FORESTBURGH, NY — Tired of the same old/same old? Looking for entertainment that’s new, fresh, inventive and just plain fun? Then head on over to the Forestburgh Playhouse, where audiences are flipping their lids for the Go-Gos and a splashy, colorful and ridiculously entertaining musical romp based on the band’s considerable catalogue of tunes.

I knew nothing about the show, so turned to Wikipedia for some help. There I learned that “Head Over Heels is a jukebox musical that adapts the plot of ‘The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia,’ the 16th-century prose romance by Sir Philip Sidney regarding a king outrunning four prophesies.” Additionally, the internet informed me that “The plotline of the Broadway story follows the royal family of Arcadia on their journey to keep their famous ‘Beat.’” 

Confused? So was I, but under the masterful direction of director/choreographer extraordinaire Chaz Wolcott, this quirky salute to musical icon Belinda Carlisle and friends, this show has got plenty of “Get Up and Go.”

Spoiler alert: the first 15 minutes of the show, which had its world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival before making its way to Broadway, had me scratching my head, as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. But it wasn’t long before I was won over by the cavalcade of talent, singing and dancing with wild abandon in this truly gorgeous must-be-seen-to-be-believed production, playing live on stage through August 24.

Intrigued? You should be, because this is not your grandma’s musical. It’s hip, it’s cool and most importantly,  it’s different, and in the topsy-turvy world we presently inhabit, entertainment is more necessary than ever before. 

Is it “Oklahoma” or “Guys and Dolls”? No, but we’ve been there/done that and “Heels” turned out to be the musical I never knew that I needed.

It’s clear that Music Director Erik Wakar must have had a ball guiding the amazing Christina Stroup, hilarious Leland Burnett, frenetically funny Robert Anthony Jones, ethereal L. Walter and triple-threat Mason Ballard through the maze of Go-Gos hits like “We Got the Beat,” “Mad about You” and “Cool Jerk.” 

Not to be outdone, they’re joined on stage by seriously talented performers Vivienne Gianneschi, Leilani Miranda and Mia McManny as “Pamela,” “Mopsa” and “Philocea.” Unusual names? You betcha, perfectly suited for a screwball comedy of errors that’s  a little bit “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a little bit “Forum” and a little bit “’Fiddler”—if Tevye and Golde were king and queen of a mythical land, and the citizens of Anatevka were hyped up on Rockstar. (It’s an energy drink.)

The supporting cast, composed of a dozen or so crazy-talented young folks, gets to really shine in this production, which boasts about 20 gargantuan Go-Gos hits, as they sing and dance their way into our hearts with supreme harmonies that rocked the house. The show is a fantastical dreamscape inhabited by larger-than-life fairy-tale characters, who may or may not be on Mount Olympus, romping through a Greek comedy of errors. 

Maggie Jackson’s scenic design is inspired, and Corey Goulden Naitove’s lighting design is equally sumptuous, serving to highlight Kyle Artone’s clever costumes that enhance the overall experience that is “Head Over Heels.” 

I had friends in the audience, one of whom went out of their way to send me a note describing their experience with words like “amazing, kitchy and awesome.” This encapsulates what many in the audience must have felt, based on the cheering standing ovation following the performance they attended. 

As for me, one thing was abundantly clear—the entire cast was having fun, and when they’re having fun, we’re having fun, so get up and go-go (sorry, had to say it) to “Head Over Heels” at the Forestburgh Playhouse. It’s a Chaztastic (did I just coin a new word?) tuneful, theatrical extravaganza you won’t soon forget. And that’s a promise. 

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