The Winter Garden Theatre Brings to Life the Classic Franchise "Back to the Future" - Interview with Actor Jelani Remy

Courtesy Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman | Pictured: Jelani Remi as Goldie Wilson and the Cast of BTTF

Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jelani Remy, who originated the roles of Goldie Wilson and Marvin Berry in Broadway's production of Back to the Future: The Musical. In our conversation, we spoke a lot about Remy's process as a performer and how this experience in BTTF has shaped him as an individual.

ZL: I saw the show last Wednesday for a matinee, which is interesting, because I've never gone to a matinee during the week!

JR: Yeah, you know, I'll say one of my favorite performances now are the matinees because school groups get to come, and it's a lot of the kids' first time at a Broadway theater. Just to hear their visceral and immediate reaction to the shows is so fun.

ZL: That makes a lot of sense. Yeah, it was a great time. I grew up watching the trilogy and being very familiar with the films. I had no idea what to expect going into it, and it was amazing looking at the huge set, all the the cool gadgets, and how the theater was designed. What was that like - putting that on and experiencing that whole visual landscape being put together?

JR: When we rehearsed the show, it was just in a studio. It was in a studio on 42nd street, and everything was taped off. And we had prop mock ups of the car and set pieces. And so we sort of had a little idea, but nothing prepared us for going into the theater and seeing what was built, and the actual magnitude of and scale of what we were actually doing on stage - to see it all work for the first time, and to see the car for the first time, and to see the proscenium. There's so many cool scene changes and pieces that make the show what it is. But there's also really cool intricate things. Like, if you get a look at Doc's Lab and see all the intricate details that are actually there, it's awesome. But there's nothing like that first day of seeing it all come together and just seeing the tech and all of it just married together, it was - it's truly remarkable. And again, there's so many elements that make you lose your mind, and there's so many homages to the great movies. So it's a really cool hybrid of Broadway meets movie meets the future of entertainment, in a way. And it's really cool to hit the nostalgia, but also, the progression.

Courtesy Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman | Pictured: Casey Likes in Doc's Lab

ZL: And it's a super magical experience. It's so electric to the viewer, and it brings you in because you see, especially like Doc's Lab, you see so many of these little things here and there. And you're watching Casey [Likes] and the Doc move around in the space. You're looking around the background, like, "Oh, look at these photographs of people". So it's really engaging, and it invites you into this world that many people are familiar with.

JR: It totally invites you, and it's almost like you're in the show with us. You know, it's almost like you're on this 4d ride. Your senses are sort of simulated, and you get to see and hear and remember. So I think a big part of it is you remembering this movie, you're sort of being transported into it. And then with the score - and the 18 pieces we have down in the orchestra pit - it's all just the right amount of energy, and it's all the right amount of fun.

ZL: Jelani, you originated the role of Goldie Wilson. And you've been playing the role for about about a year. What was that process of bringing the character to life for you?

JR: Yeah, I actually talked about this last night. It was kind of surreal to not only play the iconic characters of Marvin Berry and Goldie Wilson, but figuring out how to do it in a way that's not a carbon copy, in a way that's my version, but also pays respect and homage to, you know, Donald Fullilove and Harry Waters Jr., the the OGs. So that was my task of how to make it organic and natural, but also pay homage to the movie. How do I make this come to life? How do I put Jelani into it as well? So that's been my fun challenge that came with working with John Rando, our director. I also fully trust Roger Bart [who plays Doc Brown], you know, and I would come to him with ideas, and like, what do you think of this? Or that? And try to make him laugh. So we all sort of work with each other. And the best thing was going into the rehearsal room with a clean slate. With a clean slate and an open heart, you know, and to see what worked. And we all were at that level. We were all playing. And that's what we're doing. We're putting on a play. And I think what's special about our show is that it's so alive, and things can change, you know - things change every day. Our show is so custom that there's a freedom to play, but we also have a great foundation to play off of.

ZL: How you keep it fresh and new to you, yet different every night? What's that like as an actor and performer?

JR: Somebody once told me that you're performing for the first time, or you're performing for the last time for somebody, and so it's important to give them something to remember. And fortunately, for this show, I love [Goldie's] message of positivity and hope and the ability to triumph, you know. And I love that the song is designed that I'm first talking to George, then I'm talking to the town, but then all of a sudden I'm talking to the audience, you know - it sort of grows and grows and grows and it just builds and builds and builds. And it's so much fun to do - it's not very often you get these roles that are like, you know, the underdog. You get to make this role bigger than life, you know - you get to make it really big and spread this message. And then in act two, you sort of switch it up to something else - it's almost like a reset for the show.

