HEAD OVER HEELS Previews- Page 7

[Kad]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 2:43pm

Lot666 said: "I never said that the competition was based solely on "looking the most like a biological woman", but presenting as a woman isa big part of it, albeit with a healthy dose of humor. The bottom line is that the actual males are hiding their male genitalia, padding their hips, and wearing breast plates or stuffing bras because they're trying to look like women. When the final runway category is any type of "realness", RuPaul and the other judges are looking for that."

And yet many people would say Peppermint isn’t a real woman anyway. So what’s the realness?

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 2:55pm

Kad said: "Lot666 said: "I never said that the competition was based solely on "looking the most like a biological woman", but presenting as a woman is a big part of it, albeit with a healthy dose of humor. The bottom line is that the actual males are hiding their male genitalia, padding their hips, and wearing breast plates or stuffing bras because they're trying to look like women. When the final runway category is any type of "realness", RuPaul and the other judges are looking for that."

And yet many people would say Peppermint isn’t a real woman anyway. So what’s the realness?"

Once more for the people in the back, "realness" is a male trying his best to look like a certain type of female. And this is why I seriously doubt that RuPaul would ever consider allowing a cisgender woman to compete on the show.

My apologies to the OP for this thread having gone off the rails.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 3:02pm

Technically it's my fault for asking that sort of question here. In retrospect, it was probably more suited to a PM or off-topic thread.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 3:10pm

That’s not what exactly realness means. Ball culture- which Drag Race is heavily indebted to- offers runway categories like military realness or executive realness, with men presenting like soldiers or CEOs. It’s not just about female impersonation.

Realness is passing as something you’re not or, more to the point, as society does not see you becoming. It’s about convincing others you are what you can appear to be.That’s all it is.

Updated On: 7/2/18 at 03:10 PM

[perfectliar]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 3:34pm

Lot666 said: "perfectliar said: "It's not specifically a contest for "actual" men to dress as women. It is a contest for drag queens. Peppermint is a drag queen, regardless of her gender identity."

That's your opinion. As stated in my original post, I disagree."

It's not my opinion. Peppermint calls herself a drag queen. It's not your business or mine to tell her what she is or isn't. It's her identity. You don't get to disagree with how anyone else defines themselves or lives their lives.

[WhereTheSidewalkEnds]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 4:10pm

Alexandra will be in the show tonight and tomorrow per her Instagram story. Sounds like her mom has been unwell, hence her absence. And very sure this isn't a FH related thing at all. 

[broadway.4me2]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 8:43pm

Saw the matinee on Sunday! My TDF seat was amazing for it. Center Orchestra Row H 112. I highly recommend this seat. The show itself was so much fun. Loved Samantha Pollino as Philoclea and the whole cast was on fire from start to finish. I hope this finds an audience!

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 8:52pm

ohoh
head over heels just posted box office gross sales numbers for last week of just 40% of potential revenue capacity that should hypothetically include those who are huge gogos and musicals fans that cant wait to see the show

[jpbran]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 9:00pm

And sadly the lowest average ticket price on Broadway.  Was kinda hoping to see it in Oct. Guessing that's doubtful now. 

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 7/2/18 at 9:31pm

antonijan said: "Maybe Alexandra wants focus more on her non profit philantrophy and alzheimer awareness

No, unfortunately there was a loss in her family, so she is most likely taking time off to grieve and heal.  

[antonijan]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 12:36am

Condolences to Alexandra 

Updated On: 7/3/18 at 12:36 AM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 1:06am

It's the first week of previews, it's the week before/of July 4th, and their theater has scaffolding all over it, and it's a heat wave. Just saying there are a lot of factors at stake. Plus opening in the summer is always rough. But curious to see how it pans out for the next few weeks or after reviews. I've only heard good things, so I def. want to see it. 

[LightsOut90]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 2:00am

if this show is still open by Jan 1st of 2019 ill cut off a finger, that's how sure i am its a goner. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 4:29am

Great tdf seats (front row mezz) and Socha was back.

I kinda want my money back.

To be fair, I didn't hate it, but it just wasn't very good. Or clever and it pulled out gag after gag to a very predictable point.

I found it to be pretty sophomoric, actually. Felt like I was watching a good high school play...in its writing, directing and acting. It felt like they sat around in a room saying...this is funny, put it in. And they did.

Some of the choreo was great, but some of it was unnecessary.

Both my teenage son and I agreed there is no reason this is two and a half hours long. It would be to its betterment to be a 90 minute intermissionless show. SO much filler to be let go. Act Two was nothing but resolution.

And that curtain call- what a mess! Not just its length and scope of it...but the ordering of it....no build, no order...ugh.

I wanted to like this, was ready for fluff. I got the fluff, but it was tepid. The gay couple next to me left at intermission....as did others, but not in droves, certainly. I'm glad some are finding joy in it, but it didn't work well enough to root for it.

This doesn't make it past the summer, methinks.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 4:30am

Double post

Updated On: 7/3/18 at 04:30 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 7:07am

RippedMan said: "It's the first week of previews, it's the week before/of July 4th, and their theater has scaffolding all over it, and it's a heat wave. Just saying there are a lot of factors at stake. Plus opening in the summer is always rough. But curious to see how it pans out for the next few weeks or after reviews. I've only heard good things, so I def. want to see it."

To be fair, that scaffolding was there for 1984 and The Parisian Woman as well.

[robskynyc]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 6:35pm

seeing this tonight... curious to see how it turns out since most people seem to be split 50/50

Do you know if they’ve cut Cool Jerk?

