Go-Gos musical HEAD OVER HEELS will open at Broadway’s Hudson this summer

[standingovation79]

That being said there is about as much audience out there for this as there was for a a little known hip hop musical about Alexander Hamilton where a black man portrays George Washington...that sounded like a terrible idea too. You just never know.

[CarlosAlberto]

From the sounds of this crap, I would rather sit home and listen to my Go-Go’s playlist

[antonijan]

I really enjoyed Heaven is a Place on Earth on Black Mirror's San Junipero. I can 't wait to see it and I get to see Brian Flores from Prince of Egypt

https://youtu.be/VqKY9o5igAI

[A Director]

I saw Head Over Heels at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.  I knew nothing about the Go-Gos. When I read about the shows, I had my doubts.  When I saw the show, I found it silly, in a good way, quirky and in the end, lots of fun.  Yes, there were weak moments, but none were impossible to fix.

Before the show started previews, the gossip about the production was it ran 4 hours.  The director refused to make any cuts or changes; he was fired.  Bill Rauch, the OSF Artistic Director, took over the production.  He was also directing his production of Antony and Cleopatra, at the time.  The dramaturg suggested cuts. Jeff Whitty made them. The cast and crew pulled together.

[Bettyboy72]

Jeff Whitty appears to have been attached to this at some point to write the book, was let go, changed his name on facebook and seems to post regularly about how he was exploited. Seems he's in a dark place about all of this. It appears he can no longer speak directly about it for legal reasons, so he vague books about it. I feel bad for him.

[Theatrechap]

The tragedy is in the future so many classic pop songs will only be known from cheesy versions in ‘jukebox’ musicals.

 

[QueenAlice]

Most hit Broadway musicals sound absolutely awful on paper (Annie, Hamilton, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, anyone?)

The pictures from the Oregan Shakespeare Festival production look lavish and over the top and a lot of fun. If SOMETHING ROTTEN can be a hit, maybe something like this could be to. It looks like a musical SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE flipped on its head.

[Mister Matt]

The tragedy is in the future so many classic pop songs will only be known from cheesy versions in ‘jukebox’ musicals.

Well, that's a retaliation of sorts.  Look how many songs from musicals are only known as "pop" songs, even more when Broadway actually WAS "pop" (I Gotta Be Me, Aquarius, Let the Sun Shine, Corner of the Sky, One Night in Bangkok, etc.).  The tragedy is, the world will never be devoid of stupid people.

[QueenAlice]

Or for that matter how many 'standards' (pop songs of their day) people don't know came from musicals. 

[A Director]

This is a link to Jeff Whitty talking about Head Over Heels at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9hp4DKoAgc

I have read his Facebook postings.  There are probably two sides to the story, but he was exploited.  May the show die on the road in Frisco!

[MarkBearSF]

A Director said: "...May the show die on the road in Frisco!"

And may you get your least favorite Go-Go's song stuck in your head for the next 46 hours after using that term for San Francisco.

[VintageSnarker]

QueenAlice said: "Most hit Broadway musicals sound absolutely awful on paper (Annie, Hamilton, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, anyone?)

The pictures from the Oregan Shakespeare Festival production look lavish and over the top and a lot of fun. If SOMETHING ROTTEN can be a hit, maybe something like this could be to. It looks like a musical SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE flipped on its head."

There's too much ALW on that list for my tastes. Also, I didn't like Something Rotten outside of the performers and costumes.

But anyway, I think there's a difference between something with artistic merit that sounds risky or different and something that sounds like a weird attempt at a cash grab. This sounds like something like Desperate Measures or These Paper Bullets! that should be off-Broadway except it is using pre-existing songs and they think that'll make it more appealing to people.

[RippedMan]

Since it’s playing at a rather smaller theater, should we expect a smaller scaled production?

[Bwayfan292]

On jordan roths instagram, (sorry cant link it, its a instagram story). There are some pictures of the coustumes and sets. The sets look really nice.

[JPeterman]

MarkBearSF said: "A Director said: "...May the show die on the road in Frisco!"

And may you get your least favorite Go-Go's songstuck in your head for the next 46 hours after using that term for San Francisco.
"

Amen

[antonijan]

I wonder what songs are included and if there would be any original songs.

Anybody have the song list?

[haterobics]

antonijan said: "Anybody have the song list? "

Probably have to wait for a single performance to occur before anyone has this...

[bear88]

I have serious doubts about this musical. But I live in the SF Bay Area, my wife and daughter want to see it, I've got the week off, so I'll probably see one of the first performances at the Curran later in the week. I'm planning to go in as cold as possible.

That said, I'm much more intrigued by Vietgone, the play I'm seeing Tuesday at the ACT's Strand Theater. It's been a huge hit on tour here, admittedly at a small venue (283 seats)., 

[Bwayornoway]

all I keep thinking of is 'GOOP' instead of the GoGo's!   LOL  Since Gwyneth Paltrow's a producer on it - it seems like this is for a limited audience just like her brand and products.  But I wish it well!

[Daddy Warbucks]

QueenAlice said: "If SOMETHING ROTTEN can be a hit, maybe something like this could be to.”

Define “hit”.  Something Rotten was a total flop.  I really enjoyed the show.  But it couldn’t even recoup half of its investment to investors.  My guess is that the folks behind Head Over Heels hope they do not have a Something Rotten on their hands. 

 

[antonijan]

Some of the songs are mentioned in this week's SfWeekly

http://www.sfweekly.com/music/curran-a-go-go-in-head-over-heels/

[notalwaysontime]

The rush tickets for this are only $15 so I'm going to try and hit the First Preview since I'm off. if I like it enough, it's cheap enough that I can catch it at least one more time. I'm very curious about this one. I feel like it can go either way

[VintageSnarker]

bear88 said: "I have serious doubts about this musical. But I live in the SF Bay Area, my wife and daughter want to see it, I've got the week off, so I'll probably see one of the first performances at the Curran later in the week. I'm planning to go in as cold as possible.

That said, I'm much more intrigued by Vietgone, the play I'm seeing Tuesday at the ACT's Strand Theater. It's been a huge hit on tour here, admittedly at a small venue (283 seats).,"

I didn't think a lot of the music worked and the jokes were a little cheesy but other than that, it was excellent. Great cast at MTC.

[Call_me_jorge]

Can someone share exactly how Jeff was exploited? If not can you show me which FB post he talks about it?

[UncleCharlie]

bear88 said: "I have serious doubts about this musical. But I live in the SF Bay Area, my wife and daughter want to see it, I've got the week off, so I'll probably see one of the first performances at the Curran later in the week. I'm planning to go in as cold as possible.

That said, I'm much more intrigued by Vietgone, the play I'm seeing Tuesday at the ACT's Strand Theater. It's been a huge hit on tour here, admittedly at a small venue (283 seats).,"

I saw Vietgone about a month ago. It's really quite good. The final scene is touching and very poignant.  As a side note, A.C.T. let a couple bring in their baby into the theater. Not a young child, an actual baby  And he did what babies do, forcing the parents to hustle him out of the theater both during Act 1 and Act 2. If it wasn't for the idiot whose phone went off 3 times, that would have been the biggest distraction.