By Jillian Anthony
Photos courtesy of ZACH Theatre

Kathy Valentine, bassist for the legendary all-female pop rock band The Go-Go’s, traveled the world performing music. But she’s never appeared at the ZACH Theatre in her hometown of Austin — until now.

ZACH Theatre presents the iconic Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame-r in the musically immersive Head Over Heels, influenced by her sonic artistry.

Head Over Heels for Kathy Valentine

Head Over Heels ran successfully on Broadway in 2019. It’s a witty retelling of the love, drama and mistaken identity found in the 16th-century story Arcadia. It also features 18 hits by The Go-Go’s.

Valentine will serve as musical director and play live bass in the show, which runs from August 9 through September 10.

“None of the productions of Head Over Heels have had an original Go-Go involved in the process of the creation,” says Dave Steakley, ZACH’s producing artistic director. “It was just the music being utilized.”

“So when Kathy said that she wanted to put the band together to play the show, I was ecstatically happy,” Steakley continues. “I’m a huge Go-Go’s fan.”

“We also knew we wanted an all-female band,” says Steakley. “It’s really important to me, with Austin being a music town, that we’ve got authenticity around the way that we’re presenting the music.”

Before the premiere of Head Over Heels, the Pre-Professional Company showcased Invincible: Stories of Resilience from May 17 through May 21. It featured fledgling actors in grades 5 through 12.

From June 14 through July 10, the zany farce of a play-within-a-play Noises Off parachutes front and center.

“Things begin to fall apart in this production,” Steakley says. “Over the tour of this play, things just become worse and worse and worse.”

“But the worse it gets, the funnier it gets.”

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ZACH Theatre Season Highlights

ZACH recently announced its 2023-2024 season. Highlights include Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone and Lucas Hnath’s The Thin Place.

The schedule continues with Tony Award-winning musical Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 and Broadway hit The Prom, The Lehman Trilogy. Beautiful: The Carole King Musical also made this year’s season lineup.

You can purchase tickets per show or you can become a ZACH XP member for $40 per month. As a ZACH XP member, you receive a ticket for every production and reserve your spot online ahead of showtime.

Don’t forget to arrive an hour before showtime to enjoy snacks, cocktails and live music from local musicians. 

“It’s a real gift that we’re in the business of getting to lift people’s spirits,” Steakley says. “I always want the experience to feel unique to ZACH. I want people say that maybe they’ve seen the show before, but they’ve never seen it like this.”

 Purchase tickets online for Head Over Heels or call the box office Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 pm at 512-476-0541.

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