Head Over Heels
Show Info
Title | HEAD OVER HEELS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playwright | Book by Jeff Whitty Music and Lyrics by The Gogo's, Adapted by James Magruder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Director & Choreographer | Michael C. Flores | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Music Director | Mark Bruckner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stage Manager | Reed Davis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Category | Mainstage | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
First Rehearsal | Music Rehearsals December 9-12 Choreography Workshop January 16-17 Full Shaping Rehearsals begin January 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Load In/Tech /Dress | February 27 – March 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Performances | March 6-8 and 12-14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Roles to be cast | Age (Presentation) | Gender (Presentation) |
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King Basilius | 20s, 30s | Masc | King of Arcadia. Arrogant and flamboyantly prideful. Blindly thinks Arcadia is doing great under his inflexible rule. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Queen Gynecia | 20s 30s | Femm | Queen of Arcadia. Strong-willed, & slightly jaded from her untrustworthy marriage to King Basilius. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pamela | 20s | Femm | The eldest daughter of Basilius & Gynecia. She is headstrong, confident, & very outspoken. She yearns to become her truest self. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Philoclea | 20s | Femm | Basilius and Gynecia's younger daughter. Shy and a "good girl", she yearns to follow her heart rather than obey her father's orders. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Mopsa | 20s | Femm | Daughter of Dametas & handmaiden to Pamela, Philoclea, & the royal family. Unlike her father Dametas, she is outspoken & direct-especially to Pamela, whom she shares a complex relationship with. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Musidorus / Cleophila | 20s | Masc / Femm | A shepherd boy who, since childhood, has been in love with Philoclea. Under her father King Basilius’ rule, Musidorus & Philoclea are forbidden from one another. Musidorus undergoes a transformation into Cleophila. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dametas | 20s, 30s, 40s | Any | Royal viceroy and father to Mopsa, serving as the loyal advisor and enforcer of Arcadia’s laws. Unlike his outspoken daughter, Dametas values order and tradition, preserving the kingdom’s long-held customs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pythio | 20s, 30s | Gender Nonconforming, Any | The Oracle; powerful, mysterious. Demanding. Great sense of humor--can see through everyone--they are the Oracle of Delphi, after all. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ARCADIANS | Any | Any | Unique, charismatic individuals to inhabit the kingdom of Arcadia. Chorus of the play, in addition to singing, acting, they must be strong dancers & movers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Synopsis | Follow along as a royal family receives a threatening prophecy that challenges the king’s rule and throws the kingdom into chaos, leaving the question: who will seize the crown, and what kind of world will emerge? As rigid order gives way to a liberated utopia, HEAD OVER HEELS becomes a glittering celebration of love, identity, and self-discovery. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notices | Content Advisory: Head Over Heels contains themes and imagery exploring gender identity and self-expression. It includes moments of sexual innuendo, intimacy with same sex partners, and violence as well as depictions of rigid social structures being challenged and transformed. Music Rehearsals will begin in the fall semester starting December 9th to the 12th Additional rehearsal time for choreography is scheduled for January 16th & 17th prior to the spring semester officially beginning. Rehearsal will resume on January 21st once the spring semester begins. Attendance at these rehearsals is vital to the process. Please do not hesitate to reach out to director & choreographer, Michael C. Flores with any questions! Fight Choreography Breakdown
Intimacy Choreography Breakdown
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Important Dates/Holidays
2/1 Thaipusam, 2/2 Groundhog Day, 2/3 Lailat al Bara*, 2/8 Superbowl, 2/14 St. Valentine's Day, 2/15 Nirvana Day, 2/16 Presidents’ Day (Fed. Observed), 2/15-2/16 Maha Shivaratri, 2/17 Seol-nal, 2/17 Chinese New Year (Year of the Horse), 2/17 Tet Nguyen Dan, 2/17-3/19 Ramadan*, 2/17 Mardi Gras, 2/18 Ash Wednesday (Beginning of Lent), 2/18 Tsagaan Sar, 2/18-2/20 Losar, 2/23 Beginning of Lent (Orthodox), 3/3 Magha Puja Day, 3/3 Purim*, 3/4 Holi Phagwa*, 3/7 Nuzul Quran*, 3/8 Daylight Savings Begins
* Holidays marked with an asterisk (*) begin at sundown on the previous day.
Callback List
Head Over Heels
Callback List & Schedule
Callbacks are Monday 11/17 6:30-10:30pm and Tuesday 11/18 6-10pm in TB 172.
UPDATED 11/17 11:00pm
Thank you to everyone who auditioned! Please look closely at the lists below. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to the stage manager, Reed (reeddavis@uiowa.edu).
