'First Date' A Captivating, Heartfelt Look at Love, Relationships

MATTITUCK, NY — No matter where you come from or what your background might be, there's a universal truth that touches a human chord across the board: First dates are awkward, at best. Miserably painful, at worst.

And then, sometimes, there's magic.

There are four more chances to see "First Date" at the North Fork Community Theatre in Mattituck, and it's a show that must be seen. A show that appeals to all demographics, as young and old bond together in moments both cringe-worthy and heart-achingly poignant, of laugh out loud hilarity and lingering melancholy about loves gone by.

First Date, with book by Austin Winsberg and music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner, is directed with impeccable perfection by Chris Fretto, who's living his own love story. Fretto got engaged to his real-life lady onstage at the NFCT last year and the couple will be married next month.

"Almost four years ago I had the same experience as this show," Fretto writes. "I went on my first date. A year later my date gave me the gift of tickets to see 'First Date' on Broadway and we instantly fell in love with this musical. Less than two years late right here on this very stage at the North Fork Community Theatre I proposed to the same girl and asked her to be 'the one. Now, a year later, she and I get to work on this musical we fell in love with together, and a week after closing, we get to tie the knot."

The show centers on the first date of Aaron and Casey, played with depth and humor by Sam Notaro and Nicole Bianco. It's not a match made in heaven, at least at first blush. He's a slightly nerdy, extremely nervous suit-and-tie Wall Street type; she's a free-spirited, edgy artistic soul.

The pair has been set up her sister and his co-worker, and although they dance around the subject of dating disasters, they find some tentative common ground in mutual friends from summer camp and nearby hometowns.

He's Jewish; she's an atheist. She's more the bad boy type; his list of transgressions is barely there.

And yet, there are glimmers of what could be: She wants to dig into a juicy burger, save the voice of her sister, reminding her that girls order salads on first dates. Aaron says he's never understood why women feel the need to hide their love for food; later, the two swap meals.

But, with the odds seemingly stacked against them, Casey decides the pair should be "just friends", leading to some heated moments.

Finally, though, they reach a cautious peace and proceed to go through a mental checklist of friends she can fix up with Aaron.

It's in the talking, the sharing, the opening up about the death of Aaron's mother when he was only a teenager and about her broken home, it's in the tender first moments of trust that the first hints of romance are born.

And watching the two, so badly burned by life and relationships, let down their guards and begin the hesitant dance of romance, the audience falls madly, passionately in love with the pair, rooting for their romance and hoping fervently for their happily ever after.

Notaro plays his Aaron to anxiety-ridden perfection, down to the constantly tapping leg and the stammering attempts at humor. Bianco, making her debut on the NFCT stage, is a marvel, an actress who's able to convey a tough-talking cover that's been carefully constructed to hide the tender heart inside. She's a gifted actress who completely owns the role; she's a local star on the rise.

The supporting cast, slipping in and out of various roles, shines, including the always delightful Manning Dandridge as a waiter who utters hilarious observations on the unfolding First Date. Laura Meade is both a concerned sister to Casey and an outraged, and outrageously funny, dead Jewish grandma who can't stomach the idea of her beloved boy marrying a shiksa. Julia Pulick, as Aaron's whiny, bust-baring ex-girlfriend, delivers a fine performance. Ralph D'Ambrose is hysterical as he calls Casey repeatedly, offering her a "Bailout" for her potentially disastrous date, and becoming increasingly more irate as she refuses to answer. Brendan Noble, as Gabe, Aaron's long-suffering and sensible best friend, whispering furiously in his ear not to mention his ex, morphs seamlessly into an edgy British character, his command of dialogue dazzling.

Applause, too, for co-producers Mary Motto Kalich and Liz Liszanckie, as well as to music director Karen Hochstedler, choreographer Katie Smith and set builder Frank Imperial. From beginning to end, the show is one of the most delightful and well-orchestrated ever to grace the Mattituck stage.

Together, the cast creates a seamless, joyful, humorous and poignant look at the foibles of love and dating in the age of Facebook and social media, reminding the audience that even with modern day trappings, a first date is still a frightening leap of faith. The promise of finding forever love, however, keeps the hope of romance alive in fragile hearts.

The show runs runs through October 30, with shows remaining on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and may be reserved by calling 631-298-6328) or by clicking here. North Fork Community Theatre is located on Old Sound Avenue in Mattituck.
For more information, click here or call 631-298-4500.

Patch courtesy photo.