Slime time
Nickelodeon's iconic Double Dare slides into Austin with messy family fun
Long before Ellen DeGeneres was blasting toothpaste in contestants' faces on Game of Games or Jaleel White invited folks to stumble into the darkness on Total Blackout, Nickelodeon put itself on the challenge game show map with an instant phenomenon called Double Dare.
Now the iconic children’s game show is back — and coming to Austin’s Bass Concert Hall on April 14. According to a release, the campus theater will take a break from touring theatrical productions like Waitress andHamilton to host Double Dare Live, the touring version of the nostalgic favorite.
The live show, featuring original host Marc Summers and stage assistant Robin Russo, follows the same format as the original series. Two teams selected from the audience compete to win prizes by answering trivia questions and competing ridiculous physical challenges.
The set is reminiscent of the original TV show with Trapper Keeper squiggles and checkerboards, augmented with state-of-the-art lighting. And, of course, a mini version of the famous obstacle course — which has contestants digging into a giant nose, scaling up a slippery wall, and breaking through a “brick” wall — serves as the grand finale.
The event aims to be fun for both children and their parents, many of whom grew up watching the show during its original run from 1986-1993. “Doing the show again with my sidekick Robin will fulfill childhood dreams of the generation that grew up with us and introduce this classic show to the next generation,” Summers says in the release.
Tickets are available from the Texas Performing Arts box office or by calling 512-477-6060, and go on sale at 10 am on January 25, though pricing has not been released. Previous stops on the tour ranged from $19-$94. A second Texas stop is scheduled on April 13 in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area at The Theatre at Grand Prairie.
There’s no word yet on who will be responsible for mopping up all the slime.