Courtesy Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman | Pictured: The DeLorean

ZL: And I also want to talk about that reset going back in time. Performing in a time travel show is always really interesting as an audience, because especially for BTTF, it's the same actors playing the same characters, and it's fun to watch, like, "Oh, they act a little bit different, but then they're also the same". And I'm curious to know what that process was like. How do you see the difference between Goldie as an older man running for mayor and as a young guy in the in the cafe?

JR: I think the through line is his spirit. I think the spirit is there no matter what. But I do put on a little huffy voice when he's older. And also the wig helps. And I asked for a wedding ring, because he's married by then, you know, so little touch of mature Him, and to put him in a place of, you know, where I felt like he lived. And then when we go back, I think that it has been taught to him that he should always reach for his dream. But he sort of suppressed it until he saw George constantly being ridiculed, and was like, you know, what, if I don't say something now to him, who knows when? And that's the catalyst of the song. You got to start somewhere. So let's start now. Let's start now.

ZL: And how do you picture Goldie's life, like, leading up to that moment in the cafe? Has he always like, what? What was his life trajectory?

JR: You know, I think that he was just taking night classes, just to be a better human, you know, to see what he could become, just to learn some stuff. I think he was auditing classes, so he was taking extra shifts at that diner. He loves the diner - that's his home, he runs that diner. Don't let Lou fool you. You know, Mr. Carruthers. And someday Goldie's going to be somebody.

ZL: And you spoke about how you'd like to find a little bit of yourself, a little bit of Jelani, in the character. Where do you see that parallel between the characters that you play, both Marvin and Goldie? And how do you see that parallel between yourself and the characters?

JR: I do feel like I'm Broadway's cheerleader in life, and I support all my friends that are doing amazing things. I love this community, and I've been around for a bit, and I've gotten to work with some amazing people that are now full circle. So I do feel like I'm in the right place at the right time, professionally and creatively. I think that that works for Goldie for sure, being that that as I step into this next realm, like being the more father figure, if you will. I care a lot about this community, and I care a lot about my friends, and want to see them all succeed. I definitely cheer them and support them non stop. And I think Marvin Barry, I think like him, I like to be funny and I like to be charming. I do think that there's a little, you know, comedic charm and flare to him, and there's definitely the sillyness too.

Courtesy Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman | Pictured: Jelani Remi as Marvin Berry and the Cast of BTTF

ZL: Progress is your middle name. "Progress is my middle name" - that's your slogan. And that's something that we also hear from Red Thomas, who's running for mayor in the past, and I've always been curious why that's the same. What is the parallel there? What's the line of consciousness?

JR: I think that it's just the the nature of a beast like that. We want to keep being progressive. And I'm not sure if progressive in Red's was the same as in Goldie's mind. But they use the same word, but I think they visualize it differently. I'd like to ask Bob Gale [the playwright] because I'm not sure.

ZL: I'm also curious to know - so he's running for mayor, and he is mayor by the end of the story when they go back to the future. I'm curious to know - how do you see the future of Goldie after that - does he keep moving up through office?

JR: Four more years, four more years. I think that Goldie gets reelected again after that. And then I think he's sort of like, just, content, you know, because I think that was the pinnacle of what he wanted to do, and he gets to retire with his wife and kids and see the fruits of his labors.

ZL: What would you say is the biggest takeaway or the biggest message that you'd like to share with your audience?

JR: Through this performance, I think one of the biggest takeaways is that, like I was scared to do this; I was scared to put on the show because of the franchise and because of how much it means to people, and I think I'm really proud of the work that myself and my colleagues are doing. I'm really proud of the product that we have, and I'm really happy that I get to sort of be funny, be comedic, and be, you know, a Black actor on Broadway telling the story with such support and so much fun. And I get to sort of thank the OGs that made this possible eight times a week on Broadway.

ZL: And this coming from a franchise, how is this different from from other productions and other projects that you've been a part of, for instance, The Lion King and all the other stuff in your discography? How was that different for you?

JR: I think this is different. I've never originated Lion King. I stepped into the role sort of running that to sort of build from the ground up.

ZL: Is there anything else that you'd like to add?

JR: I love the support I'm getting from my friends in New Jersey. I'm from New Jersey, so it's nice to be back home and to see the support. We're Jersey strong.

Check out Back to the Future: The Musical. With tremendous set design and visual effects, it's a show made for all kinds of viewers. Tickets are available through December 1, 2024.