Pop takes over in Shakespearian proportions in the jukebox musical “& Juliet.” The speakers were pulsating when PNC Broadway in Louisville finally brought the national tour to Louisville’s Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts for its April 22-27 run.
Arts Angle Vantage had three young reporters there to review “& Juliet” for opening night. Their reviews are here.
As always, we are deeply grateful to LEO Weekly for helping us elevate youth voices and the arts by practicing the values of collaborative journalism and criticism.
— Elizabeth Kramer, Executive Director, Arts Angle Vantage
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“& Juliet” breaks Shakespeare’s quill only to add more flourish to a famous story
By Greyson Lindblom | Arts Angle Vantage Reporter
duPont Manual High School, Class of 2027
In the second act of “& Juliet,” Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks) snatches the quill back from her husband, Shakespeare (Corey Mach). This moment is the culmination of the conflict between the two. The musical focuses on a what-if scenario where Juliet (Rachel Simone Webb) decides to live after Romeo (Michael Canu) kills himself at the end of Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo & Juliet.”
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You soon learn that this musical isn’t just about Juliet. It opens with Shakespeare announcing he’s finally finished, but Anne is upset he insists on writing tragedy after tragedy. They set off to change the ending together and hash through a lot of conflict, largely, the only conflict throughout the musical.
“& Juliet” opened April 22 and ran through April 27 at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. The soundtrack comes from the catalog of Swedish songwriter Max Martin. Songs by the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande feature.
Anne finds new freedoms in the first act, as she quickly inserts herself into the story. She is April, one of Juliet’s new best friends and not the only supporting cast. The musical elevates her nurse from the original play to become Angélique (Naina Alakham) and introduces a new best friend, May (Nick Drake). They’re nonbinary. Anne steps up to admonish Shakespeare in their defense, providing the audience with a reminder that identities outside of the gender binary are not a new phenomenon.
“Really?” Anne asks. “This from the man who’s built a career on men dressing as women, often playing women dressing as men? The man whose name is basically synonymous with gender-bending? Do you really think it’s up to you to question May’s gender or sexuality, or do you think maybe May is whoever May is, and it’s really none of your business?”
The first act is fun. Juliet, Angélique, April and May all escape from Verona and travel to Paris. They go clubbing and meet new and old love interests. That includes François (Mateus Leite Cardoso) and his father, Lance (Paul-Jordan Jansen). You think they’ll dash off to another city because Juliet said she wanted to travel the world. But France is where the remainder of the play takes place, as she quickly falls into another fast-paced marriage with François, who actually likes May more. There’s a lot of singing and dancing — it is a musical, after all. But there’s not much conflict.
Shakespeare even points out this lack of friction, much to Anne’s chagrin, and raises Romeo from the dead. Romeo’s eager to reunite with his wife; they are star-crossed lovers. But this time, Juliet isn’t having it — this is her story now.
Shakespeare is still frustrated with the direction his wife is taking his story, and Anne thinks that Shakespeare cares more about his plays than his family. This is nothing but more interpersonal conflict.
But when Anne breaks the quill, she relinquishes control over the story’s ending. The play within the play is finally allowed a breath of fresh air.
The death of an author is a familiar concept, as is separating the art from the artist; the divorce of the creator from their work has been around for centuries. Even “& Juliet” conceptually exhibits this separation. The real-life Shakespeare wanted Juliet distraught and dead, not gallivanting around Paris. If Juliet wants to change her life, she has to try her hardest. There’s nothing Anne can wave and magically fix her problems anymore.
François, too, gets to choose between making his father happy and the person of his dreams. Angélique finally agrees to be with Lance. The play culminates with Juliet living out every pre-teen girl’s dream; she sings “Roar” in front of her parents and ex-boyfriends. She overcomes the will of her authors and now takes charge of her destiny.
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Greyson Lindblom (he/him), a sophomore at duPont Manual High School and member of the Journalism and Communications magnet, likes to go to concerts, read and watch hockey when he isn’t writing. Find Greyson’s other writing and photography on Manual RedEye’s website. You can see him perform in Looking for Lilith’s free summer production of “Book Women.”
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“& Juliet” reimagines the classic tale as a witty, feminist triumph
By Isabella Mangeot | Arts Angle Vantage Reporter
duPont Manual High School, Class of 2027
William Shakespeare has been associated with many things in the four centuries since his plays were first published. Directors have taken his plays in countless directions, but rarely are his tales associated with the Backstreet Boys.
