Shakespeare’s tragedy reimagined into a high-octane musical comedy in ‘& Juliet’

by John Joseph Basijan / October 6, 2023

What if Juliet, one-half of the doomed star-crossed lovers in William Shakespeare’s immortal tragedy, decided not to follow Romeo to the doors of death and moved on with her life?

“& Juliet,” the West End and Broadway hit musical, poses this question and goes further by ditching Shakespeare’s sonnets in favor of chart-topping hits by Britney Spears, Kesha, Backstreet Boys, and Katy Perry. This fizzy, eye-catching musical comedy, much like pop music itself, comes dangerously close to the brink of shallowness but remains nevertheless a guilty pleasure.

Premiering in 2019 on the West End, “& Juliet” went on to open on Broadway last year and received nominations for several Olivier and Tony awards. An Australian production opened earlier this year in Melbourne, and recently made its Asian premiere at the Sands Theatre in Singapore.

What if?

Juliet might be the title character in this musical, but at the center of the story are Shakespeare himself and his wife, Anne Hathaway (and yes, their knowing glances show that they are aware of Anne the Hollywood actress). Set during the opening performance of Shakespeare’s newly-written tragedy, “& Juliet” sees Anne questioning her husband’s tragic ending to the story and proposes a lighter and more hopeful ending. What follows is a back-and-forth between Anne’s story of an empowered woman making her own choices and Shakespeare’s penchant for creating drama and tension. 

In this revised narrative, Juliet, after choosing to move on from her lover’s death, goes to Paris with her nurse Angelique and her best friend May. Anne inserts herself into the story as April, another friend of Juliet’s and a winking nod to Shakespeare’s usage of puns. In Paris, Juliet finds herself once again in a whirlwind engagement with Francois de Bois, under the pressure of his father and despite his growing feelings for May. In true Shakespearean fashion, tensions further escalate with Romeo’s sudden reappearance, eager to win his wife back.

It’s a lot to unpack throughout two acts compared to the original text’s five, and “& Juliet” attempts to breeze through each twist and turn with bursts of energy powered by the irresistible beats of pop music. The concepts of queerness and gender fluidity are also introduced through May, a non-binary character, yet a lot more was left unexplored. (It is worth noting, though, that a kissing scene between the show’s two queer characters had to be reworked in light of Singapore’s conservative stance on the LGBTQIA+ community.)

Despite this, everyone in the cast brings fresh new portrayals to Shakespeare’s classic characters. Lorinda May Merrypor portrays a strong-willed Juliet with a vibrant energy. With her are Casey Donovan as the headstrong nurse Angelique and Jesse Dutlow as the superbly poignant May. Yashith Fernando brings Francois’ journey to new heights, while Hayden Tee, playing his father Lance, glows in balancing between a stoic patriarch and a lovesick widower. Not to be missed is Blake Appelqvist’s comedic take on Romeo.

Rob Mills plays the bard himself with a sprightly yet cocky attitude, contrary to what one might expect from the stolid portraits of William Shakespeare. Alongside Mills is Amy Lehpamer, whose moving portrayal of his wife Anne would make one curious about why little has been told about her throughout history.

Can’t stop the feeling

“& Juliet” is far from the first contemporary reimagining of the timeless Shakespeare classic. Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film, “Romeo + Juliet,” brought the story to a more modern setting while keeping the original Shakespearean text. The Broadway classic “West Side Story,” a love story of two people caught between feuding gangs in a New York neighborhood, also took inspiration from the tragic story.

What makes “& Juliet” different from these reimaginings is the music that pushes and punctuates every scene, and you’ve probably heard most, if not all of them. Shakespeare enters the stage to the tune of Backstreet Boys’ “Larger Than Life.” May reflects on the pains of young love through Britney Spears’ “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman.” Romeo makes his grand comeback accompanied by Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life.” Juliet, after declaring control over her own destiny, sings and dances her heart out to Katy Perry’s “Roar.”

All these songs have one thing—or man—in common: they were all co-written and co-produced by Max Martin, the Grammy Award-winning producer, songwriter, and the man behind 25 Billboard Hot 100 number-one songs. Apart from the artists mentioned above, he also co-wrote and co-produced songs for NSYNC, Justin Timberlake, Ariana Grande, and The Weeknd.

It is only fitting that the reimagined classic is told through the songs of Martin, whose song catalog is as prolific as Shakespeare’s writings. While the musical pulled deep into the songwriter’s discography, Martin wrote the song “One More Try” specifically for the musical.

The song choices are often a hit or miss, and the show seems to know it. Yet, rather than be bogged down by this, “& Juliet” doubles down on its silliness and relishes on the cheesiness of its songs. That is, after all, the power of pop music—the lyrics don’t often matter, as long as the beats are catchy and everyone is on their feet.

Will “& Juliet” accompany “Romeo and Juliet” in the pantheons of classics? Only time will tell. Despite the shallow exploration of its themes, one won’t be faulted to find this reimagining of the Shakespeare classic a guilty pleasure. Max Martin’s iconic songs, bombastically performed on stage and reverberating throughout the theater like a late-night club, makes “& Juliet” a glittering spectacle that will stay with you even after the last confetti falls from the ceiling.

Singapore is the musical’s only stop in Asia, and will return to Australia with a Sydney premiere next year. “& Juliet” is currently playing at the Sands Theatre in Marina Bay until October 15.

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