Herndon Stars In NextStop Theatre's Online Musical 'First Date'

HERNDON, VA – NextStop Theatre Company wants audiences hungry for the in-person theater experience to order food from a Herndon restaurant, curl up with a loved one, and make a date with its latest production.

Normally a live theatre company, NextStop is presenting a filmed performance online of "First Date," a musical by Austin Winsberg, with lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner.

NextStop has been closed since March 12, 2020. The company got to a point where they decided that they needed to create some type of theatrical performance.

"We decided to produce a filmed movie/theater hybrid," said Evan Hoffmann, the show's director. "'First Date' is a Broadway musical, successful on Broadway a few years ago, and we got special permission to produce it and film it and release it online. So all of our patrons who normally would come to our theater in Herndon could watch a show that we created from their homes."

One of the things that makes theater different from movies or television is that performances are presented at a particular time and place. To replicate that experience, "First Date" is presented at scheduled performance times online, as opposed to having it streamed and be available to view at anytime. Patrons must purchase tickets for specific show times.

Although "First Date" is being shown online and the audience is watching it from home, Hoffmann tried to replicate the theatrical sense of "place" by filming the musical at locations throughout Herndon.

"Much of the show was filmed in our theater, where we would normally do shows, but close to half of the show was filmed in the Ice House Cafe, which was an incredibly popular and beloved Herndon restaurant for many years," he said.

The Ice House has been sitting vacant since 2019, when its owners decided to close it after four decades in business.

"It's been sitting sort of quietly since then," Hoffmann said. "We reached out to the owners of the building and they graciously gave us permission to film a bunch of the scenes in the show, which take place in a restaurant."

As the name might suggest, "First Date" tells the story of two people on a first date — a blind one set up by friends and family. It stars Taylor Witt, Abby Middleton, Alex De Bard, Andres Alejandro Ponce, Carl Williams, and Sarah Anne Sillers.

Hoffmann filmed additional scenes on Elden Street and in front of other Herndon businesses and restaurants.

All this local flavor even extends to what the producers of "First Date" want the audience to dine on while they're watching the show. NextStop includes links to a number of Herndon eateries — many negatively impacted by the COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants — where the audience can order a meal for carryout or delivery.

"We're sort of taking them on the date with us," Hoffmann said. "They get to see restaurants that they have been to before and characters on streets that they are actually familiar with. It is more personal and intimate than watching a big Hollywood movie, where it can be big and beautiful, but it doesn't feel personal."

"First Date" date debuted online last Friday and runs through May 16. Tickets are $25 plus a purchasing fee and available through ShowTix4U.