It Felt so Right – & Juliet

Jan 21, 2024 by Two Sues On the Aisle

By Sue Weston and Susie Rosenbluth, Two Sues on the Aisle

& Juliet flips the script on Shakespeare by adding contemporary high-energy songs and dances to reshape the classic Romeo & Juliet tragedy into a romantic musical comedy. Combining the book written by David West Read (a writer on the Emmy Award-winning Schitt’s Creek), with 30 pop songs written by Max Martin (from the early 2000s) they give this classic a new twist with a happily-ever-after by imagining what Juliet’s story could have been had she lived.

Plot Twists

In Shakespeare’s version, Juliet fakes her death to be reunited with Romeo. The message is not delivered, and the lovers kill themselves.

& Juliet reshapes every relationship at the insistence of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway (played by the amazingly talented Betsy Wolfe) who demands that the script get a make-over. After a musical dual to ‘I Want it That Way,’ Shakespeare (Austin Scott) reluctantly shares his quill and gives Juliet (a captivating Lorna Courtney) a second chance at life.

As an added twist, Anne and Shakespeare write themselves into the play which becomes a crazy journey from Verona to Paris (over 600 miles away) fueled by music and positivity.

The Playlist

A jukebox sitting prominently on stage foreshadows the role music will play in this performance which includes the popular modern classics “Since U Been Gone‚” “Baby One More Time,” “Opps! I Did it Again,” “It’s My Life,” “As Long As You Love Me,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” (just to name a few).

Music is the foundation of the play, inspiring us to live our best life, accept who we are, and above all, have fun.  The witty writing punctuated by familiar music creates the perfect backdrop for bending the tried but true Shakespearian tale of ‘starstruck lovers’ into a vibrant celebration of life. It erases the romantic mystique of suicides replacing it with empowerment, the excitement of exploration, and new beginnings.

The Plot

When Juliet wakes up, sitting beside a crypt wearing a Walkman and headphones, she finds Romeo dead. With the help of Anne’s creative plot twists, she recognizes that there is a life ahead of her. Together with Anne, her best friend May (Justin David Sullivan), and her nurse (Charity Angel Dawson), they set out to discover their destiny in Paris. The play fuses cultures, clothes, and concepts from the yester-year Victorian era with today, showing a continuum in the struggle for women’s rights, gender fluidity, class differences, and the importance of acceptance.

One of the triumphs of this show is its use of music to underscore the deeper message. This works exceedingly well when May, sings ‘I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman’ to which Juliet responds you will always be my best friend. Offering positive affirmations and sincerity is a central theme layered across these complicated relationships.

The audience cannot resist laughing when Juliet sings “Oops! I Did it Again” after accepting a marriage proposal from Francois (Makai Hernandez) to prevent her parents from sending her to a nunnery. But, Shakespeare and Anne have thrown in a few additional twists which lead to a spectacular colorful, and satisfying conclusion that makes & Juliet a crowd-pleaser.

It all just works.

Perfect Execution

The entire performance was spectacular.  The voices were clear and strong and combined well with the dancing. We were captivated for the entire 2 hours and 40 minutes of performance.

Kudos to director Luke Sheppard’ for an ingenious production, including Elizabethan-inspired costumes by Paloma Young, a playfully designed set by Howard Hudson, and lighting by Soutra Gilmour, which amplified the dance routines, not to mention the addition of fireworks and confetti creating a festive party spirit that left the audience dancing and singing to ‘Roar’ whose words paired naturally to the plot. The production focused on the powerful messages and words that resonated long after we left the theater ‘I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter; Dancing through the fire; ‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar.’

& Juliet is a feel-good musical filled with energy, laughter, and happy endings that you can see over and over again. This classic reimagined may become a family favorite.

 * * * *

Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, book, or exhibit being reviewed. 

& Juliet received a 5 Challah rating