Most updated adaptations of classic theater works deliver few fresh ideas or interpretations and usually elicit the response, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Just present the original and have done with it.” But & Juliet, on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theater after a smash run in London, offers new insights for contemporary audiences without tearing down its source material.
The concept for & Juliet sounds like yet another bubble-headed, pop-infused jukebox musical: a feminist, 30-ish version of Anne Hathaway proposes a different ending of Romeo and Juliet to a hot, young version of her husband William Shakespeare. What if the heroine doesn’t off herself after she discovers her lover has poisoned himself when he believes she is dead? The story follows Juliet’s amorous adventures in Paris in the company of her sassy Nurse, non-binary best friend May, and her other best friend conveniently played by Anne. Willie Shakespeare also pops in playing various cameo roles, allowing the couple to debate which way the plot should go. Along the way, Juliet meets a new love interest with issues of his own and discovers her own voice and agency while belting out a series of girl-power ballads.
The book by David West Read, a writer and executive producer for “Schitt’s Creek,” is cute, fun, and provocative without being condescending. He raises legitimate questions about the Bard’s original such as “Why would Juliet kill herself when she’s only 14 and has the rest of her life ahead of her?” and “Is Romeo something of a drama queen?”
The plot never feels like a clothes-line upon which to string a series of hits by the ultra-successful Max Martin whose oeuvre include favorites popularized by Katy Perry (“Roar,” “I Kissed a Girl”), the Backstreet Boys (“I Want It That Way”), Justin Timberlake (“Can’t Stop the Feeling”) and Britney Spears (“Baby One More Time”). Read’s riff feels fully grown and not just a parody and Martin’s blissful songs never feel shoehorned in, but explode with joy and express the characters’ emotions and conflicts.
The characters are fleshed out and have their own motives outside of those provided by the Bard. As embodied by the vibrant Lorna Courtney, Juliet emerges as her own woman rather than an appendage of Romeo or the creation of the Bard. Betsy Wolfe and Stark Sands give full life and vocal strength to the battling Shakespeares.
Paolo Szot and Melanie La Barrieare are delightfully droll as a pair of more mature lovers while Philippe Arroyo captures the conflicted spirit of Francois, Juliet’s new boo, or beau as us old folks would say. The plot twists when Francois encounters May, Juliet’s non-binary BFF who is played with sweet sass by Justin David Sullivan. Another complication arises when a figure from the past (charismatic Ben Jackson Walker) re-emerges on the scene. Three guesses as to his identity, but no spoilers here.
Luke Sheppard’s direction is fast and bouncy, as is Jennifer Weber’s infectious choreography. Paloma Young’s clever costumes combine 21st century casual chic with Elizabethan sensibility as does Sutra Gilmour’s romantic and fun set. & Juliet is a joyful combination of classic theater and pop rock concert.
