NJT Closes Out 2024 Season With FIRST DATE

NJT will close out their 2024 season with the romantic musical comedy First Date, with a Book by Austin Winsberg, and Music and Lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. Running Thursday, November 21 through Sunday, December 8, performances will take place in the J's Wool Studio Theatre. The idea for a musical that chronicles the highs and lows of a blind date was hatched in the L.A. coffee bars where the three writers and friends gathered to commiserate about their love lives. The show's World Premiere in 2012 at Seattle's ACT Theatre, was so successful that it transferred quickly to Broadway where a production starring Zachary Levi and Krysta Rodriguez appeared in 2013. This will be its first production in the St. Louis area.

The story follows blind date newbie Aaron (Mitch Henry-Eagles), who is set up with serial-dater Casey (Molly Wennstrom).  They meet for a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant that turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds that they are not alone on this unpredictable evening. In a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron's inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through icebreakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines.

First Date is directed and choreographed by Lee Anne Mathews, who previously directed Raging Skillet and Imagining Madoff for NJT. The Musical Director is Larry D. Pry, who won the 2023 St. Louis Circle Award for Best Music Direction for NJT's Into the Woods. The incredible cast is led by Henry-Eagles (making his NJT debut) and Wennstrom (returning to NJT after appearing in Into the Woods, Dear Jack, Dear Louise, and Jerry's Girls). Will Bonfiglio is making his way back to the NJT stage as the Waiter after his recent one-man performances in Every Brilliant Thing and Fully Committed. The ensemble features Jayson Heil from All My Sons, Greta Rosenstock from Jerry's Girls, and finally, Grace Siedel and Drew Mizell each making their NJT debut.   

The design team includes John Stark as Set Designer, who designed for NJT's Way to Heavan, The Whipping Man, and Time Stands Still. Amanda Werre (All My Sons, Into the Woods, Gloria: A Life, Jerry's Girls, Dear Jack, Dear Louise) is returning to NJT as Sound Designer with Denisse Chavez (Gloria: A Life) as Lighting Designer. And, as always, we are happy to have Michele Friedman Siler (The Immigrant, STL Circle Nominated) back as our amazing resident Costume Designer.

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