Based on the 2004 rom-com starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, 50 First Dates makes its world premiere at The Other Palace with direction by Tony winning Casey Nicholaw. Will this be worth remembering tomorrow (and the next day, and the next day), or should it be instantly forgotten?
I was gifted a press ticket in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
50 First Dates
Cast
- Henry Roth: Josh St Clair
- Lucy Whitmore: Georgina Castle
- Marlin Whitmore: John Marquez
- Doug Whitmore: Charlie Toland
- Delilah: Natasha O’Brien
- Ukulele Sue: Aiesha Naomi Pease
- Marco: Ricky Rojas
- Sandy: Chad Saint Louis
- Cora: Martha Pothen
- Sid: David Pendlebury
Rating: ★★★
What is 50 First Dates about?
He’s falling for her every day—she’s forgetting him every night. When notorious bachelor Henry meets art teacher Lucy, he thinks he’s finally found “the one”. Until the next morning when she wakes up with no memory of their first date…
What are my thoughts on 50 First Dates?
With 50 First Dates being among Adam Sandler’s better outings, I admit I had high standards going into the stage adaptation. While I feel some screen to stage adaptations have struggled under the shadow of their original films to the point of feeling like carbon copies with songs crowbarred in, David Rossmer and Steve Rosen take the film’s concept and do something different with it. Updating the story to the 2020s and changing the location from Hawaii to Florida and Henry’s occupation from a marine veterinarian to a travel blogger, this comes with a new message of making the most of each day with the people you love.
While this 50 First Dates is lost of its Sandlerisms AKA no vomiting walrus, 10 Second Tom or racially insensitive caricatures played by Rob Schneider, what isn’t lost under Casey Nicholaw’s direction is the story’s simple charm. While running into some pacing issues with a slow moving start (the show runs for an hour 40 minutes with no interval) and occasional tonal whiplash between the humour and emotional moments as it addresses the gravity of Lucy’s amnesia, those moments feel genuine and carry the heart the show needs.
Like each day in life, this 50 First Dates is not without its bumps. Rossmer and Rosen’s pop driven songs are catchy enough but don’t leave much impact. One subplot involving Henry’s pushy agent pressuring him to travel to Venice for a meeting with the Pope veers into the absurd, and the book can’t escape the massive plot hole of everyone keeping up the facade for Lucy everyday before Henry comes along in the smartphone era. Do those matter in the grand scheme? For a sweet rom com with good intentions, it’s a mixed bag.
What’s the cast like?
What sold 50 First Dates was the chemistry between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, something that sounds impossible to replicate onstage. The simple answer with Josh St Clair and Georgina Castle’s performances is they don’t – and not in a bad way.
St Clair’s Henry may have the same charm and commitment phobic tendencies in relationships as Sandler’s, but he feels more fleshed out as he gets to know new details about Lucy each day and uses his plan with the videos to encourage her to pursue her aspirations outside her usual routine. While carrying a Drew Barrymore-esque quirkiness, Castle avoids feeling like an imitation and showcases her emotional range with such an endearing quality that makes you empathise with her – a far cry from her icy Regina George.
John Marquez also offers emotional range as Lucy’s father Marlin. A rightfully overprotective father given his daughter’s amnesia, it’s once he reveals the circumstances behind her accident that leave a gut punch. Charlie Toland brings laughs as her brother Doug, yet also has his surprisingly touching moments.
The other characters feel less developed in comparison, but offer their own charm as Henry’s plan encourages them to live their own lives including Ricky Rojas and Aiesha Naomi Pease as couple Marco and Sue. However, the easy highlight among them is Chad Saint Louis as waiter Sandy, ready with a Disney reference between looking after turtles and being an ordained minister.
What are my overall thoughts?
It’s not the most groundbreaking musical nor the perfect screen to stage adaptation, but there’s certainly enough to love in this 50 First Dates. Will it be one to remember? Perhaps as a first date night show, which is who I recommend this show for. It’s simple, charming and I appreciate how it dares to try something different from the original film.
50 First Dates runs at The Other Palace until November 16.
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