Alex Brightman, Drew Gasparini Join THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF MARC SUMMERS For Behind the Scenes Conversation

Audiences at the Sunday, May 19th performance of THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF Marc Summers will be treated to a peek behind the curtain as Two-Time Nominee Alex Brightman (book writer), Drew Gasparini (original musical), and Marc Summers hang around after the show for a Creative Conversation entitled “The Making of The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers” – audience members may learn how two young artists in their 20s met, befriended, and crafted an homage to '90s icon and beloved host of Double Dare, Marc Summers…starring Marc Summers. 

The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers offers more than just nostalgia; it's a journey through the highs and lows of Marc's eventful career, from his slime-soaked days at Nickelodeon to his culinary escapades on the Food Network. This post-show event is a unique opportunity to delve deeper into the creation of a show that blends interactive elements with personal storytelling. Prepare for a fascinating look behind the curtain—no poncho necessary!

Part interactive game show, part memoir, THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF Marc Summers takes us on one man's extraordinary journey, both on-screen and off. Marc Summers launched Nickelodeon as the host of the world's most famous children's game show, Double Dare. He went on to become a household name on the small screen, having a 20-year relationship with the Food Network as the host of Unwrapped and executive producer of Dinner: Impossible and Restaurant: Impossible, all while facing immeasurable challenges behind the scenes. 

On your mark! Get set! Go! to this one-of-a-kind intimate theatrical adventure that will leave you inspired, hopeful, and feeling like a kid again.

The creative team includes direction by Chad Rabinovitz, set design by Christopher Rhoton, lighting design by Jeffrey Small, co-sound design by David Sheehan & Hidenori Nakajo, and costumes by Scott Jones. The show is general managed by LDK Productions/ Lisa Dozier Shacket & Michael Shannon. 

The full producing team for THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF Marc Summers includes Lisa Dozier Shacket, Guy Fieri, Jeremy Wein / Existence Media, Bill Strong, Joe Trentacosta, Dennis Trunfio,  Kate & Casey Overby, Melissa d'Arabian in association with Marlene & Gary Cohen, Juliana Hannett,  Margaret Lazenby, Christopher Rhoton, Jamie deRoy, Brian Heck, Intuitive Productions. 

THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF Marc Summers was originally developed and produced at Bloomington Playwrights Project & Adirondack Theatre Festival (Chad Rabinovitz, Producing Artistic Director). 

About the Artists

With one of the most diverse and eclectic careers in the entertainment industry, Marc Summers is probably best known for putting Nickelodeon on the map as the host of "Double Dare." He also hosted "What Would You Do?" as well as the first live special on Nickelodeon, launching the Nickelodeon Studios in Orlando, Florida. Marc has hosted two talk shows on Lifetime, "History IQ" on The History Channel, as well as "Unwrapped," one of the longest-running shows on Food Network. He was the original host of Next Food Network Star" when Guy Fieri won, and he has also covered many news stories while appearing as a regular on ABC's "Home Show." Marc was the Executive Director of both "Dinner Impossible" and "Restaurant Impossible," as well as a shark special on Discovery. He is also a frequent guest on "Guy's Grocery Games" and has been in several episodes of "Diners, Drive-Ins, And Dives." Marc has appeared on OPRAH three times, with Howard Stern twice, and in a classic episode of "The Tonight Show" with guest Burt Reynolds. Google it  - It is all spontaneous!

Alex Brightman (Playwright) is a writer and Tony-nominated actor who has been seen on Broadway in School of Rock, Matilda, Big Fish, Wicked, Glory Days and is currently playing the title role in Beetlejuice on Broadway; on TV in "Documentary Now!," "SMILF," "Important Things w/ Demetri Martin;" and in one horror film where he was brutally murdered on a toilet. His musical writing credits include It's Kind of a Funny Story (Universal Theatrical), The Whipping Boy, and Make Me Bad, all with his writing partner Drew Gasparini.

Drew Gasparini (Original Music) is an award-winning musical theatre composer/lyricist and singer/songwriter. Some of his musicals include the Broadway-bound adaptation of The Karate Kid (with original screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen), as well as adaptations of the novels Its Kind of a Funny Story and The Whipping Boy (both with writing partner Alex Brightman). Drew's song-cycle We Aren't Kids Anymore is currently in development in the UK and the popularity of Drew's musical theatre album I Could Use a Drink has led to sold out concerts all over the globe, including a production of his revue at the Garrick Theater in London's the West End in 2021. Drew once again teamed up with Alex Brightman as well as TV icon Marc Summers, contributing music to the messy one-man show Everything In Its Place: The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers (heading off-Broadway in 2024). In 2019, Drew wrote the score for Skittles Commercial: The Broadway Musical starring Michael C. Hall, which the brand commissioned in lieu of airing a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl. The result was a thing of legendary status, garnering many CLIO and other advertising awards and being voted #1 Best Super Bowl LIII ad by Business Insider and Forbes. Drew wrote songs for season 2 of NBC's fan-favorite SMASH.   In 2023, Drew co-wrote the Booking.com ad campaign dubbed "Somewhere, Anywhere" starring Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy. The spot received dominant air time during the Super Bowl, March Madness, the NBA playoffs, The Oscars, and The Tony Awards, and made the Top 10 lists and honorable mentions as one of the best Super Bowl ads of 2023 by People Magazine, Forbes, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, Variety and more. It was officially the most viewed Super Bowl LVII ad on YouTube and continues to get heavy rotation across the globe. On top of that, Drew's songwriting has been heard on TV shows such as The Biggest Loser, CMT's Gainesville, Oxygen's The Next Big Thing, and in ad campaigns for Hotels.com, Ford, Toyota, and more. Most recently, a movie-musical short film titled More Together, based on characters and songs written by Drew, has premiered at several film festivals across the country. Coming up: Drew is working on a musical about the climate crisis as well as an autobiographical one-man show called The Unthought Known.

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