Don’t tell Marc Summers there are no second acts. The host of Nickelodeon’s landmark show Double Dare had seen the program come and go three times since its premiere in 1986, before being rebooted again last year. “When the world ends, all that’s left will be Cher, cockroaches and Double Dare,” laughs the 67-year-old Summers, who brings Double Dare Live to the Akron Civic Theatre May 16. Teams will compete in trivia contests and messy physical stunts that might leave them covered in green slime. “I’m always fascinated by what people can and can’t do,” says Summers. Here’s three of his top challenges.
Pies in the PantsThis stunt is a Double Dare classic that requires stomping on a catapult loaded with whipped pies aimed at a partner wearing oversized clown pants. That partner must catch as many airborne pies in their pants before time runs out. “We once did this with Regis Philbin,” says Summers.
Marshmallow Cup
This was the very first physical challenge during the show’s debut episode. One competitor holds a cup in their mouth while the other attempts to toss marshmallows into the cup from 20 feet away. “One guy caught 11 in 20 seconds,” says Summers. “He couldn’t miss.”
Plunger Ball Swap
The two participants in this stunt each have plungers and one oversized ball. The ball is placed in one plunger and must be walked across the stage to be transferred to the second plunger before being walked back across the stage. “It sounds easy,” says Summer. “It isn’t.”
