Divorce didn’t exist in 17th-century Italy. For women trapped in violent marriages, escape sometimes came down to a vial from the local apothecary. That’s the premise Grammy winner Jennifer Nettles has turned into her first musical, Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo, now playing Off-Broadway at the Perelman Performing Arts Center.
Director Mary Zimmerman assembles a first-rate cast for Giulia, but the show’s structure, which leans hard on Hamilton‘s playbook, buckles under its own derivative weight.
It wants better content.
The hooks are killer, even if the plot isn’t
Nettles, who has established a formidable career across genres in addition to being half of the country duo Sugarland, is a fantastic singer-songwriter, delivering catchy pop ballad hooks that will likely make their way onto cabaret stages for years to come.
Among them is “Higher,” a rousing anthem that proclaims, “we are not afraid of the storms.” Unfortunately, the curtain song serves as a viral send-off rather than driving the plot.
Giulia takes broad swipes at the corrupt Catholic church and the predatory men who populate the town, and there’s never much mystery about what’s coming next as Giulia gains the confidence to protect the women around her, including her young daughter Vitoria (a stunning Naomi Serrano).
Unfortunately, Daniel Ostling’s cumbersome scenic design, consisting of three large-scale arched pocket doors, backs Zimmerman into a corner with their constant opening and closing—a fussy convention that becomes as tiresome as the Governatore’s (Christopher M. Ramirez’s) smarmy advances.
Despite the cumbersome obstacles, choreographer Austin McCormick—known for his innovative baroque-burlesque-infused productions with Company XIV—creates palpitating momentum when given the opportunity. Early in Act I, as Giulia sings “Split Second Life Changing Moment,” he stages a visceral pas de deux between Vitoria and her violent stepfather (Matthew Amira).
Nearly 400 years since Giulia allegedly leveraged her medicinal knowledge in an act of defense, violence against women continues. According to the CDC, more than 30% of women in the U.S. have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner. In Georgia, where Nettles was born, family violence reports have increased by 12%.
Rather than such a literal time-stamped interpretation of Giulia Tofana’s story, Nettles might have found greater success setting her story in a world she was more familiar with.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233, or text “START” to 88788.
Is ‘Giulia: The Poison Queen of Palermo’ worth seeing?
Jennifer Nettles’ songwriting instincts are sharper than the historical drama built to house them, leaving Giulia a showcase for a talent still finding its true subject.
- Perelman Performing Arts Center, 251 Fulton Street, New York City
- Notable performers: Jennifer Nettles, Naomi Serrano, Quentin Earl Darrington, Christopher M. Ramirez
- Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including one intermission
- Performances through August 2, 2026
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