THEATER REVIEW: Colonial Little Theatre’s ‘Head Over Heels’ an absolute delight | Leader-Herald Life & Arts
A wise move. The script is based on a poem by Elizabethan Sir Philip Sydney, so you know the language is, occasionally, going to be high-falutin.
Then there’s an oracle, the non-binary Pythio (Julian Perez), who challenges Basilius, the King of Arcadia (Aaron Flynn), with four predictions, none of which the self-confident ruler believes. Like all boastful characters in Greek tragedy, he thinks that by moving the whole town he’ll escape the curse and keep the familiar (staid, predictable) beat of Arcadia, forgetting that “a man often meets his destiny on the same road he takes to avoid it,” says the (typically) wise female servant, Mopsa (Elyssa VanEvery).
There’s also cross-dressing by way of disguise: shepherd Musidorus (Steve Kay) becomes Cleophila, an anagram of the name of his girlfriend, Princess Philoclea (Bella Lawrence), from whom he has been banished by Basilius because he has no money and is lower class.
Are you following?
You will when you go to Johnstown, and you must go to Johnstown. Once again Newkirk, who helmed the sensational “Spring Awakening” in 2018 and the charming “The Drowsy Chaperone” in 2023, has used every inch of the small theater to tell this story that is over-the-top and thought-provoking.
Oh, and it’s sung to the prerecorded music of the Go-Go’s, the 80’s all-female rock quintet. It’s another jukebox musical, from 2018 (Broadway), cleverly scripted by Jeff Whitty, assisted by James Magruder.
By the end of the journey of the citizens of Arcadia, lessons have been learned by Basilius, thanks, in part, to the graciousness and wisdom of Queen Gynecia (Kelly Blitz). The familiar beat of Arcadia has been tweaked to include the heartbeats of lovers Mopsa and Princess Pamela (Hannah DeStefano), and Dametas (Jake VanEvery) and Pythio, who turns out to be his cast-off wife whom he didn’t understand.
In addition to the leads, there are 17 ensemble members, who enter and exit up the aisles and from backstage, dancing and singing, precisely trained by Newkirk and musical director Maria Danise and choreographer Beth VanEvery. Such joyous performing.
And Newkirk has created an immersive experience for us, designing a Club Arcadia (cousin of the Kit Kat Club from “Cabaret”?) that puts the story squarely into today’s real-life conversation about gender and LGBTQ+ identities. Except for some sightline challenges because the seating isn’t stadium style, it’s an effective decision.
Kudos to the large crew for the in-sync sound and lighting tech work and the playful props and bright costumes.
Jake VanEvery scores as the devoted but occasionally hysterical Dametas, who is keeping track of the predictions coming true. Perez is mesmerizing as Pythio and touching in the late-scene revelation of who he/she really is.
Kay pleases as the earnest singing swain (“Mad About You”) and amuses as his blond drag counterpart.
As old marrieds Blitz and Flynn reveal their considerable vocal chops in “This Old Feeling” and also cut loose on “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” And when the power shift comes at the end, these two make the moment moving.
Lawrence, Elyssa VanEvery, and DeStefano get every musical and emotional note out of “Good Girl,” as does Lawrence in “Here You Are.” This trio’s remarkable work is evident in “Beautiful” (the funny DeStefano), “Automatic Rainy Day” (ditto), and “Turn to You” (a thrilling VanEvery and DeStefano).
Back to the curtain speech. Newkirk said that the show “celebrates love of all kinds.”
That’s the new beat of Arcadia, and one the audience enthusiastically took up!
Head Over Heels
WHERE: Colonial Little Theatre, 1 Colonial Court, Johnstown
WHEN: through July 28
HOW MUCH: $15
MORE INFO: 518.762.4325, or coloniallittletheatre.org
