Minneapolis Musical Theatre is running Head Over Heels at LUSH Lounge + Theater in Northeast Minneapolis through October 10. The show sets a 16th-century English romance, Sir Philip Sidney’s Arcadia, to the songs of the Go-Go’s, with a book by Jeff Whitty adapted by James Magruder. Kari Steinbach directs, Mary Cay Stone is music director and Michael Terrell Brown choreographs.
MMT has been producing rarely seen musicals in the Twin Cities since 1992, often in places that aren’t theaters. This is its return to LUSH, and the company’s pitch is simple: a Shakespeare-style comedy of forbidden love and mistaken identity, played in a queer club, to “We Got the Beat.” Executive Director Andrew Newman talked with Q about why this show, why this room, and what it took to get a 13-person cast onto a stage built for drag.
The cast: Bridget Benson, Elyssa Bickford, Xae Copeland, Erin Grams, Andrea Gregori, Mallory Harrington, Jake Mathey, William McIntyre, Jack Moorman, Ellie Turk, Christian Unser and Riley Webster, with Riley Graygrove, Lydia Lee and Thomas Ward as understudies.
Question: Minneapolis Musical Theatre has been around for over three decades now, with dozens of musicals under its belt. Where do you see the company right now in that arc?
Andrew Newman: MMT’s motto is “Rare musicals, well done,” and that continues to be at the forefront of everything we do: bringing new and rarely seen musicals to Twin Cities audiences. We’re also challenging ideas about where and how musical theatre can happen. We’ve produced several shows in site-specific locations, including a record store and a car dealership. We’re committed to affordability and access as well, making sure our productions reach audiences who aren’t typically theatre-goers.
It’s an uncertain environment for theatres right now, especially for small companies. We’re focused on remaining nimble and viable while staying true to our mission and keeping our productions accessible to audiences.
Question: Why this one, of all the jukebox musicals?
Andrew Newman: Head Over Heels is truly unique among jukebox musicals. It uses the music of ’80s pop group The Go-Go’s to retell a centuries-old story from Elizabethan England, creating a wonderful mash-up of classical language and plot conventions with the infectious energy of pop music.
The show takes on story tropes we all recognize from Shakespeare—forbidden love, mistaken identities, cross-dressing as a disguise—but really delves into the queerness already present within those tropes. That spoke strongly to MMT. We’re always interested in stories about people who live outside “the norm,” and the joyful, celebratory spirit of Head Over Heels made it an ideal fit for us.
Question: Tell us the journey of the source material from 16th century to now. How does it fit with the Go-Go’s?
Andrew Newman: The source material is Sir Philip Sidney’s “Arcadia,” a pastoral romance written in the late 16th century. It’s a classic comedy in the Shakespearean tradition, filled with characters questioning the roles and expectations placed on them. It features forbidden love, mistaken identities, cross-dressing as a disguise, and more. These characters all feel stifled by the world they’ve been born into and long to rebel and create identities of their own.
Setting this story to the music of The Go-Go’s might seem like a surprise, but it really makes sense. As one of the original all-female punk rock groups, their music is inherently rebellious. Songs like “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “Head Over Heels” translate so naturally to characters discovering love, identity, and what their hearts truly want.
Question: You’ve worked with LUSH before. What made you want to come back to that space? What’s the vibe?
Andrew Newman: LUSH is the perfect venue for a show like this. Head Over Heels already feels like a night out at a club, and performing it at LUSH makes that even more apparent. We’re always glad to partner with LUSH, which is such an important gathering place for queer culture in the Twin Cities.
The atmosphere is open and welcoming, and it really embodies the sense of joy and belonging that’s at the heart of Head Over Heels. MMT has a long history of producing shows with queer themes, and Head Over Heels is the latest example. We’re especially happy to partner with LUSH because of their commitment to the queer community and to creating opportunities for queer artists.
Plus, the themed cocktails they’ve created for the show can’t be beat!
Question: Who’s on your creative and cast team for this one, and what’s the vision for how it all comes together?
Andrew Newman: Head Over Heels is directed by Kari Steinbach, with musical direction by Mary Cay Stone. Both recently worked with us on Grumpy Old Men: The Musical. Michael Terrell Brown is making his MMT debut as choreographer, and this trio is the perfect team to take on this show. MMT has been working on Head Over Heels since 2019, and Kari has been part of the project from the very beginning.
The vision for the show has always been one of celebration. We’re taking the classic elements of Shakespearean comedy and ’80s pop and fusing them together to create something that’s entirely its own. At a time when there’s a lot of darkness in the world, we wanted this show to be a little bit of light — a reason for people to come together, celebrate community, and share some good times.
Question: MMT’s mission has always centered on affordable, rarely-seen musical theatre. How do you balance that accessibility with what it actually costs to put on a show like this?
Andrew Newman: It’s a challenge, for sure — especially as costs continue to rise. MMT is a small theatre company, which comes with its own set of challenges when it comes to producing shows.
We’re incredibly lucky to work with an amazing group of artists who not only believe in the message of this show, but also want it to reach as wide an audience as possible. And thanks to the support of our MMT groupies and dedicated audience members, we’re able to keep exploring ways to make our tickets as accessible as possible.
Question: What’s been the biggest challenge in bringing this particular production to life?
Andrew Newman: I think the biggest challenge has been figuring out how to put such a large show on a tiny stage! LUSH’s theatre is beautiful, but it was primarily designed with drag shows in mind. The stage space is small, so we had to figure out where to put all 13 cast members!
It definitely required us to think creatively, but that challenge ended up becoming one of the most unique elements of the show. We’ve leaned into the drag-show and nightclub atmosphere and turned the entire space into our stage. Actors move throughout the audience, and we use LUSH’s runway to bring the action even further into the room. It allows us to connect directly with audience members, making the show feel even more welcoming and inclusive.
We’ve seen such an incredible response to the show. Audience members are jumping up and singing along to “We Got the Beat” and “Vacation,” creating this incredibly joyful atmosphere. That’s exactly what we wanted — to give audiences a chance to come together, have fun, and celebrate!
Question: What’s next for MMT after this run wraps?
Andrew Newman: We’ll be back in the spring with a new production of Jane Eyre, an absolutely beautiful adaptation of the classic novel. We’ll be performing in the chapel at Plymouth Congregational Church, an incredible 150-year-old space in South Minneapolis. It’s going to be another immersive and intimate experience, and we can’t wait to share it with audiences!