[perfectliar]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 8:46pm

robskynyc said: "seeing this tonight... curious to see how it turns out since most people seem to be split 50/50

Do you know if they’ve cut Cool Jerk?"

It was there on Saturday.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 10:27pm

And yesterday. I kind of liked that number

[robskynyc]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 10:55pm

Dramamama I agree with your review. I kiiiiiind of liked it? Lol it wasnt great but it was no margaritaville.

The choreography in the show is AMAZING.

Whoever designed the costumes for peppermint should be taken out back and shot. They got her shaped like a linebacker. But her first few lines about gender are great!

Cool Jerk & Mad About You were my faves.

And the part where Pamela is writing her poetry had me dying laughing.

[robskynyc]

Posted: 7/3/18 at 11:02pm

double post

Updated On: 7/4/18 at 11:02 PM

[HunterK]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 1:50am

Just came back from Head Over Heels this evening.....I so wanted to LOVE it, to find something in it that would make me come back, yes I do like camp and jukebox musicals for an escape, but I really couldn't find much to latch on to. 

First let me start by saying we were in the rear of the orchestra (Row O Center, I love this theatre! The seats actually have room and the orchestra is slightly raked, so no heads in the way.) We noticed Michael Mayer, Spencer Liff and many other production people with notebooks and voice recorders. Soon as the show started, "We Got The Beat" was a great burst of energy, color and choreography. I was smiling! Then the book came into play......no need to say more. The story seemed all over the place and sometimes confusing. I will say that Rachel York is BROADWAY ROYALTY to me and she did her damnedest to get through this show! Brava! Samantha Pollino was on for Alexandra Socha and has a wonderful voice and some acting chops! But the star is truly Bonnie Milligan as Pamela. She knows he comedic timing and has a killer belt!! I see her going places after this. The Ensemble was basically my savior. They were killing each moment that had. I looked forward to seeing them and what they would do next. Amber Ardolino is just phenomenal! Liff's choreography is unique and fun! Just what a musical should be. I thought some of the musical numbers lacked any sort of power. The Act 1 finale was so Anti-Climatic with "Our Lips Are Sealed." "Heaven is Place on Earth" I was so looking forward too, and I have never heard it in 3 part harmony, I tried to smile! Peppermint was in about 15 minutes of the entire show, I was shocked by this. 

The curtain call, in my opinion NEEDS TO GO! The choreographed part is fine, but afterwards give them bows in some sort of order. The audience didn't know what to do, stand or sit, clap or not. It felt weird and threw the whole vibe off. Soon as the confetti exploded (Spoiler!), the audience started to rise, but the cast was half way off the stage. Just leaving the all female band, who are BEYOND tremendous!! Glad they got some great recognition. 

Show ran 2:25 and seems like another 30 minutes could be cut. Act 2 was just a downfall after "Heaven". 

So those are my thoughts. I actually would go back and do the RUSH after it opens just to see the finished product. 

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 10:56am

perfectliar said: "Lot666 said: "perfectliar said: "It's not specifically a contest for "actual" men to dress as women. It is a contest for drag queens. Peppermint is a drag queen, regardless of her gender identity."

That's your opinion. As stated in my original post, I disagree."

It's not my opinion. Peppermint calls herself a drag queen. It's not your business or mine to tell her what she is or isn't. It's her identity. You don't get to disagree with how anyone else defines themselves or lives their lives."

I never "told Peppermint what she is or isn't"; I posted my thoughts about the appropriateness of having Drag Race contestants who self-identify as women. I personally don't believe that one can be both a woman and a drag queen (jokes about Bette Midler, Cher, et al., aside). That's my opinion, and you disagree.

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 10:59am

Kad said: "That’s not what exactly realness means. Ball culture- which Drag Race is heavily indebted to- offers runway categories like military realness or executive realness, with men presenting like soldiers or CEOs. It’s not just about female impersonation.

Realness is passing as something you’re not or, more to the point, as society does not see you becoming. It’s about convincing others you are what you can appear to be.That’s all it is."

I'm quite aware of the history of ball culture and the broader definition of "realness" (I suspect that I've been around a lot longer than you have). I was defining the term as it relates to RuPaul's Drag Race, where males dress as females.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/6/18 at 11:48am

Saw this last night. I grew up with my older sister playing Go-go records as I played with my Star Wars and He-man toys and then in college, my guy friends and I would dance around to Our Lips Are Sealed as one by one, we realized we were all gay.

So the show last night. It is campy with a capital C and it gleefully winks at the audience all night with a “we know that you know that we know that this is all just big fun!” Which is not a bad thing.
Yes, lots of the dialogue went on for too long. Characters would speak in a faux-Elizabethan speech pattern and then be ridiculed into “speaking English” but then they would continue with the fauz Shakespeare speech pattern. That got weird.
I enjoyed the hidden identities and the play on gender which is right out of Shakespeare’s comedies. I kept thinking gee, if somebody is confused about the gender and identity politics in Shakespeare, this show could serve as a severely dumbed down explanation lol.
The choreography was fun, but there were some scenes where it was awkwardly staged. There was a water scene where I could see what the creatives were going for but it still appeared amateurish.
Overall I enjoyed the show for the Go gos music. The plot and staging were no better than ok.
The ushers at the Hudson were terrible. As the lights went down, I saw ushers walk right past people taking pictures, texting, and recording videos. I complained at intermission and an usher just shrugged his shoulders in a wordless response.