Last night I had the pleasure of attending First Date on Broadway, and since then I’ve fallen deeply in love with every aspect of the play! If you’ve ever been on an awkward first date, or really, if you’ve ever felt awkward at all in any situation with with someone you’re romantically interested in, you will love First Date. The show is so relatable, and heartfelt, and all of the jokes are completely spot on. The play takes place inside a restaurant in Manhattan where Aaron (Zachary Levi), and Casey (Krysta Rodriguez) meet to have a drink on their first blind date with one another. Casey is an artsy self identified serial dater, and Aaron is a finance guy who is a blind date virgin that recently got out of a long term relationship. Their conversation, which can become very uncomfortable at times, is often paused and the other restaurant goers played by Bryce Ryness, Kristoffer Cusik, Sara Chase, Kate Loprest, and their waiter, Blake Hammond take on the persona of the voices in their heads (as their parents, best friends, siblings, future children, and dead grandparents), offering insight and advice into their current standing with one another. The best interruption of the date is when Casey’s flamboyant best friend offers her an escape as her bail out call. Most women have bail out calls in place for dates, but I’ve never heard one as entertaining as Kristoffer Cusik’s. Another notable moment during the date is when Aaron admits to Casey that he Googled her before they met up. In the current age of the internet, it’s nearly impossible to meet up with someone on an actual blind date. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t first researched their date before agreeing to meet. During the scene, the screens on the stage display the Google logo adorned with eyelashes, and she taunts both Aaron and Casey about their internet history and how they’ll never be able to delete it. Dun dun dun.
A huge part of what made the show so enjoyable was the musical aspect. The moment I got home I downloaded the soundtrack to the show, and I’ve been singing along ever since. The opening number, “The One,” is very catchy and upbeat, and it’s about taking chances because you’ll never find someone if you don’t put yourself out there. I particularly enjoyed Casey’s song “Safer,” which allows the audience to see a more vulnerable side of herself where she opens up and expresses the fears she has hiding beneath her tough exterior. If you’re unable to travel to NYC to see the show, or you simply enjoy soundtracks, you should download it on Amazon, and you’ll get a feeling for the overall story. First Date also includes some geeky references to Quantum Leap and Wolverine, which definitely had me laughing. The show is shorter than most plays (the runtime is 90 minutes), and there is no intermission, but a break is definitely not needed. I couldn’t believe how involved I became with all of the characters within minutes of their appearance onstage. I cannot stress enough how relatable everything was. Watching Aaron and Casey’s date felt like watching one of my past dates. Each actor and actress onstage put on an incredible performance. First Date is in my top three list of all time favorite plays I’ve ever seen on Broadway and I cannot wait to go and see it a second time.
Living in New York, I’ve see my fair share of Broadway shows, but this was the first time I ever felt compelled to wait around afterwards to meet the actors and gush to them about how much I loved the show. Each of them signed my Playbill, and Zachary Levi was gracious enough to stay afterwards and take photos with everyone who wanted one. He even told me how much he liked my Thor shirt! If you have the opportunity to see First Date, you have to take it! You can buy tickets for the show here. And if you visit Broadway.com, you can also view super cute videos of the cast answering dating questions. If you’ve seen First Date, leave a comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the play!
YES! I loved the show and I’m thinking about coming back up to NYC to see it again. Like you, I highly recommend everyone pick up the soundtrack!