In 2018, the jukebox musical “Head Over Heels,” with music by The Go-Go’s, made its Broadway debut.

A local production opened last weekend at the Waterville Opera House, and you can see it through Sunday.

Jeff Whitty conceived and wrote the original book based on “The Arcadia” by Sir Philip Sidney, and James Magruder adapted it.

“Head Over Heels” is set in 16th-century Greece, in and around a kingdom called Arcadia. It’s about what happens when a royal family rails against an oracle’s dark prophecy, which sends them on a sojourn of both the physical and emotional kind. Mistaken identities, scandal, self-discovery and sexual awakening are all part of the show.

But that’s not all, said the show’s director Debra Susi. “It’s a story of acceptance, and it’s a story of love.”

And the soundtrack is sensational.

The nearly 20 musical numbers are all songs either by The Go-Go’s (Belinda Carlisle, Charlotte Caffey, Gina Schock, Kathy Valentine and Jane Wiedlin) or by lead singer Carlisle (“Mad About You,” “Heaven Is a Place on Earth”).

The Go-Go’s are important because they were the first all-female band to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts with time-tested songs they wrote and played themselves.

The band segued from the late ’70s Los Angeles punk scene into international pop, rock and new wave fame with hits like “We Got the Beat,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels.”

The Go-Go’s were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021.

When asked about the juxtaposition of the show’s story paired with Go-Go’s music, Susi needed a moment.

“I have a really difficult time trying to nail down things that I’m really passionate about because they just explode from my heart,” she said.

The show is being presented by Waterville Creates with a volunteer cast of community theater members. “They are just thrilled to present a story about representation, inclusivity, love and acceptance,” said Susi.

Susi grew up with The Go-Go’s. “They were the ideal, all-female rock band and sort of set a bar for all of us who listened to their music and for those of us who were just in awe of female artist representation.”

“The fact that it’s Go-Go’s music for me is the cherry on top of everything. It’s amazing,” said Susi.

While “We Got The Beat” is the song Susi knew best going into “Head Over Heels,” another track that resonated with her is the ballad “Here You Are” from the 2001 album “God Bless the Go-Go’s.”

Carlisle sings about burning a bridge and how to heal and move forward from that place.

Susi said it’s beautiful.

“It’s a sort of sad part of the story, but it is filled with hope and renewal and, to me, that’s a very pivotal part of the story and a really important lesson for people to hear and take away.”

In “Head Over Heals,” the “beat” is a mysterious life force in the ancient kingdom. Its existence is threatened then renewed in a glorious way by the final curtain.

Susi says that the “beat” exists well beyond the construct of the musical. “It’s the thing that moves us in the world, it’s the invisible inter-connectivity that’s between all of us as human beings.”

The beat goes on in Waterville.

“Head Over Heels”
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. Waterville Opera House, 1 Common St., $34, $36. watervillecreates.org

Copy the Story Link

« Previous

There’s a bunch of new brunch spots in southern Maine

Next »

Delve into New England true crime with ‘Murder, She Told’ podcast