GO BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH LIANA.

Ok, so we actually haven’t figured out time travel like Doc yet, but you can still go see what it would be like in Back to the Future The Musical with actress Liana Hunt (she/her). The show marks Liana’s first time performing on Broadway since the pandemic started, making each night on stage extra special. “It means a lot to me,” she says. “This is also my first time being in a new Broadway show, and that’s always been a dream of mine.” Before joining BTTF, Liana starred in roles like Sophie in Mamma Mia! and Katherine Plumber in Disney’s Newsies.

Now, she’s creating her own version of the beloved franchise’s Lorraine. “You can expect bits of the Lorraine you know and love from the films, with bits of me mixed in,” she says. “I believe my job is to both honor the character Lea Thompson so brilliantly created and also infuse her with my sense of humor and bits of my personality. I love that Lorraine has so much confidence and guts. She goes after what she wants, is a fighter who stands up for herself, and wants to be with someone who will do the same for her.”

Since Liana has a knack for music, we couldn’t pass up asking her for a curated playlist. And guys, she didn’t disappoint: “I was definitely feeling the transitional time, seasonally, when I made this mix. Summer is saying goodbye and we’re heading into chillier, cozier, moodier months. With that, for me, comes some melancholy, some rage, some excitement, some angst. I’m embracing it all. I listen to music on my commute to the show every night and this has been the perfect playlist for just that.”

Who’s on this magical mixtape, you might ask? “I’m listening to almost exclusively female artists at the moment, and really leaning into the witchy-ness of October. I’m currently obsessed with Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS. There’s something very satisfying about the subversiveness of her music and her rage against cultural expectations. I rounded out the playlist with other favorite songs of mine—some new, some old, but they’re all giving me what I want in my ears 24/7.”

As for her recommendation on what (and who) to keep on our radars, well, that has to be none other than Reneé Rapp. “Reneé Rapp got her start on Broadway and is now blowing up in the pop world. Her song Talk Too Much is so catchy, the lyrics are relatable, and it has that same angst I’m loving right now.”

Pro tip: This playlist is meant to be played on shuffle. Happy listening!