Junghun Park/NBC
Al Rokertook a break from his weatherman duties on Thursday night to try on another job:Broadwaystar.
It was a surprise treat for the sold-out crowd, anda one-night-only opportunityfor Roker.
Roker, 69, embodied the role — so much so that he joked about his likeness to the character in a special handout added to patrons’Playbills.“Of course I was drawn to Principal Strickland," wrote Roker. “He’s obnoxious, he’s bald and he’s a loudmouth. Always play to your strengths.”
TheTodayshow cameras followed Roker throughout the process, taking viewers behind the scenes as he prepared for the role. The segment will air in full next week.
He went on to praise actor Roger Bart, a stage veteran and Tony Award winner who plays Doc Brown (a.k.a. Christopher Lloyd’s part). “He is Broadway royalty,” said Roker. “To be able to share a scene with Robert Bart was a dream come true.”
Asked if he gets nervous on stage, Roker said “always” — noting that nerves aren’t new for him. “I get nervous here. There it’s worse!” he said.
This isn’t the first time Roker has graced a Broadway stage. In both 2018 and 2019, he had mutli-week runs inWaitress,Sara Bareilles' musical adaptation of Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 film of the same name.
Roker’s3rd Hour of Todayco-hostsDylan DreyerandSheinelle Joneswere there as well, and also showed their support with loving Instagram posts.
“Hitting Broadway to support our friend Al Roker,” Jones, 45, wrote on her Instagram Story, over a photo of her, Dreyer, Roberts andTodayproducer Deborah Cohen Kosofsky in the audience. “So so good!!” Jones captioned video of Roker during curtain call.
Dreyer and Jones discussed Roker’s performance during the3rd Hour of TodayFriday, too, telling him that he “stole the show” and that “the crowd was going wild” when he first came out.
“I only had like, five lines,” Roker humbly told them, explaining that he had one rehearsal for blocking before his show.
Alan Silvestri, who composed the movie’s score, collaborates on the stage show’s music and lyrics withGrammywinnerGlen Ballard. The show includes the movie’s iconic theme as well as “The Power of Love” and “Back in Time,” twoHuey Lewistunes from the original soundtrack.
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In addition to Bart, the stage show stars Casey Likes as Marty, Liana Hunt as Lorraine Baines, Jelani Remy as Goldie Wilson/Marvin Berry, Nathaniel Hackmann as Biff Tannen and Mikaela Secada as Jennifer Parker. Merritt David Janes typically played Principal Strickland,
The ensemble includes Aaron Alcaraz, Brittany Bohn, Will Branner, Victoria Byrd, Brendon Chan, Kevin Curtis, Nick Drake, Samuel Gerber, Berklea Going, Marc Heitzman, Kimberly Immanuel, Joshua Kenneth Allen Johnson, Hannah Kevitt, Katie LaDuca, JJ Niemann, Jessie Peltier, Becca Petersen, Jonalyn Saxer, Blakely Slaybaugh, Gabi Stapula, and Darius Wright.
source: people.com
