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SCENE IT: A lovely musical surprise awaits audiences in FIRST DATE THE MUSICAL at the Avalon Theatre
Barbara Loots
FISRT DATE THE MUSICAL has officially welcomed its first South African audiences at the Avalon Theatre (Homecoming Centre), and it is all charm and laughter – a theatrical treat!
The production —with music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner and book by Austin Winsberg— was originally staged in Seattle in 2012, whereafter it made a turn on Broadway in 2013. Largely inspired by the less than successful dating endeavours of the creative team, rather than cry about dating disasters they decided to sing and laugh about it. And so a musical was born.
In energy and style, the show (previously unknown to me) reminds of feel-good modern-day musicals such as Soho Cinders and Eugenius! – high octane numbers, catchy tunes, and a book that focusses on everyday people-centered issues, just a tad embellished for dramatic effect.
The story that unfolds is rooted in a first date experience, where both parties (the one an emotionally guarded serial dater and the other a scarred-by-love open book blind dating virgin) bring a lot of relationship baggage to the table. This tale may not be complex at first glance, but the characters are surprisingly layered and their journey relatable and engaging. In impact it lands somewhere between How I Met Your Mother and Nobody Wants This with a distinct sitcom feel. Unsurprisingly then FIRST DATE THE MUSICAL is comedy forward, but it happily does catch one off guard with a good dose of heart at the most unexpected moments.
The South African premiere is directed by Byron Bure, with Origen Productions founder Emma Amber stepping into the shoes of main character Casey opposite Ethan Saunders who beautifully matches her sassy portrayal with his rather goofy Aaron. They are supported by William Young (Aaron’s best friend, Gabe and Stoner Guy), Kirsten Pienaar (Casey’s Sister, Lauren, as well as Aaron’s mother and Grandma Ida), Asanda Mngadi (Casey’s bestie, Reggie, as well as British rocker and Aaron’s future son), Zoë Chetty (Aaron’s ex-fiancé, Alison), Robert Shenton (the Waiter), Nikita Latimer (Google Girl) and Ethan Dunk (Casey’s father, as well as the therapist).
The young, talented cast, with impressive vocal prowess, functions as a well-oiled machine: Everyone bringing their A-game. Amber and Saunders play well off each other with great onstage chemistry, while Mngadi and Young are tied for the comedy trophy as both bring the belly laughs with their Reggie and Gabe characters. Keeping their besties in-check and safe is no mean feat when the besties are apparently hell-bent on self-sabotaging any chance at happiness —Reggie and Gabe (even if the latter is but Aaron’s inner voice) have their hands full!
Along with Bure, the creative team includes Casey Wallace (musical director), Angelica Hattingh (choreographer) and Amber Morgan (assistant choreographer).
This staging makes good use of the limited space of the intimate Avalon Theatre in the Homecoming Centre: The design reflects some smart decision making that transforms the space into a cozy bar and restaurant with various zones, allowing the cast to stay on stage throughout without anyone feeling in the way or unnecessary. The result is a fast paced, truly ensemble driven production. The 90-minute run-time flies by in a very entertaining fashion.
There were a few mic misfires on the night of viewing, but none of the cast were shaken by this and soldiered on (simply projecting a bit more when necessary). As a result the technical glitches were easily excused and happily forgotten as the production allowed the audience to immerse themselves in the onstage dating shenanigans.
It was a lovely surprise to note that this independent staging didn’t fall into the trap of doing a slap dash South African adaptation of an international production. Adaptation for adaptation’s sake (usually just changing a street reference or mentioning a local restaurant to bag a quick cheap laugh) often only succeeds in detracting from the pacing and intention of the original. Well done to the Origen team for staying the course and doing the original vision proud.
The South African premiere of FIRST DATE THE MUSICAL, independently produced by Origen Productions, is a light-hearted, well executed delight and a very welcome tonic to the everyday chaos of the world that threatens to engulf us as we charge towards the end of this crazy year. It is definitely a recommended musical escape.
Origen Productions, in arrangement with DALRO (PTY) LIMITED, presents the production for a strictly limited season until 1 November 2026 at the Avalon Theatre, Homecoming Centre in Cape Town. Bookings can be made at First Date The Musical.