“Head Over Heels” the Musical closes out the university’s theatrical spring season. Pitt Stages, the in-house theatre company of the Dietrich School Department of Theatre Arts, is excited to wrap up the spring season with their production of Head Over Heels the Musical. The show, with its unique 16th century view into love, identity, and music, will open the audience's minds on how they approach relationships and identities in the world today.
Set to the iconic music of The Go-Go’s, Head Over Heels is a bold, inclusive, and provocative musical comedy. The show reimagines the classic story The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia. When the royal family learns that their kingdom is destined to fall to a dark power, they embark on a journey of self discovery that is replete with mistaken identities, romance, and lively 80’s pop dance music.
Director Kelly Trumbull is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Theatre Arts Department at the University of Pittsburgh. Head Over Heels marks her seventh show as a director with Pitt Stages. She is a Resident Artist at the Pittsburgh Public Theater and a member of SAG/Aftra, Actors’ Equity, and the Dramatists Guild of America.
Director’s Note:
“This season, Pitt Stages ’theme is transformations, and Head Over Heels feels like a perfect fit for that idea. The piece lives in a world where change is constant. Characters lose power, find new identities, fall in love with the wrong people, fall in love with the right people, and are forced to question what they thought was their “correct” path. By the end of the story, no one is exactly who they were at the beginning. They have all transformed into truer, more beautiful versions of themselves.
What I love about working on this piece at Pitt is the chance to explore these ideas with students and colleagues in a space where discovery is part of the process. A musical like this only works when everyone commits fully to the world, the humor, and the heart. Head Over Heels requires a company that is bold, open, and willing to take risks, and that is exactly the kind of work this group has brought to the process.
At its core, Head Over Heels is about letting go of the idea that life will stay the same. It reminds us that transformation can be uncomfortable, surprising, and sometimes ridiculous, but it is also what allows us to move forward
“Head Over Heels” | April 10 - 19, 2026 | Tickets: $15-25
The ASL interpreted performance will be April 12, with the Relaxed Performance on April 19.
Charity Randall Theatre | 4301 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213