Review: Midvale Main Street Theatre's Utah Premiere of FIRST DATE is Funny and Real

The Utah premiere of FIRST DATE, presented by Midvale Main Street Theatre, is a great chance to experience a new show straight from Broadway.

FIRST DATE (book by Austin Winsberg, music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner) played a brief but memorable run on Broadway in 2013, starring Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez. Funny and sweet, the show is a surprisingly grounded look into the thought processes that go on during a first date.

Aaron and Casey each enter their blind date with their own baggage, which manifests itself through numerous entertaining musical numbers featuring past lovers, friends, and family members. Should they cut their losses and end the date early, or is there something between them that should be explored further?

The costumes and set from Midvale Main Street Theatre's team of designers, while simple (as dictated by the show itself), are clever and true to life.

The lengthy exchanges between Dustin Bolt as Aaron and Cassidy Ross as Casey are quite impressive, as the lines feel organic and real. It seems as if the audience is eavesdropping on an actual conversation at a restaurant, and this is a credit to the actors, writer Winsberg, and director Tammy Ross.

The supporting players, including Ryan Hoskins, Seth Tippetts, Maggie Goertzen, Todd McRae, and Taylor Lawrence, are superb at oscillating amongst multiple roles and giving them each specific personalities and attributes.

While the performers' vocals are sufficient to convey the songs as intended, the singing on the whole (with some exception) is disappointing, as it often lacks breath support, diction, and overall polish.

Still, this is a solid production of an under-the-radar show that likely won't be produced in Utah again. If you are a fan of contemporary musicals, you'll want to give this one a shot.

FIRST DATE plays through February 20, 2016. For more information or to buy tickets, call the box office at 801-566-0596 or visit www.midvaletheatre.com.

Content Advisory: The musical contains innuendo and a few instances of strong language.

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