THE LIFE AND SLIMES OF MARC SUMMERS
Written by Alex Brightman
Music by Drew Gasparini
Directed by Chad Rabinowitz
Starring Marc Summers
New World Stages
Official Website
Reviewed by David Spencer
I texted a good friend and sometime collaborator that I was en route to seeing The Life and Slimes of Marc Summers, and ID’d the fellow of the title as the Nickelodeon game show guy who’d been a television icon to several generations of kids (and had as-famously done a great deal of other cable TV hosting and broadcasting too, though I didn’t bring that up).
My friend, who has about five years on me, texted back, “If you say so”—having no more idea than I had, a half hour previously, who Summers was. Yes, I admit it, I’d had to look him up.
When I got to the theatre, it was very nearly full, its audience mostly those young and just old enough to remember Summers fondly.
And when the show started…
Well, though its script is by Alex Brightman (yes, the actor is also a writer) it’s still a show in which Summers recounts discovering what he wanted to do as a kid—be an entertainer—and his pursuit of it; anecdotes about his rise within the industry, his years of success, brief sidebar about his likewise successful marriage, less brief sidebar about his successful battle against cancer—all told in and around the format, bells, whistles and audience participation bits of Double Dare—including cream pies, slime and other stuff for which rubberwear is not a bad idea; all of which proceeds smoothly, if gooily, under the direction of Chad Rabinowitz. The press materials warn critics of some surprises we’re asked not to spoil. Even if I did (I won’t), it wouldn’t spoil much—it’s not like blowing Sleuth. (Sidebar: There’s an infamous BMI workshop story about Lehman Engel enthusiastically exclaiming to a full classroom, “I just couldn’t believe…” and finishing the sentence with the reveal-fooler). The secrets, such as they may be, are safe with me.
But there’s not really much to say beyond that, certainly not by way of review. Summers is very personable, knows his funny, and the reason to attend is because he resonates with pleasant memories. He reminded me of a mid-’70s afternoon at my alma mater, Queens College, in which Soupy Sales did a 1:00 set at the Student Union. The place was packed, the laughter was easy and there he was: warm and authentic, corny jokes, showbiz stories, and that “Do the Mouse” dance move. (The mystery lyric, never before transcribed correctly, is “Put your teeth on and cheer,” by the way). And we were the happiest possible campus-campers when it was over.
This is clearly as true of the audience for whom Summers’ bio-cum-game-show is intended. A critique would be superfluous.
But I’ll add this:
When I sat down at the theatre, I was one seat away from my friend’s daughter.
What are the odds?
And not only did she know who Summers was…there was no one in that audience happier to be there than she…