WILMINGTON, NC – Looking at the program for the University of North Carolina-Wilmington’s production of Head Over Heels, my eye was drawn to the seven different names that compete for authorship of the work. The original text, Arcadia, is a pastoral romance written by Sir Phillip Sidney in the 16th century and the songs are by the 80s all-female group The Go-Gos. These seemingly disparate elements were brought together by Jeff Whitty (of Avenue Q fame) before finally being realized as Head Over Heels: The Musical by James Magruder and premiering in 2016.
So, then the question is, who do we credit as the playwright of Head Over Heels? As I reflect back on my experience at this particular production, who do I acknowledge as I critique the piece?
In this case, I would argue that it is that cast of UNCW’s production of Head Over Heels that have the most compelling claim to authorship of the production.
Of course, I’m not saying that none of the creatives on the program’s cover should be credited as authors. Sidney was an influential playwright and the Go-Gos are one of the all-time great new wave bands. They make a fascinating pairing, primarily because they don’t click together. Whitty created a work of warring components and Magruder found enough synthesis to create a coherent musical. The incongruity of these worlds doesn’t ever truly go away, but instead it becomes part of the work’s aesthetic appeal. The rest of Head Over Heels’ appeal comes from its narrative as a “prophecy play.”
The King of Arcadia is given a prophecy from the Oracle of Delphi concerning his two daughters, his marriage, and his kingship. We know that the prophecy will be fulfilled, but we are drawn to the work because we want to see just how the prophecy will come to fruition. This and clashing artistic sensibilities result in a production with plenty of potential for an irreverent good time, something UNCW’s production of Head Over Heels achieved quite well.
Directors Mark D. Sorensen and Nancy Carson guided their cast to run wild with the play’s material. In this way, these actors can claim authorship of this production of Head Over Heels. The sets and costumes are stunning, almost Seussian in their color and exaggerated character. The music is superbly performed, directed by Bettsy Curtis, with the musicians feeling like collaborators in all this madness.
The cast directed our attention to the stage and held it there, instinctually understanding the material and pitching their performances accordingly. It was over the top and, despite moments where the cast struggled to keep that energy, the highs were so high that they overshadowed those moments.
Victoria Gibson and Evan Hamula played Princess Philoclea and Dametas the Shepherd, one of the principal couples and love interests. Though these characters provide a dramatic anchor in a piece, they can end up being a little dull, especially in comedy. However, Gibson and Hamula communicated their characters’ love with earnest authenticity while holding their own in the zany cast.
Bella Efrid as Mopsa was a delight and surprise, luring you into thinking she’s not one of the principals until her arc brings her to center stage. Her character gets fewer jokes, but she made up for it with charisma and a lively physicality. Kai Williams, as King Basilius, had all of the noble severity you’d expect from a monarch but, like Mopsa, there was more than meets the eye. Basilius is quite insecure and either frequently goes too far or accidentally undercuts himself. Though hilarious, the audience also gets the sense of more potent dramatic thought behind the character. Zac Baker played his Basilius’s faithful servant, Musidorius. Baker played a man desperately trying to keep his calm and keep everything together while doing it poorly, resulting in brilliant comic moments, especially later in the play when everything is going wrong.
Nat Pressley played The Oracle with a delightfully camp, glamorous stage presence that was immediately arresting, making scenes that served for little more than exposition wildly entertaining. Rounding out the principals were Amelia Cox and Rachel Wilson as Princess Pamela and Queen Gynecia. Both characters have a richness of character that is teased out as the plot unfolds, though never straying too far from their diva personalities. Cox and Wilson were loveable and endearing divas, earning some of the biggest laughs (Wilson brought the house crashing down for a bit where she struggled to write a poem), but some of the biggest cheers as well.
The actors trusted each other as co-conspirators onstage. They made big swings and took risks. Even the performance decisions that didn’t pan out never truly detracted from the experience. For the entire duration of this show, we witnessed these principals, and their equally talented supporting cast, turn the stage into their playground to delight and entertain. I don’t remember the last performance I went to with this much uproarious laughter.
The strength of its cast makes UNCW’s production of Head Over Heels a must-see. It’s an endlessly entertaining experience, capturing both the witty comedy of the Elizabethan era and the punk irreverence of the new wave sound.
Head Over Heels continues at the Mainstage Theater at UNCW through November 24th.
