HEAD OVER HEELS Previews — Page 5

skimblcshanks said: "antonijan said: "So how is Samantha's take on the role different from Alexandra's?"

The biggest differences I noticed were that she was more in awe of the world as she saw new things (as Philoclea is very sheltered), but also much sassier, especially in act one towards Pamela (her facial expressions before "Beautiful" really stood out to me).

I believe that Alexandra has some family stuff going on, I asked Sam after if she was okay and she said Alex was fine and just "needed some time". So there's that.

As far as the show in general - I saw it twice in SF at the end of the run, and the first two previews in New York. I'll be there again tonight. I love it. As a queer and nonbinary person, it feels like exactly the kind of show Broadway needs right now. Yes, the book needs a little work and there's smaller issues, but personally I can overlook those things for a story that needs telling. At the first preview, I was sat between two older gay couples who knew nothing about it going in, but who were floored by it. It opened up a conversation between us about being trans, which I think is one of the most important things this show does. So I'm grateful for that. Also the cast is top notch! Just amazing.

I agree it's a little long. "Cool Jerk" definitely needs to go, I've been saying this since I saw it in SF. That would help a lot I think. The changes to Turn To You in act 2 make that one really unnecessary as well in my opinion, but that would only help cut down the total runtime, not the length of act 1 which is the real problem I think. Overall, I'm happy with most of the changes, but they do need to do more work before opening. I'm trying to go as frequently as I can throughout previews just to track the changes being made.

I've been checking in on rush these last few days even though I already had tickets, and I noticed that for the first two previews, ticketswent super fast but today at 10:45 they're still available. The show did play to a sold out house last night. Has anyone actually bought rush tickets yet? I have reason to believe that they're front row, since it seems those seats weren't being sold online, but I'm not sure. Anyone have any insight?"

I was there last night thanks to the Today Tix rush, decided I wanted to go at like 9:58am and refreshed back and forth until it hit 10 and bought them asap. I got first row, seat 111. Definitely had to turn my head side to side a bunch but the view was perfect. I don't think I missed anything, save a tiny portion of Peppermint's face when the stage was slightly obscured by the sheet/curtain. I went home after work because I left my glasses at home (and you don't know where rush/lottery seats are going to be unless they specifically tell you) but when I got there I sent my husband a picture to show just how little I needed them. 

 

I really enjoyed myself, a lot more than I expected from how negative people have been (both here and in another Broadway forum). It was a bit long, but the costumes were amazing and the show was pretty funny. Especially Pamela, she was my favorite part of the whole show. 

Here's Jeff Whitty talking about the 2015 Oregon Shakespeare Festival production.

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

I went last night. Is it a good, well crafted musical? No. Did I have a total blast? Yep. Spencer Liff's choreography is fantastic, the dancers are amazing, the band is fierce, and there is just a ton of talent on that stage. I didn't love Peppermint, but maybe it was an off night. To me, it was a night of just flat out fun, giving me a much needed respite from the world.  

Updated On: 6/27/18 at 11:12 AM

I liked it! I really liked it!!! It was fun, entertaining and there were some knockout performances by the leads despite the admittedly weak material, Peppermint, to me, was the weakest, but gave a serviceable performance. Bonnie - wow, just wow. HILARIOUS and some killer vocals. Sam was wonderful and Taylor nailed it. I especially liked her in Vacation.

Rachel York - I love you!

I’m so glad my hubby convinced me to go for his birthday. We got tickets at TKTS, front. row. For this show it was great, though the stage at the Hudson is very high (lots of leg room though!)

It won’t win a Tony for Best Musical, but who cares? It’s a great show for the casual theatre goer.

Updated On: 6/28/18 at 11:22 PM

MadsonMelo said: "Between this, ''Band'' and ''Pretty Woman''... this season for musicals will be a difficult one."

Just saw it tonight. I got TodayTix rush and it was front row center. That was one of the most fun evenings I’ve had in a theater. I really, really enjoyed this show. Definitely wanna go back already. Totally worth it just for curtain call (Peppermint told me the added choreo for curtain call was new. I believe it was just added today). 

Updated On: 6/30/18 at 01:58 AM

Went last night through TDF.

Orchestra, row C, dead center.  It was the perfect seat.

 

My single TDF seat was B 105. Perfect. Friends at same show got R 107 & 108 from TDF.  We loved it! 

bwayphreak234 said: "I also saw this through TDF yesterday. Row Q seats 14 and 16. It was a great view. As for the show itself, I absolutely LOVED it. I thought it was so much fun - pure joy and bliss, and I loved the message and themes of acceptance and love coming in different forms.

The cast is so great. Rachel York is a bona fide diva, and it is such a treat to see her on Broadway no matter what the show is. Andrew Durand was hilarious as Musidorus. Samantha Pollino was on for Philoclea, and she was great. Taylor Iman Jones and Bonnie Milligan were hysterical together, and they nailed their solos and duets. Peppermint was fabulous, but she didn't have that much to do.

It was so refreshing to see a show with classic hand-painted backdrops and real set pieces instead of tons of projections. The costumes were stunning and quite detailed. The lighting and sound were top notch. I also want to call out the fact that the Hudson is just one of the nicest and comfortable theatres to see a show in on Broadway.

While this show is silly and campy beyond belief, I think it knows exactly what it wants to be. It wants to be a fun show with catchy tunes and deliver a message of acceptance. I, for one, thought it succeeded in all of these areas. I had a smile on my face from the opening number untilwell after the show. I will definitely be revisiting this one."

Saw this last night (Goldstar tickets, $39 for the balcony) and am going to echo nearly everything bwayphreak said. I had such a great time, even though I went in anticipating a trainwreck I'd get to talk about years from now. I felt very much the same way during and after Head Over Heels that I did when I saw Xanadu (which I also went to, second preview, expecting it not to even make it to opening night); it's similar in style and humor, and I had just as much fun last night as I did in the Hayes a decade ago.

I thought Peppermint was a surprise; her acting and singing are merely good, not as strong as the cast she's surrounded by, but she more than makes up for it in presence and energy. I thought the choreography was great, and combined with the music, costumes, lights, and sets, it's really like nothing else currently on Broadway. It's anachronistic and campy and ridiculous, and that's why I loved it. That, and the fact that it's probably the queerest show I've ever seen on stage, in all the best ways.

Running time was about 2:15 (including the customary late start, the show was over at 10:21), so they're clearly doing some work on the material. Act One does feel a little long, but I don't know what I would cut, aside from "Vacation,"which feels pointless but can't really be cut since it was such a huge hit.

Also in agreement about the Hudson: the seats are roomy and comfortable, there's actually leg room, and the view from the balcony is perfect.

Updated On: 7/1/18 at 01:05 PM