Please fill out the following survey regarding costumes. Please note you only need to fill it out ONCE regardless of how many callbacks you have.
https://uiowa.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2bEEKng8htJAeW2
You can find sides and music cuts in this folder.
| King Basilius | Luis Avalos Haydon Bailey Brennen Malone |
| Queen Gynecia | Ava Burmahl Zoe Hoffenburg Zoe Mae Nolte Chloe Schwab |
| Pamela | Hanna Anderson Bella Hohenadel Zoe Hoffenburg Nicolette Mayer Shelby Zukin |
| Philoclea | Frances Dapier Ryenne Lacher Nicolette Mayer Chloe Schwab |
| Musidorus / Cleophila | Haydon Bailey Nicky LoSasso Carter Owens Rai San Martin Jimmy Rempel |
| Mopsa | Kita Bond Kaiya Kralik Nicolette Mayer Chloe Schwab |
| Dametas | Zachary Douglas Gavin Gilbert Thomas McCarthy |
| PYTHIO / Oracle | Luis Avalos Brennen Malone Kylen Philips John Stinson |
| ARCADIANS | Haydon Bailey Jordan Horne |
SCHEDULE for MONDAY, 11/17/2025
DANCE CALL
6:30pm—GROUP 1
Merus Brown
Preston Coleman
Zachary Douglas
Gavin Gilbert
Kathleen Godsell
Jessica Gordon
Anna Gordon
Alex Johnson
Maya Lapan Islas
Charlotte Larsen
Thomas McCarthy
Logan McClellen
Flynn Milligan
Keegan Panther
Kylen Philips
Kaeleen Robinson
Evan Schmidt
John Stinson
Maria Stavroplus
Abby Weiss
Lexi Wartschlager
Jordan H.
7:00pm—GROUP 2
Luis Avalos
Hanna Anderson
Haydon Bailey
Kita Bond
Ava Burmahl
Kate Carlson
Frances Dapier
Hannah Fideli
Bella Hohenadel
Mar Y Luna Haskins
Zoe Hoffenburg
Alex Johnson
Kaiya Kralik
Ryenne Lacher
Maya Lapan Islas
Charlotte Larsen
Brennen Malone
Nicolette Mayer
Nicky LoSasso
Rai San Martin
Jimmy Rempel
Carter Owens
Keegan Panther
Cali Santos
Chloe Schwab
Evan Schmidt
Zoe Mae Nolte
Shelby Zukin
7:30pm—GROUP 3
Group 3 will be chosen from groups 1 & 2. Group 1 should stay until they are released from the dance call.
8:00pm—ENSEMBLE MUSIC Finale
Full ensemble call.
9:00pm—ACTING SIDES
Everyone called back for the following roles should be checked in by 9:00pm. We will release folks as we can.
Side 1: Musidorus, Philoclea
Side 2: Dametas, Basilius, Pythio / Oracle
Side 3: Gynecia
Side 4: Pamela & Mopsa
Side 7: Pamela, Mopsa, Musidorus / Cleophila, Philoclea
10:30pm—END
SCHEDULE for TUESDAY 11/18/2025
6:00pm—MUSIC SIDES
Everyone called back for the following roles should be checked in by 6:00pm. We will release folks as we can. There will be down time.
Solos:
- Pythio, A Vision of Nowness
- Pamela, Beautiful
- Dametas, Get Up & Go
- Philoclea, Good Girl
- Musidorus, Mad About You
- Mopsa, Vacation
- Basilius & Gynecia, Heaven Is A Place On Earth
Duets:
- Musidorus & Philoclea, Head Over Heels
- Pamela & Mopsa, Automatic Rainy Day
8:45pm—ACTING SIDES
- Side 6: Basilius, Gynecia, Pamela, Philoclea, Musidorus / Cleophila
- Side 5: Pythio & Musidorus
- Side 8: Basilius, Gynecia, Pamela, Philoclea, Mopsa, Musidorus / Cleophila, Dametas, Pythio / Oracle
10:00pm—END
Cast List
Head Over Heels
Cast List
KING BASILIUS | Brenne Malone |
QUEEN GYNECIA | Zoe Mae Nolte |
PAMELA | Hannah Anderson |
PHILOCLEA | Nicolette Mayer |
MUSIDORUS / CLEOPHILA | Rai San Martin |
MOPSA | Chloe Schwab |
DAMETAS | Thomas McCarthy |
PYTHIO / ORACLE | Luis Avalos |
ARCADIANS | Haydon Bailey |
Please email Reed (reeddavis@uiowa.edu) by Monday, November 24 at 5pm to accept your role. Thank you!
Contact
Questions or concerns?
Reed Davis, Stage Manager: reed-davis@uiowa.edu
Isabella Kruser, Assistant Stage Manager: isabella-kruser@uiowa.edu
Ella Crosby, Assistant Stage Manager: ella-crosby@uiowa.edu