Even the most exciting of journeys eventually comes to an end. After 19 months as Marty McFly in Back to the Future on Broadway, Casey Likes is preparing to hang up his red vest for good.
Likes, who has been with the show for the entirety of its Broadway run, will have his final bow with the rest of the company January 5, 2025. Newly 23, Likes is one of Broadway's youngest leading men, having served as the rallying figure of two musicals in two years; first looking back to 1973 as William Miller in Almost Famous in 2022 before traveling through time as McFly the following year. It's been a lot to process, as Likes shared with Playbill earlier this year.
As the DeLorean travels out on tour, vacating the Winter Garden Theatre to make way for Good Night, and Good Luck, Likes is taking a step back to look at the big picture. Before he speeds off into his own future, however, he took the time to check in with Playbill, reflecting on his marvelous adventure.
Casey, you've had such a crazy couple of years. Now that Back to the Future is winding down, how are you changing your approach to the end of a chapter and the beginning of the next? Obviously Almost Famous was shock because it closed two months after opening. But you've had more time to process this shift ahead of time.
Casey Likes: This one is definitely easier than Almost Famous, that's for sure. I felt like, with that show, I hadn't fully done it before it was over. We just closed so early, and that was a tough pill to swallow. I do feel like, with Back to the Future, I have done my time. I'm sad for the show, but after a year and a half of doing one of the more difficult roles out there, never leaving the stage eight shows a week...it definitely feels like January 5 is a good end date for me. But as the show itself is wrapping up, I'm beginning to see that the show might still be needed by the fans, so that's been difficult.
What do you mean?
You can't really ever describe the meaning of a piece of art until you meet the people that it means something to. When I meet these people who have come to our show... someone just hit 88 times. They literally came 88 times, because that's the famous number of the show. And it's like, these people, when you talk to them and you ask them their stories, they're deep. There are themes in this silly show that resonate with them on this existential level that saves their lives. This thing we do, theatre, it's kind of silly sometimes, but it brings a lot of comfort. The hardest part for me, right now, is knowing the show is closing when so many people still rely on it. I'm trying to rethink how I think about endings, which for most shows would be a sign of failure, but for us, we're kind of ending on a high of when people needed us the most.
There's definitely a difference when you have time to process the end of an experience, rather than having it end suddenly. Are there any moments in Back to the Future that you've been paying a little extra attention to since you know you have a finite number of times left to do it?
Absolutely. The intention definitely shifts when you know you're closing. I'm really exhausting what is left with the material. That's been the biggest change for me recently, trying every little thing I never got around to before its too late. But in terms of actual material in the show, any scene that's a goodbye hits a little harder. The friendship that Marty is trying to fix with with Doc, George, Lorraine, Jennifer. These are things that he has to say goodbye to, and he has to imagine life without them for much of the show, and it kind of mirrors my saying goodbye to them too.
You've certainly formed quite a friendship with Roger Bart (who plays Doc) onstage. What are some of your favorite memories together from the run?
The improv with with Roger is just the best. This show is so technical, so thank goodness there's a part of the show that is improvisational. There's so much that can go wrong, and we have entire scenes that depend on set pieces, so if a set piece doesn't come in on time, then Roger and I have to make up a way around it so we aren't just excruciatingly sitting there with the audience. Making them laugh with Roger until whatever's gone wrong is fixed is such a joy.
Rock music has been such a through line for your career so far: William Miller was in the thick of the scene in Almost Famous, Marty uses it as a touchstone throughout the arc of Back to the Future, even your screen work in Spinning Gold has you playing rock icon Gene Simmons. What is one record that you think your fans should listen to to understand you a bit more?
If you're asking for a modern answer, I'm always going to say something by Frank Ocean, particularly Channel Orange. I think that's probably Marty's vibe as well, if he were listening to music in 2024. But if we're talking about a time-period recommendation, recently I've been thinking about The Rolling Stones on stage, and their influence on Marty's physicality. Fans should definitely watch some Stones performances, because Jagger has been a huge influence on my physicality.
By the time this interview is released, you will be 23! Are you looking forward to anything specific in the coming year?
More of this, please? I've never really been a resolution person, because my daily life changes so much that I would probably never be able to keep one. But if I did have to make one, it would be to keep doing what I am doing now. I love getting to create art with good people. So if I can keep doing that, and people keep coming to watch it, then I'll be happy.
Is there anywhere that folks should keep an eye out for you in the future?
I definitely have a lot of irons in a lot of fires, but I'm definitely looking forward for to a break in January and February. I have to trust in the universe, that it's putting me in the right places. But you will definitely get an announcement from me pretty soon about some stuff that I'm doing on my own, producing and directing and acting wise.
