By Lauren Emily Whalen
My first thought upon exiting the theater after a recent performance of & Juliet: Shakespeare was the Max Martin of his era.
Hear me out: the classical English playwright everyone read in high school, and the Swedish pop hitmaker for Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, every boy band you loved as a young millennial, and countless others both have a way with words, a sense of fun even when life is anything but, and most importantly, mass appeal that stands the test of time. Throw in a funny, intelligent book by Schitt’s Creek writer and executive producer David West Read, and & Juliet is an unmissable smash whose Broadway cast has recently featured TikTok star Cheryl Porter, Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Kandi Burruss, and NSYNC alum Joey Fatone.
Using the “play within a play” structure for which Shakespeare is known, & Juliet opens with the very first production of Romeo & Juliet. While Will is content with the tragic ending, his wife Anne Hathaway feels otherwise—why does Juliet have to die? Anne posits an alternate ending in which young Juliet flees to Paris, accompanied by her nurse Angelique, nonbinary ride-or-die bestie May, and “April,” Anne’s self-insert character. But what happens when Romeo (also not dead, but still quite emo) tracks Juliet down and has much to sing about it? What of Angelique and her new romance with silver fox Lance? And can Shakespeare and Anne work it out in the remix?
Is ‘& Juliet’ worth seeing on Broadway or tour?
Jukebox musicals don’t always work, but & Juliet defies stereotypes (as does the recent hit Just in Time, featuring the music of Bobby Darin). Read’s book integrates girlhood, gender, and romantic angst with nuanced female and queer characters of all ages. As for the score full of Martin’s catchiest 2000s bangers, it’s impossible not to smile when a still-lovestruck and self-absorbed Romeo belts Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life” or when Juliet fires back at Romeo with the Kelly Clarkson hit “Since U Been Gone.” If this all sounds like a jewel-toned confection, that’s because it is, but & Juliet fully embraces the glitter-soaked “Teenage Dream” (also in the show) and, in turn, so does its audience.
4 out of 5 stars
It wants better content.
‘& Juliet’ fast facts
A glitter-soaked, pop-fueled reimagining that proves Shakespeare and Max Martin both understood what the people wanted—and still do.
- Stephen Sondheim Theatre, 124 West 43rd Street, New York City
- On tour through May 2026
- Running time: Two hours and 40 minutes with one intermission
