‘Double Dare’ host Marc Summers will bring one-man show to Off-Broadway
Did you grow up during the early days of Nickelodeon? Then this show is probably for you. Marc Summers, the host of the game shows “Double Dare” and “What Would You Do?,” will appear Off-Broadway in “The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, a one-man show about his career that will combine elements of memoir and an interactive game show. It is written by actor Alex Brightman, who recently appeared in “The Shark is Broken” and will soon join the cast of “Spamalot.” It will begin previews at New World Stages on Feb. 14. Summers’ earlier development of the show is chronicled in the documentary “On Your Marc.” Speaking as someone who watched Nickelodeon religiously as a child in the early 1990s, I am truly excited to see this show.
Joe Locke to join ‘Sweeney Todd’ cast as Tobias
Joe Locke, who plays high school teen Charlie Spring on the Netflix series “Heartstopper,” will take over the role of Tobias (recently played by another Netflix star, Gaten Matarazzo) in the Broadway revival of “Sweeney Todd” beginning Jan. 31. Meanwhile, Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford will play their final performances as Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett on Jan. 14, with Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster taking over the roles on Feb. 9.
Charles Busch to tackle Ibsen in his latest comedy
Playwright and performer Charles Busch, who is best known for his drag performances in comedies which pay tribute to classic Hollywood stars and genres, will tackle 19th century Norwegian drama in “Ibsen’s Ghost,” which will be produced Off-Broadway in the spring by Primary Stages at 59E59. Busch will play Ibsen’s widow Suzannah, who sets out to preserve her husband’s legacy with the help of an eccentric crew that includes a rodent exterminator. A revolutionary playwright, Ibsen ushered in a period of modern realism and social conscience in works such as “A Doll’s House” (which just received an acclaimed Broadway revival), “An Enemy of the People” (which will be revived on Broadway in the spring), and “Hedda Gabler.” By comparison, “Ibsen’s Ghost” is described as “the play Ibsen never wrote – but with more laughs and a happy ending.”
‘The Effect’ will transfer to the Shed from London’s National Theatre
A new production of Lucy Prebble’s “The Effect” directed by Jamie Lloyd (“A Doll’s House,” “Betrayal”), which originated at London’s National Theatre, will play a limited run at the Shed, the new arts complex in Hudson Yards, in March. In the play, a man and woman question their feelings for each other while undergoing a clinical drug trial. Prebble, whose financial scandal drama “Enron” played Broadway in 2010, has since become better known as a writer and executive producer of the HBO series “Succession.”
Ali Louis Bourzgui will lead ‘Tommy’ revival
Ali Louis Bourzgui, a 23-year-old Moroccan American actor and musician, will play adult Tommy in the upcoming Broadway revival of “The Who’s Tommy,” which will begin previews at the Nederlander Theatre on March 8. Bourzgui, who will be making his Broadway debut, played the role when the production received its out-of-town premiere in Chicago over the summer. He is currently appearing on the national tour of “Company.” No other casting has been announced yet.
