Zan Berube, star of ‘Back to the Future,’ on patches as souvenirs, junk journaling, and ‘theater mag
Zan Berube, star of ‘Back to the Future,’ on patches as souvenirs, junk journaling, and ‘theater magic’

Zan Berube, star of ‘Back to the Future,’ on patches as souvenirs, junk journaling, and ‘theater magic’

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Zan Berube stars in ‘Back to the Future,’ talks about travel

Zan Berube, 27, plays Anne Boleyn in the national tour of “Back to the Future’s” “I’ve been able to visit so many cities I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to see,” she said. Berube: “If I could leave technology at home and not refresh my email every few hours, I think I’d be a pretty happy gal.” She said she is looking forward to performing and “giving back” to friends and family “who inspired me and impacted me for most of my life.“I will take any and all suggestions from people who have experience traveling to a place. I also love the challenge of doing the research and coming up with an itinerary that suits me and makes me excited for the trip,’ Berube said. “My last family vacation, the one thing you do not want to happen on a vacation came true. I could not leave my hotel room for almost two full days. All 25 of my family members were on the beach and I was looking down from my room.’

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If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go? Oh gosh, this is a tough one. I have the travel bug, so I guess it’s a good thing that part of my job is to travel to a new city almost every week. But, if I’m traveling just for the fun of it, my best friends and I have a trip scheduled for somewhere in the beautiful islands of Greece.

It’s fortunate for Methuen native Zan Berube that she loves to travel. Her role as the female lead in the national tour of “Back to the Future” has taken her across the country and will land at Citizens Opera House in Boston July 8-20. “I’ve been able to visit so many cities I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten to see,” said Berube, 27, whose performance as Lorraine Baines (played by Lea Thompson in the “Back to the Future” film trilogy) comes on the heels of her role as Anne Boleyn in the national tour of “Six.” She was not in the tour of “Six” that came through Boston, so Berube said she is “so excited” to perform at Citizens Opera House, where she attended many theater productions in her youth. “Little Zan is beaming with so much pride and excitement. I remember being in the audience, looking up onstage and thinking: Could that be me one day?,” she recalled. “My parents had a [theater series] subscription … and so this feels like a full-circle moment.” Berube, who attended Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick for high school and then the University of Michigan, said she is looking forward to performing and “giving back” to friends and family “who inspired me and impacted me for most of my life.” She called the show “so much fun,” and said even those who are not familiar with the movie series on which the musical is based will enjoy this production. “There are scenes about love, there are car chases, there’s plutonium … truly theater magic to the fullest extent,” she said. We caught up with Berube, who lives in New York City (when she’s not on tour), to talk about all things travel.

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Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own? Why not a combo of both? I will take any and all suggestions from people who have experience traveling to a place. But I also love the challenge of doing the research and coming up with an itinerary that suits me and makes me excited for the trip. And part of the excitement of the trip is the anticipation of the trip itself, so planning it in advance would make it all worth it.

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Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation? Absolutely, 100 percent. That sounds like a dream. It is not often that I truly get to be unplugged from the world, detach from social media, and, most importantly, my email. If I could leave technology at home and not refresh my email every few hours, I think I’d be a pretty happy gal. And If I am going on my ideal vacation, it will surely be unplugged and relaxing and involve plopping down on the beach — lathered in sunscreen, of course — with a refreshing drink in hand.

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What has been your worst vacation experience? Unfortunately, on my last family vacation, the one thing you do not want to happen on a vacation came true. I got food poisoning. I could not leave my hotel room for almost two full days. All 25 of my family members were on the beach and I was looking down from my room. Not ideal.

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What is your favorite childhood travel memory? I remember traveling to St. Kitts and taking a day trip to the island of Nevis with my parents and my brother when he and I were in middle school. I remember it being the clearest water I had ever experienced. The beaches were gorgeous and my mom and I went diving to the ocean floor to look for sand dollars.

Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all? All of the above. It depends on the time and location as well. I think a good healthy dose of each makes the vacation worthwhile. I am mainly going to relax — especially if I am taking a vacation and coming right from a long contract. So, I will say 50 percent to relax, 30 percent to learn, and 20 percent to adventure.

What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation? Oh, I love a good Emily Henry book. And her new book, “Great Big Beautiful Life,” is on my reading list; I can finish that in a few days.

If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be? You know, I don’t follow the travels of many famous people and celebrities. But, if they enjoy a delicious meal, an adventure that involves a boat and blue, sunny skies, and traveling in style, I am so there. Count me in. I’d love to see what traveling looks like through their eyes.

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What is the best gift to give a traveler? Depends on the kind of traveler, but to me, hand sanitizer and a powerful — yet compact — portable charger.

What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip? Cheez-Its.

What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation? I love vintage postcards or patches. I’ve been picking up patches or pins in every city I go to, to add them to a jean jacket at the end of the tour to show all my travels on this tour.

What is your favorite app/website for travel? Google Maps. I couldn’t live without it. And the Beli app for tracking restaurants I’ve been to and how the experience was.

What has travel taught you? So many things … and It keeps on teaching me things to this day: Time management, being able to adapt to any and all circumstances, not to be preoccupied about the little things, gratitude, and to call my family and friends as much as possible.

What is your best travel tip? Take a journal. Document your favorite moments and memories. I love junk journaling, and looking back on past adventures and experiences always puts a smile on my face. It’s like a personal scrapbook. And just to throw a logistical tip in there: TSA Pre-Check and Clear are the best money spent when it comes to traveling. Since I am in an airport at least once or sometimes twice a week, making that check-in process as quick as humanly possible is all I could ask for. And if you travel frequently, pick an airline and stick with it if possible. Rack up those frequent traveler miles.

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Juliet Pennington can be reached at writeonjuliet@comcast.net.

Source: Bostonglobe.com | View original article

Source: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/19/lifestyle/zan-berube-back-to-the-future-travel-vip-lounge/

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