John Rando: Those Broadway melodies

Tony Award-winning director John Rando has staged some of Broadway’s most inventive and entertaining productions – from Urinetown to On the Town, The Wedding Singer to Mr. Saturday Night. He was one of the creative forces behind the stage musical version of Back to the Future in both the West End and on Broadway, which he is now bringing to Australia.In this lively and wide-ranging conversation, John takes us behind the scenes of turning a beloved movie into a dazzling theatrical spectacle – complete with a time-travelling DeLorean – and reveals how musicals can deepen characters we thought we already knew. He shares stories from his early days in Texas and New York, reflects on some career-changing moments, and talks about working with legends like Billy Crystal and Glen Ballard.The interview is a masterclass in creativity, collaboration, and the art (and gamble) of making Broadway magic, and throughout John displays warmth, humour, and his passion for the stage.Back to the Future: The Musical opens at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre on 26 September.