Go-Go’s Musical Rocks at Diversionary
Lauren King Thompson and Gerilyn Brault (Photos courtesy of Simpatika.).
Morrow made the perfect choice as a goodbye to Diversionary: The Go-Go’s jukebox musical romantic comedy inspired by the pastoral romance, “The Countess of Pembroke Arcadia,” Head Over Heels.
Opening in the kingdom of Arcadia, a royal family is ruled by the headstrong king, Basilius (Scott Ripley). After receiving a foreboding message from a non-binary oracle, Pythio (Faith Carrion), Basilius goes with his viceroy, Dametas (Berto Fernández) to meet the prophesier. Pythio warns Basilius to look for several flags that will cause the decline of Arcadia.
Conceived by Jeff Whitty (the writer of the original book) and adapted by James Magruder, the plot sounds complicated for a humorous jukebox musical. Fortunately, everything flows well with clever blank verse that’s lighthearted, and Whitty balances a lot of different characters.
Instead of focusing on a single individual, the story focuses equally on citizens of Arcadia, including Basilius, his wife, Gynecia (Amanda Naughton) and their daughters, Pamela (Gerilyn Brault) and Philoclea (Adelaida Martinez). Pythio, Dametas, his daughter, Mopsa (Lauren King Thompson) and Musidorous (Joey Kirkpatrick), a shepherd in love with Philoclea, are also integral to the plot.
All of the aforementioned performers excel with their comedy, dancing, and rock singing skills.
The cast brings a lot of emotion to the evening, with a few shedding tears onstage, which enhances moving scenes.
As ensemble members, Sutheshna Mani, Kevin Phan and Alyssa Junious contribute to the fun of big musical numbers, such as “Mad About You,” “Vacation” and “Head Over Heels.”
Backing up the company is an onstage band led by conductor/keyboardist, Patrick Marion. Each bandmember plays the music to hit singles such as “We Got the Beat” and “Our Lips are Sealed” in the style of a big concert.
Kevin Phan, Alyssa Junious and Sutheshna Mani.
Some of the funniest moments of the tale come from choreographer, Katie Banville. The raunchy movements in tunes such as “This Old Feeling” and Belinda Carlisle’s, the Go-Go’s lead singer, solo single, “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” are uproariously hysterical.
While the narrative is meant to be a good time at the theatre, there are serious messages about inclusion when it comes to sexuality. Although I don’t want to get too specific in order for the surprises and twists to be preserved, the themes are handled with empathy, which adds to the heart of the piece. Since the storyline embraces the LGBTQIA+ community, it was a smart choice to have the musical run shortly before SD Pride 2023.
Head Over Heels is both a love letter to an influential band, and a hilarious and unexpectedly touching ode to acceptance. A fitting tribute to Morrow’s accomplishments at the University Heights playhouse.
Show times are Thursday at 7:00 pm, Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 2:00 pm.
A fan of theatre from a young age, David Dixon began writing reviews while in middle school, for Union Tribune’s Rated G column and sdcnn.com. He was the Entertainment Editor for SDSU’s The Daily Aztec. Currently, he contributes to San Diego Community News Network, a regional reviewer for Talkin’ Broadway, an interviewer for San Diego Theatre Reviews and has won several San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. David is a San Diego Theatre Critics Circle member, an American Theatre Critics Association member & Regional Theatre Tony Award voter.