Vermont-Broadway connection to another level. She noted that the musical she performed in last summer, a Chicago production of “The Devil Wears Prada” that is thought to be Broadway-bound, included Vermont natives Shaina Taub and Kate Wetherhead on the creative team. (Taub, of Waitsfield, was also in the cast of Lyric Theatre’s “Grease” in 2004.)

“I always think it’s so amazing when I work with other Vermonters in this city and in this industry,” Hunt said. “It really brings me a lot of pride and joy.”

Merritt David Janes: Principal Strickland

Janes is feeling that Vermont pride and joy, too. He recalled Lyric’s production of “Grease” as a moment when he and Hunt were “little stalks of corn growing in the field” who grew to represent Vermont in the same production on Broadway.

“That’s one of the coolest things with the show,” Janes said, “is we kind of started our adventure together with that show at the Flynn.” He said his friends and family from Colchester and elsewhere in Vermont plan to come to New York “by the masses” to see “Back to the Future: The Musical.”

Janes noted other Vermont connections to “Back to the Future.” Fox used to live outside of Woodstock, while Lloyd’s late brother, Sam Lloyd, helped grow what is now known as the Weston Theater Company. Janes said he saw Weston’s 2010 production of “Death of a Salesman” that featured Christopher Lloyd as Willy Loman.

Some people can’t easily say what their favorite movie is, according to Janes. He has no trouble coming up with his. It’s “Back to the Future.”

“Being in it,” Janes said of the musical version of his favorite film, “is just another level of extra excitement.” He said he’s already had several “pinch-me moments” with the production, including giving a high-five to Alan Silvestri, who composed the music for all three “Back to the Future” films and worked on the music for the Broadway show.

In the musical, Janes is featured as Strickland, the high-school principal who in the film always gave Marty McFly (and his father, George, before that) a hard time about being a slacker. Janes plays other roles in the ensemble, including Lou the diner owner, Lorraine’s father who in the film saves Marty from being hit by a car and a homeless character with a memorable short scene late in the movie.

Some who attend the musical will expect to see the film retold on stage, Janes said, while others will be looking for something new. “A good balance of the two is the perfect mix,” according to Janes, who is something of an expert on turning a film into a Broadway musical.

“My career is totally because of the movie musical,” said Janes, an alumnus of New York’s renowned Circle in the Square theater school. “I wouldn’t have a career if it wasn’t for musicals being made out of movies.” His previous Broadway experience came in the cast of “School of Rock” from 2015-19. He has also performed in Broadway touring productions derived from films such as “Phantom of the Opera,” “The Wedding Singer” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Janes thinks those looking for a faithful retelling of “Back to the Future” and others wanting a fresh take will both be pleased with the Broadway show.

“It’s all the next chapter of what ‘Back to the Future’ is doing,” he said. “Its new life is living in the structure of this musical.”

Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: 'Back to the Future' musical hits Broadway with two Vermont actors