Nick Spangler & Starr Spangler on The Amazing Race: Week One

Nick Spangler currently starring as Matt in the Off Broadway revival of The Fantasticks, is a contestant on the latest edition of The Amazing Race. Spangler will compete against the other "Amazing Racers" with his sister and teammate, Starr Spangler, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. Starting at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the 13th season of the Emmy-winning reality competition will follow the teams as they travel over 30,000 miles in 23 days to countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Russia, India and Kazakhstan.   

The Race began in Los Angeles with the teams being driven to the Stadium in classic cars.  Once introduced, they had to climb the internal steps in the stadium to reach their backpacks, which were waiting for them on the uppermost level.  Atop their luggage were the instructions for the next part of the journey: to drive themselves to LA Airport and check-in for a flight Salvador, Brazil, with a stop-over in Rio de Janeiro. Once in Salvador, the teams had to peddle old style barista carts through the streets to a point where they'd either climb two stories of church steps on their knees or descend in a 240' cargo net.    

For a while it seemed as through the team consisting of two frat boys would be bringing up the rear, but that honor went to the couple of mature hippies who raised bees.

First place honors for the first week went to Nick and Starr Spangler-the team that BroadwayWorld.Com is rooting for!

The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, which have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams. Contestants strive to arrive first at "pit stops" at the end of each leg of the race to win prizes and avoid coming in last, which carries the possibility of elimination or a significant disadvantage in the following leg. Contestants travel to and within multiple countries in a variety of transportation modes, including planes, taxis, rental cars, trains, buses and boats. The clues in each leg point the teams to the next destination or direct them to perform a task, either together or by a single member. These challenges are related in some manner to the country or culture where they are located. Teams are progressively eliminated until the team which arrives first in the final leg is awarded a large cash grand prize.

The Fantasticks is the longest-running musical in the world.  With book, lyrics and direction by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt, it plays at The Snapple Theater Center, 210 West 50th Street at Broadway.  The cast includes Lewis Cleale, Margaret Anne Florence, Tom Flagg, Gene Jones, Jordan Nichols,Michael Nostrand, Evy Ortiz, Steve Routman, John Thomas Waite and Scott Willis.  For tickets call (212) 921-7862 or visit Ticketmaster.com.

The Amazing Race premiered on Sunday, September 28 at 8PM ET on CBS.    

For more information on Nick & Starr please visit: www.nickandstarr.com , www.nickspangler.com 

Photo Credit Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.