Girl and boy meet. Girl and boy hate each other. Girl and boy fall in love, despite their initial first impressions. You’ve seen the plot of “First Date” before. Chances are you’ve seen it way too often. Playwright Austin Winsberg didn’t come up with anything new. That doesn’t mean “First Date” isn’t worth seeing though.
The musical premiered on Broadway in July after its world premiere in Seattle last year. It centers on a blind date between Aaron (Zachary Levi) and Casey (Krysta Rodriguez). Aaron has just gotten out of a serious relationship and is on his first blind date ever while Casey dates frequently and doesn’t get tied down often. Casey is the artistic, indie type while Aaron is a clean-cut businessman. At first they don’t think they like each other, but that’s only their first impression.
Okay, it’s predictable. You know that this is ending with a big kiss and an implied happily ever after, but the way there is fun. “First Date” makes jokes out of all the awkward topics of first dates: awkward pauses, bringing up the ex, looking each other up on the internet. Google is probably the best reference. When Casey discovers Aaron looked her up before hand, she searches for him on her smartphone. Let’s just say that hellfire comes with it, and it’s hysterical.
Also fun are the personifications of Aaron’s and Casey’s inner thoughts. Casey’s sister nags her to finally commit. Her ex-boyfriends play devil’s advocate and try to convince her that she needs a bad boy. Aaron’s best friend tries to snap him out of thinking about his ex, while his ex-fiancé shows up to make him reconsider moving on. The personification is a good way to get across a lot of the characters’ backstories.
Some aspects were rather over the top, particularly Aaron’s discovery that Casey isn’t Jewish. The dreaded topic of religion is brought up, and Aaron’s imagination conjures up his grandmother singing about matzo balls and temple while Hasidic Jewish men are her back up dancers and his future son raps. It’s massively over-the-top, and it’s a little hit or miss. It’s hilarious for the first few seconds, but it gets ridiculous pretty fast.
Also, the gay best friend Reggie (Kristoffer Cusick) really stopped being funny after his first appearance. He calls every so often, giving Casey her bailout call. Casey never picks up, but we get to hear the voicemail of her stereotypically flamboyant gay best friend. It’s like a drunken Ke$ha song but worse. He sings, “I’m feeling totes ignored/Later, slut!” It was kind of funny the first time, but I quickly grew irritated by him.
The music overall, though, is pretty good. Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner wrote the music and lyrics, and sometimes it hits the mark (“Awkward Pause” is particularly perfect: “Would gladly eat a plate of glass if it would make this moment pass/ Would rather skydive with no parachute/Get caught soliciting a prostitute”) and sometimes it misses by a long shot (must I bring up the rapping future son or Ke$ha-esque friend?).
Occasionally, it felt like Rodriguez was supposed to be hitting notes higher than she was, but Levi was surprisingly good. Then I realized I shouldn’t be surprised. Levi was nominated for an Oscar with the song “I Have Seen the Light” from Disney’s “Tangled.”
Surprisingly, though, I wasn’t a huge fan of Rodriguez’ acting either. While the promos are trying to draw a television audience by advertising her role on “Smash,” Rodriguez has been on Broadway many times, even originating the role of Wednesday in “The Addam’s Family.” She doesn’t come off to be quite as genuine as Levi, who is making his Broadway debut.
The supporting cast also does well, particularly in their role switches. Each of them has to play multiple characters in Aaron and Casey’s lives, and they transition between roles easily without any confusion or awkwardness.
Overall, “First Date” isn’t going to win any Tony’s and it shouldn’t. If you’re looking for something new and innovative to knock your socks off, this isn’t what you want to see. If you’re looking to see a decent show for not a ton of money (and at this point, any show with tickets under $50 on Broadway is cheap), “First Date” is probably a good choice.
Also worth mentioning to anyone considering attending is the fact that the cast is known to come meet every single person who waits for them at the stage door. Levi makes sure every fan who wants a picture gets a picture.
Both employees and students can go see “First Date” at the Longacre Theatre with the Employee Activities Committee. Contact Kathy Stein at kstein@monmouth.edu or 732-571-4445 to purchase tickets.
PHOTO TAKEN from thehartmangrouppr.com
