'50 First Dates: The Musical' Review at The Other Palace: An Unexpected, Unbridled Joy
- Deborah Solomon
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
★★★★ | 50 First Dates is the latest 2000s romcom film classic to be adapted into a musical, joining the ranks of Mean Girls and Clueless. It is not, however, the most obvious adaptation pick, due to some highly problematic elements in the original 2004 film, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. A few essential changes update the story for a new generation, make it a much easier watch, and rescue it from the overdone and dull 2000s nostalgia trap that the show could have fallen into.
Despite these essential changes, the musical follows the same key plotline: Lucy Whitmore (Georgina Castle) dines at Ukulele Sue’s every Sunday, which for her is every day. A year prior, Lucy suffered a brain injury which caused a fictional form of amnesia, thus impairing her short-term memory, causing her to “relive” the same day over and over again. Enter playboy Henry Roth (Josh St. Clair), who falls quickly and deeply in love with her.
One crucial alteration in the musical is moving the setting from Hawaii to Key Largo, Florida. In the original, the few native Hawaiian characters are portrayed as stereotypical and racist caricatures of the people they represent. The worst instance of this is Ula, Henry’s best friend in the film, played by the non-native non-Hawaiian Rob Schneider. By changing the setting to Florida, these offensive caricatures were replaced or modified to be non-native and non-Hawaiian individuals.
Also, the show is set in the present day rather than in the 2000s, which makes these characters more relatable and current to today’s audiences. For example, unlike the film, where Henry Roth is a marine veterinarian, the musical’s Henry is a travel blogger who roams around aiming to have “the perfect day” every day and everywhere. Small changes made to match the temporal shift make these characters feel real; you can find a Henry-like travel influencer within seconds on social media.
St. Clair plays the obnoxious American tourist perfectly, to the point that it’s almost grating in “Everything”. It is therefore a relief to meet the other characters in “Key Largo”. Sandy, played by Chad Saint Louis, a waiter at Ukulele Sue’s, is an absolute star. They grace the stage with their delightful comedic timing, bad puns, clever one-liners, and divine vocals. Similarly, Natasha O’Brien is hilarious as the exceedingly American Delilah, Henry’s consistently agitated and exasperated agent, making frequent but all too short appearances as she attempts to reach the evasive Henry.
Unfortunately, the pacing of the show makes it difficult to believe the genuine depth of Lucy and Henry’s romance at first, as the directors/writers have ambitiously attempted to keep the musical’s running time the same as the film’s. Moreover, the sacrifices and grief of Lucy’s family (only examined in “Stay Away”), who every day painstakingly recreate the same day for Lucy, could have been explored more deeply if the show were longer.
The side characters, many of whom are new additions or heavily modified versions of the originals, are underutilised. It would also have been interesting to hear more from the fantastically amusing Sue and Marco (Aiesha Naomi and Ricky Rojas), the owners of Ukulele Sue’s. Considering the specific plot of this story, where the efforts of the side characters are so paramount to Lucy’s day-to-day reality, the show would have been justified to and greatly served by delving deeper into the world and people of Key Largo, particularly with such a stellar supporting cast.
The songs are strongest when upbeat while the ballads plod along, with the exception of the excellent “Happy Sunday”. “They’re Not You”, for example, is performed wonderfully by Castle and St. Clair, but is let down by predictable and bland lyrics. The music shines in the upbeat songs like “Good Morning, Lucy”, featuring impressive quick changes onstage, and “Key Largo”, with the latter being the best song in the entire musical. It brings all the drama, with fabulous choreography that towards the end calls back to classic Broadway styles, including high kicks, surprising costumes, full use of the ensemble, and soaring harmonies and belts en masse: everything the most memorable and great musical theatre songs have.
Frankly, I found the film quite average, as it is impossible to separate its problematic aspects from the intriguing plot, so I was pleasantly surprised to be so enchanted by the musical. The musical would have been improved by addressing the issue of consent, because Lucy forgets Henry and everything she’s experienced with him every single day, which is an issue exacerbated by the story’s conclusion. Nonetheless, as this is an adaptation of the film that maintains its happy-go-lucky, somewhat schmaltzy tone, it’s unsurprising that this was not mentioned.
The show is a bit ridiculous, but it is self-aware, poking fun at its silly nature. The humour is uneven, swinging between flat gags and genuinely hilarious moments that are aided by a cast with enough comedic talent that it spills out of the theatre. If you enjoy good fun, a very cheesy story with cheesy lyrics and jokes to match, romance, or just love a great cast (especially a magnificent ensemble), you’ll enjoy 50 First Dates. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, nor does it demand that of its audience, although I maintain that it could only be served by taking itself more seriously by having more sombre and pensive moments. It’s a remake that’s faithful enough to the original, but differs from and improves it in the most significant ways, making it a refreshing joy to watch, despite certain missed opportunities.
★★★★
50 First Dates: The Musical plays at The Other Palace until November 16th.
