FIRST DATE GREAT

Take the leading man and woman, add a Greek Chorus, decent music and comedy.    Combine with a good script that you can follow with talented actors.   What you have is a Broadway musical comedy that works. 

Curtain up at a wine bar as men and women are talking having obviously meeting for the first time.  Opening number as scene changes to a West Village gastropub .  Aaron (Zachary Levi) enters dressed in a suit, glasses and nervous.    He’s here on a first blind date to meet Casey (Krysta Rodriguez) funky, pretty and cool looking who has “blind dated” a lot.   It appears that Casey’s sister, Lauren (Sara Chase) has set this up.  Aaron has ordered a “manly beer” and Casey, upon seeing Aaron orders a “something strong” and a chaser “that is stronger”.

Let me first give you the logistics of the other actors who are part of the “Greek Chorus”, each changing roles and only in the minds of either Casey or Aaron.   Each time the imagination comes to play, the scene freezes. 

We have the waiter (Blake Hammond) who will also take the imaginary roles of Casey’s father, a priest as well as a friendly therapist.   Reggie (Kristoffer Cusick) portrays Casey’s gay BFF who is set to bail her out.  He also takes on the role of an Edgy Rocker Guy.  Aaron will also imagine his last girlfriend Allison (Kate Loprest) talking to him.

In conversation, Casey and Aaron find something in common.  Casey grew up in an area of Michigan that Aaron attended summer camp.   Names are thrown out of who knows who.   “Should we continue playing Jewish Geography?” asks Aaron.  “I’m good at this game, even if I’m not a Jew”, she replies.  Patrons now become a “Jewish Chorus” to sing “This Isn’t the Girl For You”, starring Grandma Ida (Sara Chase).  Aaron’s imagination includes Casey’s father.  This is by far the best and funniest production number.

I have to admit that the script does have a lot of clichés and each of the three leads get their solo.  Blake Hammond shows off his singing talent with “I’d Order Love”.   Rodriguez, formerly from the tv show Smash, does her thing with the song, “Safer”.   Toward the end of the show, Levi gets his turn with “In Love With You”. 

Let’s not forget Cusick as Reggie singing “Bailout Song #2”.   He is quite the hilarious one. 

Blind Date is playing at the Longacre Theatre, and performed without an interpishon.    This may not get nominations but well worth seeing for some good laughs.