BUCK CREEK PLAYERS | Providing Quality Community Theatre for Over 40 Years!

ABOUT THE SHOW

Buck Creek Players and Director Christian Condra are excited to announce their upcoming live outdoors and streaming production of First Date: A Musical Comedy, with Book by Austin Winsberg and Music and Lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner.

When blind date newbie Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly find that they are not alone on this unpredictable evening. In a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron's inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines. Can this couple turn what could be a dating disaster into something special before the check arrives?

Buck Creek Players is pleased to finish our 47th season with this live outdoors and streaming event. Join us outdoors at the Buck Creek Playhouse or stream the production from the comfort of your own home. Live performances are June 18 - 20, 2021, with one streaming performance on June 26, 2021.

FIRST DATE is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals (www.concordtheatricals.com)

Parental Guidance Suggested: Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 due to adult situations and mild language.

Performance Dates & Times

Streaming Performance
Saturday, June 26, 2021 at 7:30 PM
Streaming via ShowTix4U

BUY TICKETS

SENSORY FRIENDLY PEFORMANCE

Live Performance - Outdoors
All live outdoor performances have concluded. Please check out the streaming performance.

Click Here for More Info

FIRST DATE
Book by AUSTIN WINSBERG
Music and Lyrics by ALAN ZACHARY and MICHAEL WEINER
Orchestrations by AUGUST ERIKSMOEN
Vocal and Incidental Music Arrangements by DOMINICK AMENDUM

Originally Produced on Broadway by:
JUNKYARD DOG PRODUCTIONS - STEM PRODUCTIONS - ALTAR IDENTITY STUDIOS - ALEX AND KATYA LUKIANOV - SUSAN AND JIM BLAIR
in association with:
YASUHIRO KAWANA VIJAY & SITA VASHEE - KEVIN AND LYNN FOLEY - JEFF AND JULIE GOLDSTEIN - EDWARD AND MIMI KIRSCH
FRANK AND DENISE PHILLIPS - STEVE REYNOLDS & PAULA ROPUT REYNOLDS - LAND LINE PRODUCTIONS - ALHADEFF FAMILY PRODUCTIONS
SHERI & LES BILLER - PAT HALLORAN - LAURA LITTLE THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS - TONY MEOLA
REMMEL T. DICKINSON & JOHN YONOVER & SHADOW CATCHER ENTERTAINMENT - TOM & CONNIE WALSH

MUSICAL NUMBERS

THE ONE	Company
FIRST IMPRESSIONS	Aaron and Casey
BAILOUT SONG #1	Reggie
THE GIRL FOR YOU	Company
THE AWKWARD PAUSE	Company
ALLISON'S THEME #1	Allison
THE WORLD WIDE WEB IS FOREVER	Company
THAT'S WHY YOU LOVE ME	Bad Boys
BAILOUT SONG #2	Reggie
SAFER	Casey
I'D ORDER LOVE	Waiter
ALLISON'S THEME #2	Aaron
THE THINGS I NEVER SAID	Aaron and Aaron's Mother
BAILOUT SONG #3	Reggie
IN LOVE WITH YOU	Aaron
THE CHECK!	Company
FIRST IMPRESSIONS (REPRISE)	Waiter and Reggie
SOMETHING THAT WILL LAST	Casey, Aaron, and Company

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

MICHAEL HOWARD

MICHAEL HOWARD (Aaron) is excited to make his BCP debut. Michael received his bachelor’s degree in theatre education at the University of Indianapolis in 2012 and will finish his Masters in Urban Educational Leadership in August. Since then, Michael has taught theatre at Jeffersonville High School, Franklin Central High School, and this fall will be starting at North Central High School (Indianapolis). Michael has previously been involved with Beef House Dinner Theatre (Covington), Myers Dinner Theatre (Hillsboro), Danville Light Opera (Illinois), University of Indianapolis, and most recently as Tick in PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT at Footlite Musicals. Directing credits include, SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE (2014 International Thespian Festival Mainstage Performance), ALL SHOOK UP, OUR TOWN, LEGALLY BLONDE, MURDER ROOM, LOST BOY (2016 Indiana State Thespian Qualifying Show), CHICAGO, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2017 Indiana State Thespian Featured Show), JEKYLL & HYDE, HAIRSPRAY, and BRING IT ON (2020 Indiana State Thespian Feature Show). Michael would like to thank his family, friends, and FCHS Theatre Family for their support.

LIBBY BUCK

LIBBY BUCK (Casey) is excited to return to the Buck Creek stage after last appearing as Norma in CARRIE: THE MUSICAL in 2014. Other favorite roles include Woman 1 in I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE; Janet Van de Graaf in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE; Shelley in BAT BOY; Natalie in ALL SHOOK UP; Yonah in CHILDREN OF EDEN; Lizzie in BABY; and Betty Blake in THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES. A graduate of Butler and Indiana Universities, Libby works as a speech-language pathologist and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at IU-Bloomington. Many thanks to Christian and the production team for this opportunity and to Nick, Ellie, & Sam for their love and support.

