Shakespeare's greatest tragedy gets a rewrite in a new musical that has audiences feeling the love. Now in its third year on Broadway, & Juliet is a musical dance party that will dare you not to sing along.
What's it all about? What if Juliet didn't die? That should almost be the start of the play! & Juliet is a multi-generational story of self-discovery, empowerment and love, imagining what would happen next if Juliet hadn't ended it all over Romeo, and got a second chance at life and love - on her terms. Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way.
While the story is a new experience even for the most ardent fans of the Bard, the show's score is a fresh take on some of the best-known pop music of the past three decades. Juliet's adventure bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, all written by Max Martin and his collaborators. & Juliet reimagines iconic pop songs you know and love—in ways you’ll never expect. Featuring “Since U Been Gone,” “Larger Than Life,” “…Baby One More Time,” “I Want It That Way,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” “Roar,” “It’s My Life,” and more.
The story comes from the mind of David West Read- the Emmy-winning writer of Schitt's Creek, features direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography by Jennifer Weber.
The jukebox musical first found life in the UK, where it premiered in Manchester before transferring to the West End in 2019. A mostly new cast went on to star in the show's North American premiere in Toronto before they moved to Broadway later in 2022. & Juliet finally opened at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre on November 17, 2022 and went on to earn nine Tony nominations the following year, including 'Best Musical.'
You'll especially love & Juliet if you grew up with the music of artists like The Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, and Kelly Clarkson. Its themes of self-discovery, empowerment, and independence make it a perfect theatrical experience for young audiences. This musical is all about female empowerment and will have you unabashedly singing (and dancing) out of the theatre. That's the way it is!
That may be why & Juliet, though often entertaining, also feels pretty disposable. The show-within-a-show framework doesn’t make a lot of sense if you think about it too much (or at all); aside from a plot strand involving the proto-trans May, who sings “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” the stakes are not sharp enough to drive the story into solid ground. Directed by Luke Sheppard, the musical exists in an elaborately unreal world: Soutra Gilmour’s scenic design and Paloma Young’s costumes are delightfully creative transhistorical mix-and-matches that float the show in a swirl of unfixed fantasy. It all feels comfortingly familiar and indistinct—there’s not much narrative thrust to Jennifer Weber’s synchronized hip-hop choreography, which mostly suggests energetic background dancing at a concert—and the ideal place for it might be the high school auditoriums where it will surely enjoy a rich afterlife someday. But there’s no denying the relentless effectiveness of Martin’s earworm craftsmanship. & Juliet gives audiences what they want from it: all those hits, baby, one more time.
Luke Sheppard's direction of his actors effectively showcases many of the more appealing quirks in Read's characters. When Read's book turns conventional with the nonbinary May, Sheppard turns on the automatic pilot to strand Sullivan in a swamp of schmaltz. Unfortunately, that sticky morass claims many more victims in Act 2. Why do sophisticated TV and film writers resort to hackneyed tropes when they write for the musical stage? Rather than continuing to lampoon the treacly bombast of most new musicals, writers like Read and Cameron Crowe ('Almost Famous') fall prey to it. Even the Hathaway character turns into a Celine Dion manqué, right down to the Vegas echo-chamber amplification to deliver 'That's the Way It Is' as some kind of anthem of oppression.
Digital Rush:
Price: $39
Where: todaytix.com
When: Tickets for that day's performance will be available on the TodayTix app at 9 a.m. each day on a first-come, first-served basis.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Tickets are subject to availability.
Price: $45
Where: Standing room tickets are available in person at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre box office only.
Information: Standing room tickets will only be offered for sold-out performances and are subject to availability.
2021 | West End |
Original West End Production West End |
2022 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
2024 | US Tour |
North American Tour US Tour |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Book of A Musical | David West Read |
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Choreography | Jennifer Weber |
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Costume Design | Paloma Young |
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Direction of a Musical | Luke Sheppard |
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Featured Performer in a Musical | Betsy Wolfe |
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Lead Performer in a Musical | Lorna Courtney |
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Musical | & Juliet |
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Orchestrations | Bill Sherman |
2023 | BroadwayWorld Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Gareth Owen |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | David West Read |
2023 | Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Musical | & Juliet |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Betsy Wolfe |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Lorna Courtney |
2023 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Production of a Musical | & Juliet |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Book of a Musical | David West Read |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Choreography | Jennifer Weber |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Costume Design (Play or Musical) | Paloma Young |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical | Betsy Wolfe |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding New Broadway Musical | & Juliet |
2023 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Orchestrations | Bill Sherman |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical | Lorna Courtney |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Book of a Musical | David West Read |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Choreography | Jennifer Weber |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Costume Design of a Musical | Paloma Young |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Howard Hudson |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Musical | & Juliet |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Orchestrations | Bill Sherman |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical | Betsy Wolfe |
2023 | Tony Awards | Best Sound Design of a Musical | Gareth Owen |
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