Head Over Heels
by James Magruder and Jeff Whitty
Ithaca College Theatre Department, HornerTheatre
Directed by Gavin Mayer
Scenic Design by Maddie Dieterle
Costume Design by Olivia Kirschbaum
Lighting Design by Max Okst
Sound Design by Don Tindel
The Musical Head Over Heels is a Juke Box Musical to the songs of The GoGo’s. Following a journey of the royal family of Arcadia who are leading their people to save “the beat” that drives their hearts. On their journey, they discover their place within Arcadia and navigate their sexuality in an outdated world. In order for this society to grow, it is crucial to abandon the traditions that don’t support the community. The design team and I worked to create a cohesive world that bridged ancient Greece and the aesthetics of the 1980s to create a structure to build off of. Taking our design ideas and incorporating the constraints of Covid-19 and performing in a world without vaccines accessible to the public. Taking these constraints into consideration we pivoted to a concert-style aesthetic that emphasized the roots of The GoGo’s.
One of the challenges the production presented was building a uniform world from the various time periods and styles throughout the show. Pulling references from drapery that would be found in Ancient Greece and then combined with bold styles of the 1980s; I created a world where both of these concepts could evoke a whimsical nostalgia still rooted in the text.
Paperwork
Costume Plot for Head Over Heels
Shopping List for Head Over Heels