STEVEN ALLEN

STEVEN ALLEN (Man #1 - Jewish Chorus/Gabe/Youtube/Edgy British Guy) is returning to Buck Creek Players after most recently starring as Seymour in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at the Ricks-Weil theatre company. An IUPUI grad, some of his favorite roles include, Carl Hanratty in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and Amos Hart in CHICAGO. Steven has also had the privilege of being a set director for FOUR OLD BROADS at Buck Creek Players. He wants to thank his friends and family for the continued support in this journey.

NINA STILABOWER

NINA STILABOWER (Woman #1 - Grandma Ida/Lauren/Facebook/Female with Megaphone #2/ Aaron's Mother) is thrilled to be making her debut with Buck Creek Players! Some of her favorite roles include Cathy Hiatt in THE LAST FIVE YEARS with Carmel Community Players in 2020, Tracy Turnblad in HAIRSPRAY with Booth Tarkington Civic Theater in 2018, and Eve/Mama Noah in CHILDREN OF EDEN at Footlite Musicals in 2019. Other favorite shows include WOMEN OF BROADWAY, LEGALLY BLONDE, and BAT BOY, all at Footlite Musicals. Nina is most proud of a different kind of role - that of mother to Charlie and Luke! By day, Nina is a corporate trainer at a local credit union, specializing in Onboarding. When not performing, Nina loves to exercise (and has lost and maintained the loss of over 125 pounds in the last three years), take long walks with her dog, play with her kids, and spend time with her amazing friends. Nina would like to thank her incredible husband for his unwavering support of her rehearsals/performances, her kids for their patience, and the staff and cast of FIRST DATE for allowing me to join them for this awesome show!

BEN JONES

BEN JONES (Man #2 - Reggie/Aaron's Future Son/Instagram/Edgy Rocker Guy) is so happy to be back on the Buck Creek Players stage! Audiences may recognize him as Cornelius Hackel in THE MATCHMAKER, or Thomas in MAKING GOD LAUGH. Other favorite roles include Barnaby in HELLO DOLLY, The Jester in ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, and Puck in A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM. Ben also services as a board member here at BCP! Big thanks to this amazing cast and his loving and supportive family!

ABIGAIL OKERSON

ABIGAIL OKERSON (Woman #2 - Jewish Chorus/Allison/Google Girl/Female with Megaphone #1) makes her first appearance at Buck Creek Players after being introduced into the local theatre community through Footlite Musicals. Some of her favorite roles include: Diva in PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESSERT, and Angel in BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. By day, Abigail works as an independent hairstylist in the city and when not working, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, hanging with her two dogs, hiking, and traveling. Lastly, Abigail would love to give a shout-out to her friends and family for constant support!

BRADLEY ALLAN LOWE

BRADLEY ALLAN LOWE (Man #3 - Waiter/Casey's Christian Father/Twitter/Friendly Therapist) is thrilled to be returning to the BCP stage! Bradley is active as an actor and director here in Indy having been seen performing on stages all over including Footlite Musicals, Indianapolis Civic, CCP, Mystery Cafe, Meyers Dinner Theatre, Angel Burlesque, and many more. Bradley is the recipient of the Encore Award for best leading actor in a drama for his portrayal of Hoke in CCP’s production of DRIVING MISS DAISY. Bradley can be seen next this October as Grady in Booth Tarkington Civic’s production of THE COLOR PURPLE.

PRODUCTION STAFF

AARON B. BAILEY

AARON B. BAILEY (Co-Producer) has been active with theater since 1999. He can most often be found behind the scenes roles including technical directing, technical crew, lighting design & crew, facilities management, and assisting in the box office. Buck Creek Player’s audiences have enjoyed Aaron’s handiwork for the past 21 years, working on more than 50 shows for BCP, including the recently completed BANANAS. Aaron has been awarded multiple Encore Awards for set design, technical direction, set decoration, and lighting design. Aaron is excited to be working with Christian on this outdoor and streaming production. Throughout his involvement with the playhouse, Aaron has served on the Board of Directors, where he is currently the President.

