Head Over Heels on Broadway

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 12:13pm

According to an audition breakdown it is coming in the 2018/2019 season. And having an out-of-town tryout somewhere beforehand. 

[newintown]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 12:49pm

Is Jeff Whitty still credited as the book writer?

[JSquared2]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 12:54pm

newintown said: "Is Jeff Whitty still credited as the book writer?"

Credited --- yes.  But he has no personal involvement in the show anymore.  They brought in a new book writer.

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 1:10pm

Personally it sounds kinda stupid to me. Not a fan of the whole verse thing. Sounds like it might be better suited for the West End. 

[newintown]

Posted: 10/25/17 at 1:24pm

Who is the new book writer?

[asmith0307]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 1:11am

James Margruder did the adaptation. 

 

I'm excited. I heard only great things from a lab they did over the winter from people all across the industry. 

[LMcC95]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 1:44am

And I said a couple of month ago when a similar post was made, this show sucked. When it was done in Ashland, it was so embarrassing for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I hope this is not coming to broadway

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 1:45am

Apparently they got the money from somewhere. I think it will fail miserably. 

[newintown]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 8:01am

Sounds like someone paid for those Go-Go's song rights, and is hellbent on trying to recover some of that expense.

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:44am

I just...who in the world thought of this premise?! A jukebox musical for a band that few people call "legendary," ala the Four Seasons, and then let's set it in Elizabethan England? To quote WhizzerMarvin: "The Not Since Carrie entry writes itself."

[newintown]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 9:52am

One harkens back to a time when failed projects simply died and went away, and their creators moved on to their next project (think of Comden and Green and Bonanza Bound). Many projects today, possibly under the guise of "optimism" or "fortitude," struggle on in the wind, somehow raising the funds to continue, and die over and over and over again (Chaplin, etc.).

We have always been a species that often prizes fantasy over reality, but it does seem more easy than ever before to confuse quixotic behavior with optimism.

[green waver]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 1:07pm

     Oh Darn... when I saw Head Over Heels, I forgot about that Go-Gos song. I thought someone had adapted Ann Beatie's Chilly Scenes of Winter. Head Over Heels was its movie title, starring the late John Heard. THAT would be more promising source material!

[asmith0307]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 5:51pm

LMcC95 said: "And I said a couple of month ago when a similar post was made, this show sucked. When it was done in Ashland, it was so embarrassing for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I hope this is not coming to broadway"

Of course, how can I forget that no show has ever improved after an early out-of-town developmental production?

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 6:01pm

From what I understand, the Go-Go's did not want a bio musical, which is a shame. Their story and contributions to the music industry are quite fascinating. 

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 6:44pm

BroadwayNYC2 said: "From what I understand, the Go-Go's did not want a bio musical, which is a shame. Their story and contributions to the music industry are quite fascinating."

I love the Go Go’s but this does not interest me at all.

[LMcC95]

Posted: 10/26/17 at 8:06pm

asmith0307 said: "LMcC95 said: "And I said a couple of month ago when a similar post was made, this show sucked. When it was done in Ashland, it was so embarrassing for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I hope this is not coming to broadway"

Of course, how can I forget that no show has ever improved after an early out-of-town developmental production?"

 

Lets not forget all the shows that were terrible out-of-town and when they come to broadway they were still terrible. Looking at you Amelie, War Paint, Bandstand, and many more!

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 12/12/17 at 6:30pm

https://www.broadway.com/buzz/190672/go-gos-musical-head-over-heels-co-produced-by-gwyneth-paltrow-to-play-broadway/

Aiming for 2018-2019.

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 12/12/17 at 8:36pm

The band had only four hits. Will this be a one-hour show?

[BJR]

Posted: 12/12/17 at 10:05pm

Anyone else find it funny how they list the new book writer as having done an "adaptation" of Jeff Whitty's book? Isn't that what usually happens when someone is replaced?

[bear88]

Posted: 12/15/17 at 3:46am

In fairness, while the Go-Go's only had a few hits, Belinda Carlisle had several hits after the group broke up. There are enough familiar songs for people in my age range. That's not really the problem. 

The problem is that shoehorning Go-Go's/early '80s nostalgia with some sort of adapted story sounds like the same sort of bad idea as Roman Holiday, with its Cole Porter songs awkwardly attached. (I didn't see Roman Holiday, which got a San Francisco tryout just like Head Over Heels will receive, but the reviews were pretty bad.)

If they want to do a Go-Go's story, go ahead. It doesn't interest me a lot, but they were an influential group. If they've got a good original story, tell it and don't have people expecting a Go-Go's concert.

Maybe my skepticism is completely wrong and this will work. But as someone who lives in the San Francisco area and likes seeing out-of-town tryouts, I am pretty dubious about this one. Maybe my wife and daughter will talk me into it, or the reviews will be better than expected.

Updated On: 12/15/17 at 03:46 AM

[broadwaysfguy]

Posted: 12/18/17 at 1:09am

im a bit behind the curve and just saw this is playing the curran in sf next spring.

They seem to have an A team  of award winning broadway creatives behind it, and while i personally liked the go-gos in their day, am dissapointed already they are not doing original music for this show..

I am glad to see that Wally hays is doing what he said he would do which is to bring in pre-broadway shows and unusual shows(like bright star) that might not be seen otherwise

 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 1/9/18 at 10:23pm

Looks like this is opening at the Hudson this summer.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Rialto-Chatter-Will-the-Go-Gos-Musical-HEAD-OVER-HEELS-Open-at-Broadways-Hudson-Theater-This-Summer-20180109