FAIRFIELD — Students, family members, and faculty alike all huddled into a half-packed Solano College Theatre Friday evening for the Opening night of SCT’s most recent play, Head Over Heels, directed by Solano Community College’s own Artistic Director Christine Mani.
Head Over Heels, originally written by Jeff Whitty and then adapted by James Magruder, is a genre-defying jukebox musical that laces songs of the 80s band The Go Go’s with an elegant Elizabethan love tale. Adapted from The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia, written by Sir Phillip Sidney in the 16th century, this production follows the fortunes and misfortunes of a royal family on a quest to save their kingdom.
Filled with gender-bending twists, LGBTQ+ love stories, and a celebration of self-expression, Head Over Heels blends Shakespearean comedy with modern sensibilities, all set to the tune of songs such as “Mad About You,” “Heaven is a Place on Earth,” and “Vacation.” Combining Renaissance-inspired storytelling with concurrent perspectives, this musical blends theatrical styles and modernizes its source material through the soundtrack and thematic decisions.
The theater was filled with angst and laughter before the show even started, as the feeling in the room was electric. Everyone was excited to see the first showing of our College’s newest show and for some, the excitement came from seeing their loved ones on stage. The show started on a solid musical note, with the cast performing The Go Go’s most popular song “We Got the Beat”. Although the choreography sometimes lacked synchronicity, the cast’s energy made for an engaging and upbeat opener.
Strong musical numbers and performances would go on to be a recurring theme of the production, with Julianna Romauldi, actor of the character Pamela, giving a wonderful solo performance of the song “Beautiful” almost directly after the first song. Followed by some talented acting from characters such as Dametas, played by Angelito Guevarra, and great sound direction. We were finally introduced to the star of the show; Pythio played by Juni Hernandez. Hernandez delivered an excellent performance, backed by outstanding line delivery and one of the coolest evil laughs I’ve ever heard.
With Hernandez then setting the tone with a tremendous opening scene, the stage was set for the rest of the night. Another bright spot of the evening was Leilani Lobo’s portrayal of Gynecia, the Queen of Arcadia and wife to King Basilius played by William Schmidt. Her commanding presence and resonant voice really helped her performance of the no-nonsense, sharp witted queen she played. Schmidt offered an acceptable performance of her husband, King Basilius. However, I felt he struggled with stiffness when executing certain lines. Despite this, his portrayal of the prideful yet goofy king rang home in some parts of the show.
Rebekah Penazola’s performance in the song “Good Girl” was the musical pinnacle of the evening, as Celeste Low, playing Mopsa, and Julianna Romualdi, who played Pamela, supported the number which definitely helped. While Penazola’s Philoclea didn’t necessarily need it in this scene, Rebekah went on to give a powerful & marvelous showing of Philoclea’s desire to break free of her royal family’s expectations of her.
The show was not only a showcase of student talent, but a testament to the inclusive and evolving spirit of Solano’s theater program. In a world that often clings to convention, this production dared to celebrate difference—and the audience was better for it. Opening night at SCT’s Head Over Heels was more than pleasant—it was a lively, heartfelt celebration of expression.
I would recommend that you should give it a watch. Relax and have a great time enjoying copious amounts of talent. Whether it’s the direction, the acting, or the extremely impressive and cozy costume design (which I might add were handmade by the SCT Costume Design program). All of these factors only solidified the feeling I first got when walking to the theatre Friday evening; A feeling of community, acceptance, pride, and love.
The headline for this article was updated on 4/14/25 from “Head Over heels” For Solano’s Adaptation of “Head Over Heels” to “Head Over heels” For Solano’s Performance of “Head Over Heels” reflecting that SCT is performing the script as intended & written.
