Matthew Murphy
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is arguably the most famous stage play in the world, in history. Written most likely in the early-to-mid 1590s, Shakespeare’s teen love tragedy has been staged hundreds of times by professional companies, community theatre, colleges and high schools. There are at least twenty-five operas based on the play, numerous works of art and works of literature putting their own spin on the tale, and countless movie adaptations, the most famous of which were released in 1936, 1968 and 1996, not to mention one of the most famous stage and film interpretations, West Side Story. The storyline has also made its way to TV, most notably in Disney’s High School Musical, and 2014 CW sci-fi drama Star-Crossed. The story of the teens whose love burns brightly and ends in tragedy for them both has been told so many times it’s hard to imagine how any new take on the material could make it seem fresh.
Well, writer David West Read (Schitt’s Creek) found a way — tell the story after Juliet doesn’t kill herself. Yeah, Romeo is still dead but now Juliet gets to see what life holds for the 14-year-old. That’s the simple version of it. Also, inject a slew of pop hits from writer and producer Max Martin to punctuate the story. The show actually begins with the very first production of Shakespeare’s play, and his wife Anne Hathaway (yes, that’s really her name) has come to see the show, something she normally is not able to do. She feels like her husband wrote this show for her since many of the elements come from their own lives but … Anne does not like the way it ends. Why does Juliet have to die just because her stupid husband killed himself? She’s a kid! Anne proposes re-writing the show to allow Juliet to see the world and find herself. Will does not want to change anything (‘I Want It That Way’) but Anne finally gets him to compromise and Juliet can live. But Will isn’t going to let Anne take over completely, wanting to send Juliet to a nunnery. Anne however sends her, her non-binary friend May and her nurse Angelique (unnamed in the original play) to Paris. Juliet is ready to sow her wild oats after learning at Romeo’s funeral that he was not as chaste as she, with several of his lovers — male and female — showing up to mourn. In Paris they meet Francois Du Bois, whom Juliet insists on calling Frankie the Boy. She and Frankie share a spark, but May and Frankie seem fated to be together … until Frankie proposes to Juliet to keep him out of the army and her out of the nunnery. But does Juliet want to get married again? After knowing the guy for one day? Unfortunately, she does not know about Frankie’s feelings for May, and there’s one other obstacle she has to face — Shakespeare has decided Romeo … is not dead after all. He didn’t poison himself, it was just a sleeping potion. And Romeo wants his Juliet back. But does she want him? Will May find true love? Can Will and Anne reach some sort of compromise before this story destroys their own marriage? We won’t spoil it but let’s just say this story does not end in tragedy.
& Juliet is still running on Broadway and this first national tour of the show has kicked off in Baltimore. As with last year’s launch of The Wiz, & Juliet is a colorful spectacle that fully embraces the showmanship Broadway musicals are known for. Read’s book is witty and heartfelt, examining romantic relationships from different viewpoints. And while the story is set most likely in 1591 (based on a line of dialogue from the Nurse that mentions an earthquake that occurred eleven years ago, possibly the Dover Straits quake of 1580), the show itself is very modern with its queer sensibilities (some believe the original text also has queer undertones) and anachronistic costumes, neon lights and pop music. I know some people may be offended by the inclusion of a non-binary character and the love story between them and Frankie, but it’s refreshing to see the character of May presented as a real person with real feelings, especially in the current climate of hate aimed at the LGBTQ+ community for no good reason. The moment when Juliet tells May she doesn’t see them as a boy or a girl, just her friend is something a lot of people should take to heart. May, like any LGBTQ+ person in the world, just wants to live their life and be loved too. The performance by Nick Drake is nothing short of fabulous. May first appears as Juliet’s sassy friend but everything changes in Paris, and Drake pulls every bit of emotion out of Britney Spears’ ‘I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman’ as they relate their struggles in the world, and then gets to be utterly joyful after kissing Frankie (who sings ‘I Kissed a Girl’), and when May notes that they are not a girl … Frankie doesn’t care. He’s finally found an emotional connection he’d been unable to find with all of the women his father set him up with. (I’m quite shocked I didn’t see anyone walk out during any of this storyline, so perhaps we are making progress in the world!) Drake is so good you can’t help root for May to get their man.
Now, let’s talk about Rachel Simone Webb as Juliet. Her first appearance at Romeo’s crypt singing a really haunting version of ‘…Baby One More Time’ will give you goosebumps. The orchestration of the song is magnificent, and Webb’s performance is breathtaking. Webb had the benefit of appearing in the Broadway version of the show and understudied Juliet, so they could not have chosen a better actor to play the role for the launch of the tour. She brings such joy to the role, and power. This Juliet — conveniently aged up to her twenties by Anne so they can get into a Parisian club — is a powerful, strong woman. She is angry that Romeo wasn’t honest, she admits she’s made the same mistake with Frankie by agreeing to marry him, and when Shakespeare reminds her that he’s written her character and she will act how he wants her to is when Webb really becomes ferocious, no longer willing to bend to the will of men (or her parents). Webb also perfectly conveys Juliet’s confusion over Romeo. They knew each other so long — four days — that she’s torn on going back to him or just living her life. But if she goes back, it will be on her terms, not the whim of some male writer. This is a star-making performance for Webb and she nails it. And her voice — gorgeous, powerful, everything you want from a Broadway star. If there’s any justice in this world, we will be seeing more of Rachel Simone Webb.