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This happens in “& Juliet,” which premiered at the Kentucky Performing Arts Center on April 22 and ran through April 27. This show is a feminist reimagining of Shakespeare’s classic love story, “Romeo and Juliet.” While audience members may not have heard of Max Martin, the songwriter behind the numbers featured in this jukebox musical, they certainly know his songs. They include “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” “I Kissed a Girl” and “Baby One More Time.” This engaging story effectively utilizes popular songs, humor and the fourth wall, such as multiple characters speaking directly to the audience to both entertain and leave the audience thinking about gender equality and the importance of freedom.
Almost everyone is familiar with the ending of “Romeo and Juliet.” Juliet wakes up, sees that Romeo is dead and decides to end her life. But “& Juliet” provides an alternate ending: Juliet (Rachel Simone Webb) decides to live. Though Juliet is the central character, William Shakespeare (Corey Mach) and his wife, Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks), control the show.
The first number, “Larger Than Life,” introduces William as a hero, highlighting his near-mythical status in history. This contrasts with his wife’s entrance. The ensemble’s reaction mirrors the fact that most people know little about Hathaway. (One ensemble member states they didn’t know Shakespeare was married.) The audience members are then told this is the night of the first-ever performance of “Romeo and Juliet.” William has finally finished writing the ending. Though William is pleased with the tragic ending, Anne decides to steal the quill and write her own version.
After choosing to live, Juliet travels to Paris to be independent. Her bold decision shocks her friends, though they ultimately decide to come with her. Her friends include May (Nick Drake), the eccentric best friend; April, Anne’s self-inserted character; and Angélique (Naina Alakham), Juliet’s nurse. While there, the group meets François (Mateus Leite Cardoso), a man being hounded by his father, Lance (Paul-Jordan Jansen), to marry quickly, despite his shyness.
After only spending one night together, Juliet and François decide to get married. Though Anne is satisfied with this story, William thinks it lacks conflict and decides to throw a wrench in the happy ending; he revives Romeo (Michael Canu). The following drama is a hilarious, if occasionally campy, story with deep themes buried beneath contemporary pop music.
The clever use of the Backstreet Boys in the show’s opening instantly engaged the audience. Several members even danced in their seats after only a few notes. William repeatedly spoke directly to the audience. At the outset, he thanked them for coming and quoted himself throughout the musical. Anne also interacted with members, telling them about her marital problems. This breaking of the fourth wall involved the audience in the story. The device also clearly showed that William and Anne would serve as a bridge between the audience and other characters who rarely broke that wall.
Anne and William’s dynamic is a prime example of this musical’s statement on gender dynamics in today’s world. “Are you a strong enough man to write a strong woman?” Anne asks William. Though they are supposedly to be living in the 16th century, Anne’s complaints regarding William’s attitude towards women would sound familiar to a modern audience.
Later, William tells a newly revived Romeo that he is Juliet’s “only hope,” adding another misogynistic plot device. This proves Anne’s point — William is reluctant to write a story with a strong female character.
William’s remark to Romeo couldn’t be further from the truth. Juliet’s journey leads her to discover how to live life according to her own wishes. When Romeo comes to win her back, she stands her ground and refuses to return to living as she had. The show ends with Juliet setting the terms for her and Romeo’s future relationship by telling him she wishes to take things slow.
Juliet isn’t the only character who decides to take their life into their own hands. Upon their first meeting, François and May have instant chemistry. Unfortunately, they are hesitant to pursue a relationship. François is afraid of what his father would think, while May struggles with confidence in their gender and sexuality. In the end, they decide to be together, choosing to be happy despite what everyone else may think of their relationship.
The cast’s astounding performers deliver these complicated themes to life while cleverly singing popular songs. Webb changed “Baby One More Time” from a 90s hit into a heart-wrenching ballad; Drake and Cardoso tell the story of François and May’s relationship through a duet of “I Kissed a Girl”; and the audience roared with laughter during this show’s take on “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” performed by Canu, Cardoso, Drake, Jansen and Mach.
Underneath the flashy costumes (Paloma Young), dazzling choreography (Jennifer Weber) and brightly colored sets (Soutra Gilmour), the audience clearly loved the feminist story of “& Juliet.” The audience connected with Shakespeare’s characters on a new level through pop music. Even one of its songs sums up the musical’s attitude towards life: when it comes to choosing between what you want to do with your life and what others tell you, always say, “It’s Gonna Be Me.”
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Isabella Mangeot (she/her), a sophomore at duPont Manual High School and Manual RedEye staff member, is likely reading, baking, listening to music, riding her bike or keeping up with the latest political news when she isn’t writing. Mangeot loves musicals and hopes to review many more in the future.
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In “& Juliet,” sometimes, selfishness is necessary for self-love
By Marielle Treese| Arts Angle Vantage Reporter
Assumption High School, Class of 2027
Way too often, misunderstandings occur. For example, many people compare love stories and real-life relationships to the lovers in the globally-known play “Romeo and Juliet,” even though it’s a tragedy. With virtues turned vices when misapplied, in Shakespeare’s words, this play ends with the lovers taking their own lives. But what if it wasn’t a tragedy and had a happier end?
