Promoted as a laugh-out-loud production that will have you rooting for love, “First Date,” a musical comedy, is coming to Point Loma Playhouse for 12 performances on weekends from March 28 to April 20.
The production takes place in the quaint performing space of the Point Loma Assembly building at 3035 Talbot St. Erected in 1911 and meticulously preserved and restored, the Assembly is home to Point Loma Playhouse. Tickets for “First Date” are $28 for general admission and $25 for groups of six or more.
The romantic musical comedy is directed by Kara Tuckfield, a San Diego native who attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts.
Asked about her theatrical background, Tuckfield, the daughter of a musician, replied: “I’ve been involved since I was a young child at San Diego Junior Theatre. I’ve loved theatre ever since I went to see ‘Peter Pan’ at age 7 or 8. I wanted to be Wendy so bad. So I went to Junior Theatre and went from there.”
Of auditions for “First Date,” Tuckfield noted applicants were all asked to sing a song and participate in auditions afterward. “Those we called back were asked to learn a bit more of some of the music, and do cold reading, reading parts of the script. From that process, you narrow the field (of performers) down until you have a cast. This show has two leads, Aaron and Casey, and the rest of the cast plays people in their lives in many different roles.”
Tuckfield noted “First Date” was performed on Broadway in 2018 and is now “a popular musical for theatres to put on.” She added Point Loma Playhouse has a play selection committee that evaluates prospective plays to perform, considering “if they would work well in the playhouse space.”
On being the director of a musical comedy, Tuckfield, a former dancer, noted: “It’s fun. You’re responsible for putting the cast together and working with them and choreographing the show and the singing. I decide what the dance looks like, how it fits in with the music.”
Asked what she’d like the audience to get out of seeing “First Date,” Tuckfield replied, “I want them to come away with a life lesson that you never know what’s around the corner, that you never judge someone until you get to know them better. It’s good to take a risk sometimes, jump off, and see where you land when it comes to love and life.”
FIRST DATE
Where: Point Loma Playhouse, 3035 Talbot St.
Dates: March 28 to April 20.
Times: Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m.
Tickets: pointlomaplayhouse.com.
Imagine a blind date where the stakes are high, and the laughs are non-stop. “First Date” is a hilarious and heartwarming romantic musical comedy that takes you on a wild ride through the ups and downs of modern dating. When Aaron, a blind date newbie, meets Casey, a seasoned serial dater, what starts as a casual drink at a bustling New York restaurant turns into an unforgettable night of chaos, charm, and chemistry. But they’re not alone – inner critics, overbearing exes, protective parents, and even their best friends come to life in a whirlwind of song, dance, and side-splitting humor. Can Aaron and Casey navigate the awkward small talk, dodge conversational landmines, and turn this potential dating disaster into something magical before the check arrives?
Starring: Amanda Blair, Manny Cardeiro, Rachel Dillon, Sarah Enos, Lucas Grana, Sara Hayes, Adam Sussman, and Aarin Wilson (Swing).
