Casey Likes

Casey Likes
Born (2001-12-25) December 25, 2001 (age 23)
Chandler, Arizona, U.S.
EducationChandler High School
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • filmmaker
Years active2010–present

Casey Likes (born December 25, 2001) is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Marty McFly in the 2023 Broadway production of Back to the Future: The Musical at the Winter Garden Theatre and originating the role of William Miller in the musical theatre adaptation, in 2019 in San Diego and then on Broadway in 2022, of the film Almost Famous.[1]

Early life

Likes was raised in Chandler, Arizona.[2] His mother, Stephanie Likes, is also an actress and appeared in Les Misérables on Broadway and on a national tour.[citation needed] Likes attended Chandler High School where, in 2019, he performed as Jean Valjean in the school's production of Les Misérables. For this role, he won Best Lead Male at the 2019 ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards.[3] This award made Likes a contestant in that year's Jimmy Awards in New York City. At this competition, Likes was selected as one of the eight finalists.[4]

Career

Likes began his career performing in school and community theatre in and around his hometown.[2] His first professional stage role was William Miller in the new musical Almost Famous at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California.[5] The production ran from September to October 2019.[6] When it transferred to Broadway at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre from November 2022 to January 2023, Likes again played William Miller,[7] garnering a 2023 Theatre World Award.[8] The Broadway cast recording of Almost Famous, released on April 21, 2023, features Likes.[9]

Between his two runs in Almost Famous, Likes appeared in season 2 of Crypt TV's web series, The Birch, as Brian Moses (2021).[10] In 2021, he wrote, directed and acted in a short film titled Thespians, starring Broadway performers Sydney Lucas, Andrew Barth Feldman, Rob McClure and Antonio Cipriano.[11] Likes starred as Richie Shepherd in the MGM horror film Dark Harvest (2023).[12] He also played Gene Simmons, the bassist and co-lead singer of Kiss, in the Neil Bogart biopic Spinning Gold (2023).[13]

Likes has starred as Marty McFly in Back to the Future: The Musical on at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway since June 2023.[14] In the role, he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical.[15]

Filmography

Film and television

As an actor
Year Title Role Notes
2010 Everything Must Go Young Nick in 1969
2010 Cowboys vs. Vampires Steve
2013 American Blackout Hank, Jr. TV movie
2015 Thrasherland Carpenter Short film
2018 Krampus: Origins Billy
2021 The Birch Brian Moses Web series, 4 episodes
2021 Thespians Mike Short film; also writer, director and producer
2023 Spinning Gold Gene Simmons
2023 Dark Harvest Richie Shepard
As a filmmaker
Year Title Role Notes
2020 I Got You writer, director, producer and cinematographer Short film

Stage

Year Show Role Theatre Notes
2019 Jimmy Awards Performer/Jean Valjean Minskoff Theatre Finalist
2019 Almost Famous William Miller Old Globe Theatre Pre-Broadway production
2022 The Outsiders Ponyboy Curtis n/a Workshop production
2022–2023 Almost Famous William Miller Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre Broadway debut
2023–2024 Back to the Future: The Musical Marty McFly Winter Garden Theatre

Awards and nominations

Stage
Year Award Category Work Result
2019 ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards Best Lead Male Jean Valjean, Les Misérables Won
2019 ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards Best Vocalist Jean Valjean Won
2019 National High School Musical Theatre Awards Best Actor Jean Valjean Finalist
2023 Theatre World Award n/a Almost Famous Honoree
2024 Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical Back to the Future: The Musical Nominated

References

  1. ^ Scheps, Leigh. "Casey Likes on Playing Marty McFly in Back to the Future on Broadway". Broadway Direct. The Nederlander Organization. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b Soloski, Alexis (November 29, 2023). "Casey Likes, of Back to the Future, Is on a Roll". NYTimes.com. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "Stars of tomorrow shine at ASU Gammage High School Musical Theatre Awards". ASU News. 2019-06-06.
  4. ^ "Meet Your 2019 Jimmy Award Winners". Theater Mania. 2019-06-25. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  5. ^ Willman, Chris (2019-10-03). "Almost Broadway: Cameron Crowe on Adapting 'Almost Famous' as a Stage Musical". Variety Magazine.
  6. ^ "Almost Famous". The Old Globe. Retrieved 2023-09-26.
  7. ^ "Almost Famous". PlayBill.
  8. ^ "Theatre World Award Winners 2023". New York Theater. 2023-05-01.
  9. ^ Hall, Margaret (21 April 2023). "Almost Famous Broadway Cast Album Released April 21". PlayBill.
  10. ^ Noraas, Dana. "Dark Harvest: Release Date, Cast, and Everything We Know So Far About the David Slade Horror Movie", Collider.com, July 19, 2022
  11. ^ "Almost Famous Standout Casey Likes Releases Thespians, Featuring Rob McClure and Young Stage Stars". Broadway.com.
  12. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2021-06-01). "'Dark Harvest': Casey Likes & E'myri Crutchfield Tapped To Star In MGM Horror Film". Deadline.
  13. ^ "The greatest music story never told!". Spinning Gold.
  14. ^ Kennedy, Mark (August 3, 2023). "Stars of Broadway's Back to the Future musical happily speed into the past". The Newark Advocate. Retrieved May 17, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Culwell-Block, Logan (2024-04-23). "Stereophonic Leads 2024 Outer Critics Circle Awards, Wins Best Play; See the Full List of Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2024-05-13.