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“& Juliet,” which opened on April 22 at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, explores this idea of the story ending differently. In the musical, when Shakespeare (Corey Mach) tells his wife, Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks), how he has written the ending, she doesn’t like it. She asks him, “But what if Juliet didn’t kill herself?”
From here, “& Juliet” explores the concept of Juliet (Rachel Simone Webb) deciding to not follow through with her idea of using Romeo’s (Michael Canu) dagger to end her own life when she wakes up and sees him dead. Instead, Shakespeare and Hathaway battle over the story’s pathway and sabotage each other’s ideas for Juliet’s destiny.
Many elements add to this musical’s overall charm — the script, the song choices, the actors’ performances and the technical elements. Every single detail took an impressive amount of creativity and deep thought. The costumes (Paloma Young) create a much similar atmosphere to a regular production of “Romeo & Juliet”, except they add modern flair, bright colors and trendy styles. The set design (Soutra Gilmour), while minimalistic itself, uses movable furniture and intricate projections (designer Andrzej Goulding) to show scenic changes. The choice of songs, all written by Swedish songwriter Max Martin, fit almost perfectly within the context of the storyline. Sometimes, details in the story were added solely based on the lyrics.
For example, the song “I Want It That Way” portrays Shakespeare and Hathaway’s disagreement on the plot of “Romeo and Juliet.” Hathaway wants Juliet to have a best friend, find a new lover, go to Paris, and find her independence. Shakespeare still wants the original ending he wrote in the play where Romeo and Juliet both commit suicide.
This retelling of “Romeo and Juliet” explores the complexities of various relationships and the confusing experience of navigating your way in a world where you encounter obstacle after obstacle thrown at you, whether metaphorical or literal.
Lord (Usman Ali Mughal) & Lady Capulet (Nicole Lamb) tell Juliet she is to be sent to a nunnery for being disobedient. So, she travels to Paris with her nurse, Angélique (Naina Alakham); her best friend May (Nick Drake); and her second-best friend April (actually a self-insert for Anne). But she finds herself in a story just as chaotic, if not worse than the original Shakespearean tale, with more family drama and misunderstandings.
Once in Paris, the group breaks into a party and the set reveals a new club-like location, with crowded furniture, flashing lights and fireworks. The dancers come to life as they sing the chorus of Ke$ha’s “Blow” and bring high-energy choreography (Jennifer Weber) to the stage to create a busy party atmosphere. Away from the chaos, Juliet bonds with François (Mateus Leite Cardoso), a socially awkward but sweet and sincere boy. Like Juliet’s parents, François’s father, Lance (Paul-Jordan Jansen), has high expectations that his son struggles to meet. His father even went as far to tell François not to disappoint him “for once in [his] life.” Juliet and François eventually share a kiss.
Unexpectedly, François proposes to her the very next morning. Juliet is compelled to say yes to not hurt his feelings — and because her parents have suddenly caught her. Even more surprisingly, they arrange the wedding for the very next day. Juliet is already struggling to decide whether or not she wants any of this. Obviously, it can only go further downhill — and it does. Shakespeare is determined to have his original ending, so he literally brings Romeo back from the dead.
Juliet has a choice to make, but no one is letting her make that choice herself. Shakespeare and Anne keep writing up even more drama, and the pressure from her friends and family and their expectations suffocate her. By the wedding, more antics ensue. She decides she’s had enough and wants to take control of her own destiny for a change.
As someone who has felt belittled and ignored by my peers for much longer than I should have ever had to, Juliet’s journey through “& Juliet” inspires me. Sometimes when you’re upset, people might tell you that life is not easy or nobody is perfect. These words can be extremely hard to listen to when all the things in your life seem to be suffocating you, while everyone is living their best life. But you’re not alone.
Every single person who has lived on Earth has struggled more than once in their lifetime. No one expects you to be perfect at everything when they are imperfect themselves. In the hard times when you feel you are struggling to breathe through all the stress, you need to stand tall. Remember, no matter what happens, love will always exist. And sometimes, what you need most is to love yourself after feeling pushed away and ignored for far too long.
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Marielle Treese (she/her), a sophomore at Assumption High School, is in Assumption’s Rose Theatre Company’s costume construction crew and is a first-degree black belt in taekwondo. She is also a member of Assumption’s Academic Team. She likes to try new things and expand her areas of expertise. Some interests include K-Pop music, writing, mathematics, crochet and reading books.
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This article appears in Apr 25 – May 8, 2025.