Casey loves ‘Back to the Future’ and is doing well

John Rando, who directed the musical “Back to the Future,” hired Likes for his youth, his kindness and his soulful rock tenor. Once previews began, he was also impressed by the confidence Likes brought to the role and his effortless engagement with viewers.

“Part of his charm is that he’s fearless in front of an audience,” Rando said.

Likes knows he has to get the audience on his side, smile by smile, note by note. And he feels he should pay tribute to the actors who created the roles he plays (Patrick Fugit in the ‘Almost Famous’ movie, Michael J. Fox in the ‘Back to the Future’ franchise), as he remembers the masters roles. .

“That might be my little hidden superpower,” he said. “To be able to distill the things that made them iconic and put them into a little smoothie with all the things that make me special.”

A particular flair for bowling isn’t necessarily one of those things, although Likes did say he bowled a strike during the previous week’s outing. This week the “Back to the Future” team, the Pinheads, were scheduled to play the “Kimberly Akimbo” team, Pinberly Akimbowl. (Other team names from current Broadway shows: Hamilpins, Some Strike It Hot, Sweet Spareolines and, from “Moulin Rouge,” Bowlhemians.)

When asked if his co-star Roger Bart (who plays Doc Brown) was on the team, Likes shook his head and laughed. (As Bart said in a recent interview, “He has one of the best laughs. And the biggest, most infectious smile.”) People like Bart, Broadway veterans with families, don’t come out to bowl. They leave that to their younger colleagues, such as Likes.