If you thought déjà vu was bad, try falling in love with the same person every single day… with jazz hands. Yes, folks, 50 First Dates has traded surfboards for stage lights, and the result is a rom-com reboot that’s as charming as it is unexpectedly tear-jerking.
Based on the cult-favorite rom-com, 50 First Dates – The Musical reimagines the love story of Henry and Lucy, a man determined to win the heart of a woman who forgets him every morning. The stakes are high, the laughs are plenty, and the question remains—can true love survive when memories don’t?
Josh St. Clair and Georgina Castle take on Henry and Lucy with effortless charm. Their chemistry is so present you could bottle it and sell it as perfume. Georgina nails the balance of vulnerability and wit, while Josh makes Henry’s determination both hilarious and heartbreaking.
The standout? Chad Saint Louis as Sandy. He’s the life of the party, armed with killer comedic timing, powerhouse vocals, and a stage presence that makes him impossible to ignore. Natasha O’Brien may not have the biggest role, but every time she stepped on stage, she owned it—absolutely hilarious and utterly scene-stealing.
Zoe Ann Brown and David Pendlebury added delightful energy to the ensemble, creating some of the cutest and most memorable moments of the night. Truly, not a weak link in this cast.
Props were literally flying across the stage—sometimes by design, sometimes not. At one point, a rogue bottle nearly turned the scene into a live-action Final Destination, but the recovery was so smooth it almost looked scripted.
The soundtrack deserves its own standing ovation. Songs like They’re Not You, Happy Sunday, and First Kiss take moments from the film that could’ve been filler and transform them into heartfelt, hilarious, and sometimes gut-wrenching showstoppers. Every lyric pulls weight, stitching the narrative together beautifully.
The staging is clever, with one particularly brilliant sequence condensing five days into three minutes—a masterclass in theatrical pacing.
And while Henry’s no longer a penguin master (sorry, sea bird fans), his new identity as a social media influencer actually makes the story surprisingly relatable for today’s audience.
Let’s be real—turning a beloved but underrated rom-com into a stage musical could’ve gone horribly wrong. But this show proves otherwise. Not only does it keep the humor intact (yes, with a sprinkle of swearing for spice), it leans into the emotional core. When you stop and think about Lucy’s condition—falling in love every single day—it’s actually dark, heavy, and deeply moving. The stage captures that poignancy in ways the film only brushed past.
Every performance is loaded with energy, heart, and humor. Every song resonates. Every recovery (planned or not) is seamless. By the final curtain, you’ll laugh, you’ll tear up, and you’ll want to immediately rewatch the film—or better yet, see the show again.
In short: I had an absolute blast. 50 First Dates – The Musical is a rom-com revival with heart, humor, and harmonies you’ll be humming long after you leave the theatre.
