FIRST DATE to Close on Broadway January 5, 2014

It's just been announced that First Date, which opened on August 8, 2013 at Broadway's Longacre Theatre (220 W. 48th Street), will play its final performance on Sunday, January 5, 2014, at 3pm, having played 34 previews and 174 regular performances. FIRST DATE began performances on Broadway on July 9, 2013, and has a book by Austin Winsberg, music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner,direction by Bill Berry, musical staging by Josh Rhodes, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, and musical supervision, vocal and incidental arrangements by Dominick Amendum.

FIRST DATE stars Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez, features Sara Chase, Kristoffer Cusick, Blake Hammond, Kate Loprest and Bryce Ryness, in a cast that includes Eric Ankrim, Kevin Kern, Vicki Noon and Sydney Shepherd. The Cast Album of FIRST DATE debuted at number 1 on the iTunes Soundtrack chart and was the highest ranking new cast album on the Billboard charts at its debut. Executive produced by Altar Identity Studios and released by Yellow Sound Label, the Album is available digitally on iTunes and atAmazon.com, and the CD is available at the Longacre Theatre, in stores and everywhere music is sold.

When tightly wound Aaron (Zachary Levi) is set up with serial-dater Casey (Krysta Rodriguez) a quick drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious, high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds they are not alone on this date as Casey and Aaron's inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons and the wait staff get into the act. Dinner is served with sides of Google background checks, fake emergency phone calls, supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines.FIRST DATE is Broadway's new hysterical and hopeful new musical about the chances we take to find love.

FIRST DATE has scenic and media design by David Gallo, costume design by David C. Woolard, lighting design by Mike Baldassari, sound design by Kai Harada, Hair Design by Josh Marquette. FIRST DATE is produced by Junkyard Dog Productions (Randy Adams, Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff, Sue Frost) in association with Stem Productions, Altar Identity Studios(Wade Bradley), Alex and Katya Lukianov, Susan W. and James C. Blair Family LP, Linda and Bill Potter, Yasuhiro Kawana, Vijay and Sita Vashee, Kevin and Lynn Foley, Jeff and Julie Goldstein, Edward and Mimi Kirsch, Frank and Denise Phillips, Stephen Reynolds and Paula Rosput Reynolds, Land Line Productions, Alhadeff Family Productions/Sheri and Les Biller , Pat Halloran/Laura Little Theatrical Productions, Tony Meola/Remmel T. Dickinson and John Yonover, and ShadowCatcher Entertainment/Tom and Connie Walsh.

FIRST DATE was originally co-produced by The 5th Avenue Theatre (David Armstrong, Executive Producer and Artistic Director; Bernadine Griffin, Managing Director; Bill Berry, Producing Director), and A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle, WA (Kurt Beattie, Artistic Director; Carlo Scandiuzzi, Executive Director) from March 10 to May 20, 2012.