HEAD OVER HEELS at the Curran - Reviews- Page 2

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 9:33am

The Oregon version was not 4 hours. Who told you that?

Belinda Carlisle. 



 

[Joviedamian]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 10:59am

“The Oregon version was not 4 hours. Who told you that?”

According to an article I read on here (can’t find it right now), but it was mentioned the original production did run close to 4 hours long in Oregon. It was later stated that the artistic team demanded cuts because it was so long, but the writer at the time refused; so was let go. Don’t know what the running time was after any cuts were made, but apparently it was near 4 hours long.

[newintown]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 11:04am

According to a cast member, the Oregon production had just one preview performance, which ran 3 hours and 20 minutes. They cut 20 minutes the next day before opening, and ran 3 hours that night. That's a long-ish evening, but still shorter than some musicals and plays.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 11:27am

If you call up the box office at the Curran, they'll tell you that ''Head Over Heels'' is 2 hours and 15 minutes (with an intermission). 

Updated On: 4/12/18 at 11:27 AM

[JSquared2]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 11:33am

dramamama611 said: "Go-Go's

Go-Go's

Go-Go's

Go-Go's

Go-Go's

Go-Go's"

Are you having a stroke, dear?  Do you need us to call the paramedics? (Hopefully the Medic Alert bracelet kicked in!)

[LMcC95]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 11:35am

As someone who was in Oregon at the time this show opened, it was the director who did not make cuts. Also, I saw the first preview. To call it a bad show would be nice.

[bwayemma]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 6:45pm

tkts said: "I'm a Go Go's fan and this doesn't appeal to me at all. Keep in mind I hated Mamma Mia. I may go anyway, but the Curran had better post a discount code as the theater is virtually empty for most performances I've checked. The final matinee May 6th looks about 10% of capacity!"

There's $15 rush tickets on TodayTix. I've done the Curran's cheap rush tix on TodayTix for Fun Home twice and Bright Star 3 times and each time I've gotten incredible orchestra seats except once for Bright Star I got 3rd row balcony. I plan on rushing for tomorrow.

[bwayemma]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 6:48pm

Does anyone know if Tom Kitt is in SF for previews?

[Jessetenny]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 6:54pm

Does anyone have any reports of how Peppermint is? She's the only real interest I have in the show.

[UncleCharlie]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 7:00pm

bwayemma said: "There's $15 rush tickets on TodayTix. I've done the Curran's cheap rush tix on TodayTix for Fun Home twice and Bright Star 3 times and each time I've gotten incredible orchestra seats except once for Bright Star I got 3rd row balcony. I plan on rushing for tomorrow."

They raised the rush tickets to $18. Still a great deal.

[blm2323]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 8:52pm

tkts said: "I'm a Go Go's fan and this doesn't appeal to me at all. Keep in mind I hated Mamma Mia. I may go anyway, but the Curran had better post a discount code as the theater is virtually empty for most performances I've checked. The final matinee May 6th looks about 10% of capacity!"

 

Wow you weren’t kidding. Almost the entire run only has about 10% of the seats sold.  That’s bleak. What are the odds of it actually making it to NYC?

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 10:14pm

blm2323 said: "Wow you weren’t kidding. Almost the entire run only has about 10% of the seats sold. That’s bleak. What are the oddsof it actually making it to NYC?"

Why would this be the first show to not land out of town, and decide to not come to NYC for that reason?!?

[blm2323]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 12:56am

Did I say it would be the first show?

[antonijan]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 3:35am

Peppermint is great and brings her own talent to the show to add sass and pizzaz as the first transgender on the way to a Broadway stage.

A scene was cut in the battle on the way to Bohemia and it was probably just a 30 second to 1 minute revision but it kinda made musidorus less potent but it works and relays the message to move the plot

[Kitsune]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 1:11pm

My boyfriend and I went last night (third preview). I primarily went for the cast (I remember Jeremy Kushnier back from when he toured as Roger in Rent, and then I'm familiar with Taylor Iman Jones from Groundhog Day). I also have largely avoided jukebox musicals so far, so my tolerance for them isn't as stretched as some.

It's a silly show, and a lot of the songs are very obviously shoehorned in. That being said, the energy was infectious, the cast was super talented, and both my boyfriend and I ended up having a really good time. The book was also surprisingly touching and extremely progressive - I can't recall the last time a musical included a conversation about gender and pronouns.

At its best, Head Over Heels has a really talented cast and is fun camp with a strong message of inclusiveness. It's definitely not perfect right now - some numbers are a little *too* shoehorned in, and the staging of "Heaven is a Place On Earth" didn't work for me. But it had a *lot* of heart. I'm really cheering for it to continue to shape up as it heads towards Broadway.

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 1:46pm

blm2323 said: "Did I say it would be the first show? "

No, but you made it seem like if a show does poorly out of town, that would dash its Broadway hopes. But every show panned out of town seems to come anyway... plus, this show isn't just saying it is headed to Broadway, but it is already selling tickets two months or so after it wraps in SF, so for better or worse, it's happening.

