& Juliet
Music and Lyrics by Max Martin and Friends, Book by David West Read
Directed by Luke Sheppard
Choreographed by Jennifer Weber
The Fox Theatre
May 20, 2025
Rachel Simone Webb, Teal Wicks and Cast
Photo by Matthew Murphy
& Juliet North American Tour
& Juliet is, in my estimation, quite possibly the perfect jukebox musical. I’ve had a bit of a love-hate relationship with jukebox shows, considering a lot of them come across as more of a collection of acted out songs with a contrived book, but there are exceptions. & Juliet, which I first saw in London before it opened on Broadway, not only has a witty, cleverly constructed book, but it puts its collection of hit pop songs written or co-written by Max Martin to excellent use, often making them seem like they were written for this show. The look, sound, and overall vibe of this show is smart, funny, and thoroughly entertaining, and the North American tour now playing at the Fox is a fantastic iteration of this marvelous show.
The show is often described as “what would happen if Juliet didn’t die at the end of Romeo & Juliet?” While that description is essentially true, there’s a lot more than that to this plot. I think of it as sort of a marital conflict worked out through theatre, as the premise has William Shakespeare (Corey Mach) about to open his new tragedy when his wife Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks) shows up and puts a wrench in his plans, declaring his ending unsatisfying and wanting to write her own, for deeper reasons that will be revealed as the show goes on. So Shakespeare hands Anne his quill and she takes over, as Juliet (Rachel Simone Webb) gets her grand entrance, alone in a tomb, singing the Britney Spears classic “Baby One More Time”. The grieving Juliet then goes on an adventure–with continued wrangling for the quill between Shakespeare and Anne–that gives her a group of friends, including her nurse Angélique (Naima Alakham), best friend May (Nick Drake), and other best friend April (a self-insert played by Anne herself). Their journey takes them to Paris, where they meet the shy François (Jaydon Nget), who is being pressured by his father Lance (Paul Jordan Jansen) to either marry or join the army. There’s also a surprise connection between Lance and Angélique, as various entanglements and confusions lead to rushed decisions, unexpected attractions, and many surprises including the appearance of Romeo (Daniel J. Maldonado).
As the story plays out, many themes are explored including journeys of self-discovery including personal agency, gender roles and identity, marital tensions, and parent-child conflictions, along with secrets and revelations and a soundtrack of familiar songs (and one new one–“One More Try”) that are integrated into the story about as well as I’ve ever seen in a jukebox musical. It’s funny, it’s bold, it’s thoughtful and heartfelt, and an excellent blend of Shakespearean themes with modern values and ideas, with a fun aesthetic that combines both eras.
This is such a fun show, with excellent dramatic structure and fitting all the subplots in well. For me, the most important figures are Juliet and Anne, since Anne basically starts the action and Juliet starts out as something of an avatar for issues that Anne is exploring, although the other characters get their moments to shine, as well. Webb is fantastic as Juliet, with the requisite stage presence and powerful vocals that make Juliet immensely relatable, and Wicks is also terrific vocally, comedically and dramatically as the persistent Anne. Mach is also fun as the somewhat self-centered Shakespeare, displaying strong chemistry with Wicks in their perpetual sparring. Maldonado is also strong as the somewhat goofy, charming but flighty Romeo. There are also excellent turns from Alakham (the understudy) as the loyal, somewhat secretive Angélique and Jansen as the comically stubborn Lance. There’s also a believable relationship between Lance and the endearingly nerdy François, played with believable charm by another understudy, Nget, who also has credible chemistry with Drake’s conflicted, but also funny and likable May. There’s a first-rate ensemble as well, who are involved in various roles from before the story even officially starts, and who support the vibrant production numbers with clever, energetic modern dancing choreographed by Jennifer Weber. It’s a great cast all around, doing justice to the hard-driving soundtrack of hits from the 1990’s and 2000’s that many in the audience will recognize.
Visually, the show is as dazzling as it is entertaining, with a unique look and vibe that blends Elizabethan stylings with modern touches, as evidenced by Soutra Gilmour’s striking, versatile set, Andrzej Goulding’s marvelous projections and video design, and Paloma Young’s colorful, stylish costumes. There’s a sense of action throughout this show–everything keeps moving–and this momentum is supported by the excellent band led by conductor and keyboardist Andre Cerullo. There’s also eye-catching lighting by Howard Hudson and strong sound design by Gareth Owen. It’s a unique, cohesive look, feel, and overall energetic presentation.
Ever since I first saw & Juliet in London in early 2020, I’ve been waiting for a chance to see it again. It’s such a fun, clever show that should appeal not only to fans of the music, but also to Shakespeare fans and anyone who likes a good story that blends elements of classic theatre with a bold, contemporary twist. There is some mature content and strong language, so I would rate it as essentially “PG-13” going by movie ratings. This touring production is entertaining from start to finish, and a delight to see, hear, and experience.
Corey Mach and Cast
Photo by Matthew Murphy
& Juliet North American Tour
The North American tour of & Juliet is running at the Fox Theatre until June 1, 2025
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