Review: FIRST DATE at New Jewish Theatre

New Jewish Theatre is closing out its season with a show that can be summed up in three words: musical romantic comedy. FIRST DATE is an adorable and silly comedy that takes you into the brains of a couple on their first date to see exactly what each is thinking while their date is going horribly wrong. Director Lee Ann Mathews and her company of seven clever actors take a fearless dive into physical comedy and create an entertaining show that is light, zany, and funny. 

When it Premiered on Broadway in 2013, FIRST DATE ran for just 174 regular performances and struggled to find an audience. The original Broadway production starred Zachary Levi (Shazam, Kurt Warner in American Underdog) and Broadway and TV’s Krysta Rodriguez. While it didn’t have staying power on Broadway, “First Date” does have a witty script and a serviceable score that is saved by its amusing lyrics. It fits perfectly and plays well in the diminutive performance space at New Jewish Theatre. 

The small musical with a big heart is based on the personal dating experiences of book writer Austin Winsberg and composers Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. It tells the story of a not-so-perfect blind date between Aaron (Mitch Henry-Eagles) and Casey (Molly Wennstrom). Aaron is a nerdy Jewish man who hasn’t had a date since his failed engagement. He’s been setup with Casey, a serial dater with a penchant for the bad boys. 

Despite Aaron’s best efforts he just can’t seem to get out of his own way on the date, and Casey is less than impressed. As their evening progresses, each is interrupted by funny cognitive intrusions of their friends and family members doling out relationship advice.  

Mitch Henry-Eagles and Molly Wennstrom are sweet as the awkward Aaron and the tepid Casey. They fall comfortably into their roles creating lifelike characters who are looking for love. Their natural portrayals make it entirely plausible that the audience is eavesdropping on their ridiculous and clumsy conversation. Both are exceptionally delightful as the cautious but optimistic daters.   

In a cute storytelling convention, a quartet of other diners in the restaurant (Jayson Heil, Drew Mizell, Grace Seidel, and Greta Rosenstock) become the personification of their friends and family. In chameleon like performances, the four comedically talented actors hilariously bounce between a bunch of different roles to manifest the voices in Aaron and Casey’s heads.  

Mizell gets big laughs as Casey’s best friend ringing her cell phone to bail her out of the date if it's not going well. Seidel is Casey’s sister and the voice of reason who set up the date and is encouraging Casey to find a nice guy and settle down. She also gets plenty of time to clown and draw audience laughs when she’s taking on several other small parts.  

Rosenstock is charming as Aaron’s ex-fiancé and amusing as his deceased grandmother who returns from the dead to warn her Jewish grandson that a Christian woman is the wrong choice for a wife. Not only is the bit one of the funniest in the show, but it is a lighthearted homage to the dream sequence in Fiddler on the Roof. 

While all four actors have flawless comedic timing, Jayson Heil is the hysterical standout as Aaron’s best friend Gabe in a performance that is physical comedy gold. Heil’s farcical and sometimes vulgar slapstick is reminiscent of the great television sketch comedy actors the likes of Tim Conway and Chevy Chase. Heil garners huge laughs and shows he is an adept actor with exceptional promise as a leading man in musical comedy.  

Will Bonfiglio rounds out the cast in a goofy turn as the restaurant waiter. His “I’d Order Love” is delicious and laughable. He joins the company in several of the group numbers and shows immense comedic talent. In fact, the entire cast possesses a wry sense of wittiness whether they’re working solo or together as a group.  

Director and choreographer Lee Anne Mathews has collaborated with costume designer Michele Friedman Siler and props supervisor Katie Orr to milk every possible sight gag. Siler has created a bevy of quick-change costume pieces to assists with the cast’s chameleonic portrayals. Mathews blocking and choreography leans into the troupe’s physicality and creates a finely tuned machine that manufactures laughs. 

Mathews took a couple liberties with the script to throw in some local geographical references that earn some laughs. Scenic Designer John C. Stark created a restaurant set with triptych paintings of the St. Louis skyline on the back wall. His set design was reminiscent of the now shuttered Harry’s Restaurant on Market Street with picture widows that looked out at the St. Louis Arch and downtown skyline. Denisse Chavez’s syncopated and versatile lighting design added a few humorous touches to the storytelling. 

Music director, conductor, and keyboardist Larry D. Pry has returned to New Jewish Theater to lead the music for this production follow his acclaimed and award-winning work in last year’s production of “Into the Woods.” Pry again shows his proficiency at preparing actors vocally while creating unobtrusive accompaniment in a small theater to support his cast. He and sound designer Amanda Werre collaborated to create wonderfully balanced sound in the intimate performance space at the Wool Studio Theatre.  

New Jewish Theatre artistic director Rebekah Scallet continues to draw from the most talented actors, directors, and technical theatre professionals to bring the St. Louis audiences highly entertaining productions. The current production of FIRST DATE features a terrific cast in sublime comedic performances. It certainly isn’t a masterpiece of modern musical theater, but “FIRST DATE is a delectably fun and entertaining little diversion with a lot of laughs.  

FIRST DATE continues its run at New Jewish Theatre through December 8, 2024. More information can be found at newjewishtheatre.org. Click the link below to purchase tickets.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Gitchoff

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