[newintown]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 1:59pm

Other than the infamous Rebecca, has there been a Broadway show in the last 20 years or so that never played a performance, despite front of house going up (like it is for Head Over Heels)?

Updated On: 4/13/18 at 01:59 PM

[perfectliar]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 2:01pm

newintown said: "Other than the infamousRebecca, has there been a Broadway show in the last20 years or so that never played a performance, despite front of house going up (like it is forHead Over Heels)?"

Mambo Kings

[RKV]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 4:43pm

I would see this given the chance.

The musical's concept sounds very intriguing, separate from the music itself.


I love the Go-Go's music. Beauty and the Beat and Talk Show, and God Bless the Go-Go's are superb. Vacation is great but not quite up there. But, their songs are catchy, fun, but also occasionally kind of dark.  At times, the songwriting is clever and "hip" but nothing brilliant. Sort of thin but in a unique way. What is to be appreciated is the fact the Go-Go's were ground-breakers. They weren't a manufactured band by a record company. Just a bunch of girls hanging out on a street curb drinking beer and deciding to put a band together on their own. Belinda and Jane co-founded the group. They did the foot work to get gigs and a record contract. The Go-Go's were the first commercially successful all-girl rock band. They sang, wrote, and played their own instrument. That is the argument made to put them into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite not having a huge catalog of recordings.


I think Belinda Carlisle's charismatic vocals and presence appealed to me the most (or, I was just a zillion other guys (and, gals) that had a crush on her:)). But, all these girls made a valuable contribution to the overall music.

Having been a Go-Go's fan going way back to their explosion on the music scene, I would recognize any song in this musical. I understand Mad About You and Heaven is a Place on Earth are in the show. Those are Belinda Carlisle solo works. But, I like reading the opinions of others. I saw Mama Mia and enjoyed that musical. So, I wish this musical all the luck in the world. Some say it needs some tweaking but has promise. Let's hope for the best:)

Updated On: 4/23/18 at 04:43 PM

[blm2323]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 4:49pm

haterobics said: "blm2323 said: "Did I say it would be the first show? "

No, but you made it seem like if a show does poorly out of town, that would dash its Broadway hopes. But every show panned out of town seems to come anyway... plus, this show isn't just saying it is headed to Broadway, but it is already selling tickets two months or so after it wraps in SF, so for better or worse,it's happening."

Actually, I just asked a simple and fair question. 

[InnerMonologue]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 5:29pm

newintown said: "Other than the infamous Rebecca, has there been a Broadway show in the last 20 years or so that never played a performance, despite front of house going up (like it is for Head Over Heels)?"

Does NERDS fall into this category?

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 5:43pm

This show seems to be selling better in NY than SF, at least for the first few previews...

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 6:14pm

LizzieCurry said: "Lestat and Wicked are examples of two shows that underwent a decent amount of changes between SF and Broadway and during previews on Broadway."

 

and do not forget the 10 week run for EVITA in 1979,at the ORPHEUM THEATRE, SF...before Hal Prince took the show to Broadway...i saw the first week of performances and it was UGH!!...then decided to see if the show was worked on and by the 10th week, at the end of the run in SF,  the show was the EVITA that went on to win TONYS...so much can happen out of town...

 

[ElleCatt]

Posted: 4/13/18 at 8:22pm

I was at the 4/12 performance and I agree with Kitsune's review.  What I wanted to add was that the first act is the weaker one.  At intermission, we discussed how uneven it seemed.  Some longer dialogue felt flat even tho seemingly rushed by an experienced cast to pump up the energy - which only served to make it unintelligible.  It takes the ear awhile to fall into the rhythm of iambic.  However, most of the songs were great fun, albeit often obscure and the cast obviously superb.  

Fortunately we DID stay because the second act was super fun and, yeah, it's cheesy but full of laughs and we enjoyed the evening very much.  The ensemble dancing/choreo was great and it's often the ensemble that carries the energy and their costumes were creative.  The lead costumes often seemed rushed, cheap, obvious and disjointed  - like Alice in Wonderland, but I assume that was the intent.  The sets, lighting really a great fit.  

We weren't carried away by its "genius", but it was a super fun night.  And we were happy we purchased tickets (loge).

Updated On: 4/13/18 at 08:22 PM

[marcos2]

Posted: 4/14/18 at 9:41pm

We saw the Friday 13 Apr show. The premise of the musical was Arcadia by Sir Phillip Sydney written towards the end of the 16th century,  hence the Elizbethan language.

It was a lighthearted romp through Arcadia set to the beat of the Go-Gos with the moral lessons of the original updated to 2018 vintage gender and queer intersectionality. 

It had just the right amount of contemporary pedantic virtue signaling along with sparkling dancing and singing that it might very well end up as the next "Hairspray" on Broadway, only pontificating morally on contemporary issues rather than virtue signaling retroactively.

 

Updated On: 4/14/18 at 09:41 PM