50 The first dates the musical review – this adaptation of the Noughties Romcom about a woman with amnesia is adequately unforgettable

Introduction to 50 First Dates: The Musical

First, there was Legally Blonde. Then Mean Girls. Then The Devil Wears Prada. Then Heathers. Now comes the latest 20-year-old rom-com to get the wipe-and-polish musical treatment: 50 First Dates. The 2004 film starring Drew Barrymore as a woman with short-term memory loss and Adam Sandler as the obsessed man trying to win her heart every day has been adapted for the stage with songs.

A Questionable Choice

There’s an obvious discrepancy between this latest attempt at nostalgia-harvesting and its many predecessors. Namely, the fact that 50 First Dates, although a commercial success at the time, inspired none of the cult following or devotion that, for example, Mean Girls or Heathers did. People haven’t lovingly quoted it over the past two decades or named it as their comfort watch. It’s not even that most beloved Barrymore sandwich work (The Wedding Singer, with its soundtrack of ’80s hits, received a musical revamp in 2006). The film, therefore, feels like a bizarre choice, raising a question early on that it doesn’t answer: for whom is this?

The Production

The production itself is pleasant enough; David Rossmer and Steve Rosen did a decent job adapting the story for the stage. Georgina Castle plays a convincingly charming Lucy Whitmore, the friendly, quirky art teacher whose only drawback is the anterograde amnesia she’s suffered since her accident a year ago – a condition that means she’s unable to form new memories, waking up every morning thinking it’s the same day. The character of Henry Roth, played by Josh St. Clair, has been updated from a male marine veterinarian with a fear of commitment to a female travel blogger with a fear of commitment. His plans to launch his "Perfect Day" brand in Europe are put on hold when he meets Lucy and pursues her in a Groundhog Day-style romance. There are moments that are genuinely funny and star-making – Chad Saint Louis stands out both vocally and comedically as a waiter whose greatest ambition in life is to work at the Epcot Walt Disney World Resort.

Musical Numbers and Dance

Unfortunately, there are no real dance numbers as such, and the songs themselves have no stick power, although they are perfectly harmless. After watching Heathers: The Musical, I hummed the musical’s "Dead Girl Walking" and "Meant to Be" from the original score of catchy tunes for the rest of the week. In contrast, the tracklist for 50 First Dates: The Musical is similar to musical Teflon – figures like "Coffee, Friends, and Happy Ends" and "You Are Not You" slip straight out of my brain when you’re finished.

A Troubling Romance

Worse, without Sandler’s typical bombastic charisma, inimitable talent for blending sweetness with gross humor, the character of Henry is revealed for what he is: a kind of creep. The whole "love story" feels a bit disturbing when viewed through a modern lens. Here is a man who only wants a woman if she’s always hard to get – a woman he has to convince, cajole, and coax into loving him every day. Here is a man who can only commit when he has the ultimate get-out clause at all times, that he could leave, and Lucy would immediately forget he exists. Here is a man whose perfect woman is someone who can never really get to know him in her daily 12 hours of memory banking. She will never tell old stories or bitter jokes; the slate gets wiped clean every morning. The power dynamics ensure an incredibly unbalanced relationship.

Morality of the Romance

Everything means that behind the cheeky songs and the occupation of Lucy’s chirpy friends and family, Henry’s attempts to woo, propose, marry, and finally impregnate her raise a question that undermines the entire premise of this rom-com: is their entire "romance" morally dubious?

Conclusion

Fortunately, I won’t have to worry about it for too long. The whole experience was immediately forgettable, like a day in poor Lucy’s life.