By Julie Halversen Tate
First Date, a romantic comedy musical that examines the awkwardness and pitfalls of the search for love, opens at the Grand Theatre at Salt Lake Community College in Salt Lake City, Utah in its backstage theatre, which is set up as a Black Box Theatre. The musical’s original run was at Seattle’s ACT Theatre March 10-May 20, 2012 and was followed by a 5-month run at the Longacre Theatre in New York City August 8, 2013-January 5, 2014. The show was developed from a book by Austin Winsberg, with music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. This production is directed by Jamie Rocha Allan being assisted by Sam Allen, with Michael G. Leavitt as Music Director and Aimee Pike as the Movement Director. Being familiar with a few of the songs from the musical, I felt excited to see this portrayal of the age-old awkwardness of blind dating, but did not know what a delightful show we would soon encounter. And this was my Valentine’s date, so that made First Date even more fun.
The show opens with the entire cast singing about their dating disasters, which quickly sets the tone for the blind date that is about to become the setting for the entire show. The next scene introduces Aaron (Michael Scott Johnson), a business-savvy, overly nervous business man in a blue three-piece suit and tie, as he enters a bar and asks the server (B.J. Whimpey) if he’s overdressed, then orders a beer. Soon after the bartender assures him that yes, Aaron is overdressed and confiscates his just removed tie, we meet Casey (Aalliyah Ann Jenks), an edgy, artistic, trendy young woman who has been set up by her sister, Lauren (Michelle Lynn Thompson) on a blind date with Aaron. She notices their obvious differences and orders a couple of sharp drinks to take the edge off and prepare her for the awkwardness she is certain will begin. Their first date begins, and together they face just about every hilarious landmine of dating through the course of an hour and a half, complete with imaginary inner critics which continuously appear in the form of manipulative exes, over-protective grandmothers (and other family members—all performed by Thompson, Whimpey, and Dayne Cade), and well-meaning best friends who might have great intentions but don’t always have the best advice.
Johnson is so lovable in his portrayal of Aaron as an uptight young businessman who is recently out of a relationship and who is equally as insecure in the dating realm as he is tightly wrapped. His solo scenes are enjoyable and he quickly wraps the audience up in his story, making us root for his dating success. His interactions with all of the other characters are convincing, especially his portrayal of a lovesick jilted groom who was left at the altar “fourteen months, two weeks, and three days” prior. His interactions with his loved ones—his Jewish grandmother, his best buddy, and his ex—develop his character completely and make it obvious where his uptight nature originated. When Johnson sings about the letter from Aaron’s deceased mother in “The Things I Never Said,” his tenderness taps into every viewer’s personal memory of possible lost opportunities for connecting with others in our own lives. His transformation from sullen to fiesty during the song, “In Love With You,” brings yet another dimension to his character and also liberates the jilted ex in all of us.
Jenks’ version of Casey as an edgy, blunt, upfront and jaded wishful photographer is spot on. From her lacey top to her long skirt overlaying tight shorts to her biker jacket and corn row braids, she is every bit the jaded often-dates-but-never-lets-it-get-too-serious serial dater. Her banter with Aaron and judgments of him are obvious with her eye rolls and annoyed looks, but there is always an undercurrent of a sweet young woman who is just protecting herself. Her performance of “Safer,” which tells about why she finds it so hard to trust and wonders if it’s worth it to take a chance on love, is a powerful and lovely insight into her complexity. Her vocals are smooth and rich during her solos and duets, and she succeeds at making Casey just edgy enough and just lovable enough to keep the audience hoping that maybe love will find her at last. Her performance pulls her audience into her story just enough to see her jaded surface layer while feeling her softer underside, and there’s nothing more we want than for her to let down her guard and let a “good guy” in.
Whimpey, Thompson, and Cade do an amazing job playing all of the other roles in the show, complete with prop changes and personality changes with each role. In their portrayal of many different characters, they are the driving force that keeps the show running. Their comedic timing is delightful and they play an integral part in keeping the show lively and fun and moving at the same time. Thompson’s portrayal of Aaron’s Jewish grandmother in “The Girl for You” signals the beginning of many laughter-filled music scenes and is utterly hilarious. In the same scene, Whimpey shows up as Casey’s “father,” a priest, who equally cannot condone his daughter dating a Jewish boy, and then Cade shows up as the couple’s “future son” who raps about his religious confusion. The entire sequence has flawless timing and hilarity to match its absurdity. Thompson’s solo stint as “Google” in “The World Wide Web is Forever” is a highlight, and when Whimpey croons “I’d Order Love” as a bartender turned night-club singer-songwriter, he makes the entire audience feel like jumping up and dancing onstage with the actors as patrons at his bar. His deep voice and comical manner are both ear-soothing and laughter-invoking.
Perhaps the funniest character of the entire show is Cade as Casey’s best friend, Reggie, who calls several times during the date as the “Emergency Bailout” call. His portrayal of the stereotypical flamboyant and needy gay best friend is nothing short of comical genius. While some of the song lyrics and phrases he uses are extremely clichéd, he delivers them with just the right amount of flair to incite side-splitting laughter rather than annoyance. The lovable Reggie shows up on three different occasions, becoming even more endearing each time, and a definite highlight of the show.
The Scenic Design by Cara Pomeroy with Properties Design by Maire Nelligan is simple and just right for the show. The main set pieces are a bar with a couple of barstools and a couple of tables and chairs representing the café. Part of the backdrop doubles as platform area and stairs where a lot of the action takes place, adding dimension and variety to the visual staging. Lighting Design by Drew Bielinski is also simple while employing the use of spots in several scenes that highlight the different characters coming in and out of the dreams and also add visual variety to the show. Shannon McCullock as Costume Designer and Lindsea Garside on Hair and Makeup Design have put together a great assembly of contemporary base outfits that properly portray the characters that they wear for the duration of the show. The change of characters is indicated by adding simple additional pieces such as shawls, hats, vests, and such just enough to indicate the shifts and add the extra dimension of personality and humor to each character. The technical crew is rounded out with Stage Management by Caroline Cain, assisted by Tahra Si’mone Veasely.
The Grand Theatre’s First Date does more than merely display the pitfalls of dating, though. It really is about the journey of humanity through the ups and downs of life, through happiness and loss, through grief and sorrow, and through the journey from self-protection to vulnerability. While we laugh at the silliness of it all, we cannot help but wonder if we see ourselves in the characters of Casey and Aaron, who both want to experience love but are afraid to take the leap of faith necessary to let another person under our calloused surface. As the show ends and Aaron and Casey take that leap of faith, I felt inspired to have a little more courage in my relationships, and I recognize the beautiful journey through pain to healing and hope.
Because this production uses profanity and vulgarity in some dialogue and song lyrics, this show is recommended for more mature audiences. It was suggested PG-13, but I felt if there was a PG-15, I’d rate it that. Prolific F-words and some pretty gritty descriptions of exes.
The Grand Theatre presents First Date, Book by Austin Winsberg, Music & Lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner.
Grand Theatre at Salt Lake Community College, 1575 South State, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
February 14-March 2, 2019 7:30 PM, Wed-Sat
Tickets: $10-20
Contact: 801-957-3322
Grand Theatre Facebook Page
First Date Facebook Event
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