CATHY CUTSHALL

CATHY CUTSHALL (Co-Producer & Costumer) is very excited to be co-producing and costuming BCP's summer production! Cathy has had the pleasure of directing MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET: A LIVE MUSICAL RADIO PLAY, TRAP!, MAKING GOD LAUGH, and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY at Buck Creek Players, and, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST at Shelby County Players. Whether working as a director or costumer, on stage or behind-the-scenes, she has had the pleasure of working in theaters throughout Indiana and New Mexico at Albuquerque Civic Light Opera Association, and Albuquerque Little Theater. Favorite productions include SWEENEY TODD, PARADE, HONK!, CHICAGO, CITY OF ANGELS, ON THE TOWN, HELLO DOLLY, ANYTHING GOES, SINGING IN THE RAIN, SHENANDOAH, THE WIZARD OF OZ, SOUTH PACIFIC, AND GYPSY. Cathy is an Encore winner for best costumes for DIRTY BLONDE, BONNIE & CLYDE: THE MUSICAL, and FOUR OLD BROADS. In her free time Cathy enjoys reading, sewing, antique shopping, and spending time with family. “I’d like to thank my family for their constant love and support, and for letting me have time to play."

CHRISTIAN CONDRA

CHRISTIAN CONDRA (Director & Set Designer) is delighted to be back at Buck Creek Players for his directorial debut. In August of 2020, Christian moved to St. Louis to attend Webster University's Conservatory of Theatre Arts to pursue a BFA in Acting. He credits his decision to move to STL on the overwhelming number of creatives he has met and had the pleasure to work with in the Indy theatre scene. Christian was last seen working with LAFF Shows at the District Theatre performing in PUFFS, FLY, YOU FOOLS, and most notably THE GOLDEN GIRLS: THE LOST EPISODES. Some other on stage credits include The Wolf in INTO THE WOODS, Kyle the UPS Man in LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL, Sir Lancelot in SPAMALOT, George Bailey in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: LIVE RADIO PLAY, Man 1 in I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE, and many others from an assortment of wonderful theatres all around Indy. His off stage credits also include working as Tech Director/ Designer for both Footlite Musical shows, PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT AND LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL and MAKING GOD LAUGH right here at BCP. For more information on Christian's design work, you can visit his website at cjdesignportfolio.com or follow him on Instagram at christiancondra_designs. Lastly, Christian gives a huge thank you to the BCP Board for their trust in letting him play in their theatre for the summer, Aaron and Cathy for their incredible support throughout this entire process, his family for their continued support and always dog watching Benji, and the incredible cast and crew that are the reason this show is what it is. "I am so proud of each and every one of you".

MARKELL PIPKINS

MARKELL D. PIPKINS (Music Director) was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. Most recently, Pipkins accepted the position of choral director at Covenant Christian High School. He has been teaching gospel choirs for almost 10 years both in churches and in formal school settings. You can find him at his usual post every Sunday morning as the music director and organist at Scott United Methodist Church. In addition to these duties, he is also an active freelance pianist and vocal performer. A product of the Indianapolis Public Schools system, Pipkins received his high school diploma from Shortridge Magnet HS for Law & Public Policy. Markell has his Bachelors of Music in General/Choral/Vocal Music Education PK-12 from Butler University. Post-graduation, he became more active in conducting gospel workshops with choirs from schools such as North Central High School and Butler to name a few. Markell is consistently working at educating the young adults of the world and believes it is his job as an educator to properly equip them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take the world by storm. His philosophy is that as a music educator, it is his business to teach life skills through the vehicle of music.

GREG COX

GREG COX (Technical Director) is a freelance lighting designer based out of Central Indiana. He has worked with various theaters as a Lighting Designer, Sound Designer, Lighting Programmer, Board Operator, and Technical Director. Some of his favorite credits include GREASE, BRING IT ON, LEGALLY BLONDE, and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. In addition to his theatrical credits, Greg has worked as a Lighting Designer and Event Technician for Markey's Rental and Staging based out of Indianapolis, Indiana for corporate events, conferences, and shows. Outside of theater Greg is a dedicated storyteller, having worked on multiple film productions as a director, writer, producer, director of photography, and editor. He is an avid photographer and gets outdoors any chance he has. When not in the theater, Greg is likely going to the movies or spending time on a boat with his family. Greg is a creative, passionate, and driven individual always looking to join a team of like-minded individuals dedicated to the creation of unique theatrical experiences.

MELISSA DEVITO

MELISSA DEVITO (Properties) has been active at Buck Creek Players for many years. Along with being a member of the Board of Directors, she has acted on stage, directed, and performed all technical aspects with the exception of lighting design - she is afraid of heights! When not at the theater, Mel works as a respiratory therapist for Home Respiratory Services. She also enjoys camping, drag racing, and spending time with her family, and is excited to meet her newest granddaughter in July! Mel recently took a knife making class and is now a "dirty blacksmith". She would like to say thank-you to her husband Rick for supporting all her endeavors.

