Zachary Levi, Krysta Rodriguez Go On ‘First Date’ On Broadway

You may know him best as the title character of NBC’s “Chuck,” but Zachary Levi will make his Broadway debut later this year in the new musical comedy “First Date.”

Levi will star alongside Krysta Rodriguez in the new production, which is set to open August 4 at The Longacre Theatre and will begin previews July 9. The musical is directed by Bill Berry, who also directed the world premiere of the show in Seattle. That production won four Seattle Times Footlight Awards, including best musical.

Austin Winsberg, best known for his work on the television show “Gossip Girl” wrote the book, and Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner wrote the music and lyrics.

Here’s how press notes describe the show:

When tightly wound Aaron (Levi) is set up with serial-dater Casey (Rodriguez) a quick drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious, high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds they are not alone on this date as Casey and Aaron’s inner critics take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons and the wait staff get into the act. Dinner is served with sides of Google background checks, fake emergency phone calls, supportive best friends, manipulative exes and protective parents, who sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers and potential conversational land mines. “First Date” is Broadway’s new hysterical and hopeful new musical about the chances we take to find love.

Other members of the cast include Sara Chase, Kristoffer Cusick, Blake Hammond, Kate Loprest and Vicki Noon.

Rodriguez is best known on Broadway as Wednesday Addams in “The Addams Family,” and also has appeared in “In the Heights” and “Good Vibrations.” In addition to his work on “Chuck,” Levi sang in Disney’s “Tangled.” He also will appear in the upcoming movie “Thor: The Dark World.”