I was very disappointed with Head Over Heels, the new Broadway
musical that incorporates the songbook of the Go Go’s, one of the most
influential female groups of the New Wave era.
The book of the production, based on the Arcadia by 16th
century writer Sir Philip Sidney, is convoluted and not well suited to the
musical compositions of the band. The
show also tries, with muted success, too hard to be hip and politically in
tune.
The story, conceived and written by Jeff
Whitty, begins in the land of Arcadia where King Basilius (Jeremy Kushnier)
rules with his wife, Queen Gynecia (Rachel York) and their two daughters—the
eldest, Princess Pamela (Bonnie Mulligan) and her younger sister Philoclea
(Alexandra Socha). The full-figured and
egocentric Pamela, who her parents are trying to marry off, continuously
rejects suitors while her plain and innocent sister yearns for the simple, kindhearted
shepherd Musidorus (Andrew Durand).
In quick succession, the king goes before
the Oracle of Delphi (the actress Peppermint), listens to her dire predictions
for the kingdom, and packs up his family for a vacation in an attempt to flee
from the gloom and doom prophecy. During
their traveling through the forests outside the realm love, in its many forms
and guises, makes its mark on each of the central characters just as the Oracle
had predicted, which leads to happiness, song and dance for everyone.
The book of the show comes across as
overly elaborate for a jukebox musical and, in the end, engenders disinterest
in the plot and characters. Not to say a
show like Mamma Mia is the pinnacle
of these types of productions, but that long-running ABBA musical got it
right. The libretto was neatly crafted,
full of frivolity and frothiness, and utilized the Swedish group’s song
catalogue to perfection. Whitty’s
construction for Head Over Heels would
have been better served with a storyline that was more lighthearted and took
less effort to follow.
The score utilizes Top 40 songs by the Go
Go’s, popular numbers, and lesser known works such as “We Got the Beat,” “Our
Lips are Sealed,” “Vacation,” and the title number “Head Over Heels.” They are briskly and good-naturedly delivered
by the cast. A well-rehearsed, musically
adept five-piece female band (who are revealed to thunderous applause at the
conclusion of the show) provides indispensible support. As good as the songs may be, the overall
impression is how most feel shoe horned into scenes.
The cast is game for what Mr. Whitty and
Director Michael Mayer throws at them.
They cavort around the stage, gnash their teeth, primp themselves, fret
and, as in the case of Andrew Durand, find their inner femininity. The two cast members of note are Bonnie
Mulligan, who is appropriately over-the-top and assuredly confident as Princess
Pamela and Peppermint, who it has been noted, is the first transgender
performer to play a lead in a Broadway musical. She is appropriately flamboyant
and high-spirited and is the sole person who’s portrayal has best grasped the
silliness and irreverence of the production.
Director Michael Mayer has a difficult
task, trying to fold the cumbersome book into a well-paced, vibrant Broadway
musical. There are flourishes that work,
such as the “Vacation” production number and the meeting of the Oracle in the
serpentine forest and others that are strained and pedestrian such as the king
and queen’s shadowy carnal moments.
Choreographer Spencer Liff ‘s ramped up
dance routines give a manic feel that proves distracting and takes away from
the enjoyment of the songs. This is
exemplified right at the top of the show with “We Got the Beat.”
Head Over Heels, an inauspicious
start to the new Broadway season.