Teal Wicks and Corey Mach are also wonderful as Anne and William. They have wonderful chemistry and they can bicker like an old married couple. They both have wonderful voices, but Wicks really hits it out of the park with ‘That’s the Way It Is’ with Webb. Kathryn Allison is also terrific as Angelique, a friend to Juliet more than her nurse, always there with the best advice. But she also gets her own subplot as she rekindles a romance with Frankie’s father Lance (which is very wonderfully explained), and she can tear it up with ‘Oops!…I Did It Again’ and ‘Fuckin’ Perfect’. Allison has appeared on Broadway in Aladdin, Wicked and the revival of Company, and now the rest of the country will have a chance to see her considerable talents on display. Mateus Leite Cardoso, on his first national tour, is wonderfully awkward as Francois, and gives off genuine emotion when he realizes that in order to be happy he has to choose what’s best for him. He’s got a great voice that shines on ‘I Kissed a Girl’ and especially ‘Whataya Want from Me’. Michael Canu, also in his tour debut, is a hoot as Romeo. He gets to make a spectacular entrance, and plays Romeo’s cluelessness to perfection, finally realizing exactly how he’s behaving after a verbal smackdown from Anne. He gets to open Act 2 with ‘Love Me Like You Do’, and really gets to shine in the group numbers like ‘It’s My Life’ and ‘As Long as You Love Me’. Paul-Jordan Jansen is very funny as Lance, Frankie’s father, and uses him booming bass voice to great effect. He also gets one of the show’s funniest moments when he’s told by Shakespeare they aren’t doing accents … after he’s been doing a French accent for the whole show. His reaction is priceless. Jansen, Mach, Drake, Canu and Cardoso also get a real crowd-pleasing number with their version of ‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), slightly rewritten for the Du Bois Band (everyone refuses to pronounce the name properly so the play on words of ‘the boys band’s back’ gets big laughs in the song).
Matthew Murphy
The show also has a wonderful ensemble with Naima Alakham, Camille Brooks, Nella Cole, Lois Ellise, Ishmael Gonzalez, Kenneth Onesimus Goubran, Shelby Griswold, Christopher Robert Hanford, Jourdan Ibe, Josh Jordan, Nicole Lamb, Yoshi Maysonet, Usman Ali Mughal, Jaydon Nget, Kyra Smith and Francisco Thurston, joining in on the group numbers with their beautiful voices, totally nailing the choreography by Jennifer Weber. No one in this group is phoning anything in.
Director Luke Sheppard has brought his wildly creative vision to life on the stage, making all the modernity of the piece not feel out of place. Sheppard had a real task of making a show that’s basically taking place on a stage (and allowing the actors to occasionally acknowledge the audience since they are supposed to be performing the show as it’s being written) feel more grand than it should, never allowing it to feel stage-bound even when the actors sometimes just walk in a circle to depict some sort of distance has been covered. Helping convey the feel of ‘bigness’ is the eye-popping set design by Soutra Gilmour, the lighting design by Howard Hudson, and the video projections by Andrzej Goulding. It all works so well together, so seamlessly, that you often forget you’re watching a play within a play. Paloma Young’s costumes combine the period with contemporary items of clothing like jeans, sneakers and track pants, but it works, as does the hair, wigs and makeup by J. Jared Janas. This entire production, for being brand new, runs like a well-oiled machine. When seeing the show you may also notice there is no orchestra pit, but fear not, there is a band backstage who get to take their own bow at the curtain call.
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from & Juliet. Knowing it is a jukebox musical with already established songs, it does have a bit of a Moulin Rouge vibe (especially with the neon signs), but it also made me think of the fantastic Six with its original music but anachronistic costumes. If those two shows had a baby, & Juliet would be it. And what a bundle of joy it is. A stellar production, pop music you know, and some of the best performances you’ll see this year makes & Juliet one show not to miss when it comes to your town (or nearby).
& Juliet runs about 2 hours 40 minutes with one intermission. Containing some adult language, the show is recommended for ages 8 and up. Children under 4 will not be admitted. & Juliet includes flashing/strobe lighting, loud noises, confetti cannons, and pyrotechnics throughout.
& Juliet runs through September 28 at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre. Other cities on the schedule include Durham NC, Pittsburgh, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Atlanta, Nashville, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland OR, Los Angeles and more. Visit the official website for more information. Use our Ticketmaster link to purchase tickets.
& Juliet – National Tour Trailer
& Juliet Musical
Check our Ticketmaster link for ticket availability.
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