While it may sound difficult to tell a story about a kingdom and its court, with both Shakespearean and Renaissance elements, through 1980s hit songs, that’s exactly what “Head Over Heels” does.

Set to the music of The Go-Go’s, “Head Over Heels” — opening this weekend at the Solano Community College Theatre — follows eight characters from the kingdom as they attempt to save it from extinction.

“I’m a very campy director. I love camp. I just love that silliness and ridiculousness and it’s absolutely full of that,” says Artistic Director Christine Mani.

The Solano College Theatre originally intended to put on a production of “Head Over Heels” in 2019, but was unable to acquire the rights. Now able to, Mani says the students she is working with are a good fit for the show.

One of those students, Celeste Low, will be playing Mopsa, handmaiden to the royal family. “It’s such a warm show,” says Low. “And I do love a jukebox musical.”

Low says she has found that while some jukebox musicals are lacking when it comes to the story, struggling to be as good or match with the well-known hit songs, “Head Over Heels” doesn’t have that problem.

One of Low’s favorite numbers is the opener, “We Got the Beat.”

On April 19, before that evening’s show, Solano College Theatre will host a pop-up Renaissance Faire event that both Mani and Low are excited for. “I took the whole day of work,” Low laughs.

The event will have music, food and vendors, but many of the details are yet to be determined. Low is mostly excited to hang out with friends ahead of the show. “You know theater kids, we love to dress up and do fun activities together,” she said.

One of the reasons Mani and Solano College Theatre decided to do “Head Over Heels” was because of its diversity in representation, says Mani.

The show features a gender nonbinary character named Pythio. When it originally premiered on Broadway, the actor, Peppermint, became the first transgender woman to originate a principal role on Broadway.

“We have a huge amount of nonbinary students who are trying to figure out who they are right now and for the future,” said Mani. “I wanted to see them be able to feel represented on stage.”

However, neither time the college attempted to acquire the rights for the show, first back in 2019 and again in 2024, did it intend to make a statement, says Mani. “It’s legitimately a show about love and discovering one’s self, which has nothing to do with politics,” she said.

Parts of “Head Over Heels” feels Shaksperean, relates to Greek and Roman mythology, other parts are renaissance-esque and then there’s the 1980s pop music. Throughout all that the musical comedy has to offer, Mani says it really comes down to two themes: Love and change.

“We are all afraid of change. We’re all, you know, looking to be loved, looking to find love, looking to have love be a part of our world in as many ways as we can,” she says.

Even though the show centers on love and the willingness to change, it’s overwhelmingly a comedy and the actors want the audience to enjoy it, says Low.

“We want people to relate but we want people to laugh,” she said. “Laugh at the jokes, laugh when you think something’s funny. It gives us that extra energy we need on stage to really bring those characters to life in those moments.”

If you go …

WHAT: “Head Over Heels”

WHEN: April 4-27, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

WHERE: Solano Community College, 4000 Suisun Valley Road, Fairfield.