Theater Review: “Head Over Heels The Musical" by Education @the Warner

By Nancy Sasso Janis

Education @ the Warner Theatre worked with a large group of Performance Lab to present a great production of “Head Over Heels The Musical (High School Edition.)” The students worked for only two and half weeks to rehearse this unique show that is based upon the 16th-century prose romance “The Arcadia” by Sir Philip Sidney and is full of memorable songs by The Go-Go’s.

A hilarious, exuberant celebration of love, the musical follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction—only to discover the key to their realm’s survival lies within each of their own hearts.

The script was adapted by James MacGruder, and was conceived by and the original book was written by Jeff Whitty. The actors perform most of the majority of their lines in iambic pentameter (as in Shakespeare,) which makes the more current one-liners all the more comical.

Connor Picard directed the students, and the young performer did well with sharing his acting talents with these up and coming triple threats. It was fun for me to watch musical director Beckie Wallace gracefully conduct in a light at the rear of the bleacher seats. The students sang along with the musical tracks. There is some cute choreography by Brighton Valor Horan and even a sword fight.

Patrick Minnerly strides about the stage in the role of Basilius, the hot-headed King of Arcadia and Abigail Roe plays Gynedia, the wife of the King.

Ivy Wallace gives a lovely performance in the role of Philoclea, a daughter of the king. This young actress sings beautifully and she captured the gentle nature of the princess with admirable emotion. Sophia Sedlak sings wonderfully as the beautiful eldest princess called Pamela

Brooke Fallon is great as Musidorus, a shepherd who disguises himself as an Amazon warrior.
Jozsef Herczeg slays the role of the King’s loyal viceroy Dametas. Nola Schaller performs the role of Mopsa, Dametas' daughter and Pamela's loyal handmaid, and does well.

Elijah Moskowitz is commanding as the kingdom’s new oracle Pythio. The non-binary character explains to the King that the kingdom has become too rigid and traditional, and issues four prophecies.

Melena Kopf briefly plays a lion. In the ensemble are many new students, including Yoharis Calle, Neala Nordgren-Fallon, Aidan Kenny, Asia Santiago and Sophia Sessa. The ensemble members that play the adorable sheep of the shepherd perform upright.

By the finale, the characters vow to become a wiser and more accepting society with their new Beat (as in the Go-Go’s “We Got the Beat.”)

There is a very bohemian set, designed by Kevin Hale, with Briana Langer and Eve Wolftrand as the scenic artists and colorful costumes on everyone, with Molly Wilson as wardrobe manager. I noticed the pink/white/blue color for the Amazon armor worn by the gender-bent Musidorus. Tabby Langer and Stage Manager Rhys Moskowitz in charge of makeup and hair. And I loved the puppet suitors.

Sound design by Alex Murphy and lighting (complete with disco ball) by Robbie Eselby worked well. A backlit screen comes out twice for characters performing in shadow for two important scenes.

The only remaining performance of “Head Over Heels,” which the students called a queer musical, is on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 4 p.m. It runs two hours with one intermission. Admission is free but a ticket is required.

Nancy Sasso Janis has been writing theater reviews since 2012 as a way to support local venues, and she posts well over 100 reviews each year. She became a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle in 2016. Her contributions of theatrical reviews, previews, and audition notices are posted in the Naugatuck Patch as well as the Patch sites closest to the venue. She is also a feature writer and theater reviewer for the Waterbury Republican-American newspaper. Her weekly column IN THE WINGS and theater reviews appear in the Thursday Weekend section of the paper.
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