PRODUCTION CREW

Choreographers
RICK AND CHRIS BARBER

Stage Manager
AUDREY OSBORN

Assistant Stage Manager
JORDAN CADDY

Media & Communications Committee Chairperson
GLORIA BRAY

Website Management
ROCCO FLORES & AARON BAILEY

Production Photographer & Videographer
GARY W. NELSON | www.photoGary.net

Box Office Management
AARON BAILEY

ORCHESTRA

Piano
GISELE DOLLINGER

Reed
MICHAEL SERBAN

Drums & Percussion
GRAHAM BETHEL

Guitar I
MARCUS BOWDEN

Guitar II
AUSTIN SANDOVAL

Bass
COLE DANIELS

SPECIAL THANKS

FRANKLIN CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
TRACY JONES ALLEN
DARRIN GOWAN
SHELBY COUNTY PLAYERS
MATT SPURLOCK

Sensory Bag Donors
TRACY BRUNNER
GLORIA BRAY
MELISSA DEVITO
MICHAEL HOWARD
AARON BAILEY
ROCCO FLORES
ANONYMOUS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

AUSTIN WINSBERG

AUSTIN WINSBERG is the book writer of the Broadway musical First Date, which enjoyed a sold-out run at Seattle's 5th Ave/ACT Theatres in 2012, prior to opening at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway in August 2013. Austin is primarily a writer/producer for film and television. He recently adapted the live The Sound of Music television event, starring Carrie Underwood, for NBC. His other television credits include Gossip Girl, Jake in Progress (Creator/Executive Producer and youngest showrunner in ABC history), Wedding Album, Still Standing and Glory Days. Winsberg has written numerous television pilots for ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Showtime and ABC Family. He has also written movies for New Line, Dreamworks Animation and Warner Bros. Winsberg graduated with a Theater Arts degree from Brown University. He continues to work in theater, directing and mentoring plays for the Blank Theater Company's Annual Young Playwright's Festival in Los Angeles.

ALAN ZACHARY

ALAN ZACHARY co-wrote songs for Broadway's romantic comedy musical First Date, which opened at the Longacre Theatre on Broadway after selling out its run at Seattle's 5th Ave/ACT Theatres. Zachary (with co-writer Michael Weiner) recently also wrote songs based on material by J.K. Rowling for Celestina Warbeck & the Banshees, a musical show at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando. Currently, he is co-writing the score for an upcoming Broadway musical adaptation of the film Secondhand Lions (Book: Rupert Holmes / Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures), which had its world premiere at Seattle's 5th Ave Theatre. As a frequent songwriter for Disney, Zachary co-authored book, music and lyrics for the hit original stage musical Twice Charmed (soundtrack on Walt Disney Records) and has written songs and developed projects for Disney Animation, Disney Channel and theme parks around the globe. Other credits include: music and lyrics for DreamWorks' The Time Machine, the Folger’s Coffee hit viral commercial Happy Morning, and projects for ABC, Amazon Studios, Paramount, Universal, VH1, Hanna-Barbera and 20th Century Fox. Zachary is a graduate of Amherst College and is the recipient of the 2012 ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. www.zacharyandweiner.com

MICHAEL WEINER

MICHAEL WEINER co-wrote music and lyrics for the Broadway musical First Date, which ran at the Longacre Theatre in New York starring Zachary Levi (Disney's Tangled, TV's Chuck) after a sold-out run at Seattle's 5th Avenue/ACT Theatres. The romantic comedy musical has now been produced in over 50 cities around the world including: Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Melbourne, Jerusalem, Rome and more. Michael co-wrote the score for a Broadway musical adaptation of the film Secondhand Lions (book by Rupert Holmes/produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures) which premiered at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Liberty Smith, for which Michael composed the music, enjoyed a successful run at historic Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. Recently, Michael wrote original songs for the hottest musical act in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Celestina Warbeck & the Banshees, based on a character by J.K. Rowling. He has developed TV projects for ABC, FOX, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon and has created shows and songs for Disney Animation, Disney Cruise Line, and Disney Parks around the globe. Upcoming stage musicals include: an adaptation of the hit film 17 Again (directed by Adam Shankman/Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures), Galileo (book by Emmy-Winning writer Danny Strong) and 13 Going on 30 (directed by Andy Fickman). Michael is the 2012 recipient of the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award.

THE VIDEOTAPING OR MAKING OF ELECTRONIC OR OTHER AUDIO AND/OR VISUAL RECORDINGS OF THIS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTING REDORDINGS OR STREAMS IN ANY MEDIUM, INCLUDING THE INTERNET, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, A VIOLATION OF THE AUTHOR(S)'S RIGHTS AND ACTIONABLE UNDER UNITED STATES COPYRIGHT LAW, FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: https://concordtheatricals.com/resources/protecting-artists

Buck Creek Players is a proud member and supporter of: