‘& Juliet’ has frothy enjoyable with Shakespeare’s well-known tragedy – Every day Information

What if Juliet — yep, that one, half of essentially the most tragic teen love story ever — didn’t die? And how would it not be if Shakespeare’s spouse argued him out of writing considered one of theater’s seminal plots?

Welcome to “& Juliet,” the implausible sounding, however oh-so-cleverly crafted — and totally giddy —  musical springboard into, amongst different subjects, the bard and his playwrighting.

The pop-hit laden present, which opened Friday, Aug. 15 in downtown LA on the Ahmanson Theatre and transfers in early September to Costa  Mesa’s Segerstrom Center, is a frothy name to get thee to this funnery.

Musicals are historically powered with a principal romantic entanglement and a backup pairing, however “& Juliet” doubles all the way down to fire up a merrily effervescent stew of 4 relationships.

Three of those result in comparatively satisfying if inevitable outcomes, however the fourth resolves a love triangle with a penultimate showstopping triumph of feminine company and self-determination.

Strategically positioned numbers, written and/or produced by Swedish pop music monolith Max Martin and acquainted as chart topping variations by the likes of Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Justin Timberlake, comprise virtually all of the beneficiant 28 tunes that emerge each second or third minute to light up the characters’ actions and emotions.

Writer David West Read had full entry to Martin’s catalogue and thru crafty deployment he has whisked up this “what if” gyration right into a nourishing narrative.

A byproduct of how good “& Juliet” works is in revealing different modern flouncy-bouncy musicals from the U.Okay. (speaking to you, “Six”) as empty energy.

Without revealing too many spoilers, twin narrative engines energy the piece.

Shakespeare and spouse Anne Hathaway duel over the path of his newest tragedy (she wonders: maybe it’d go higher as a comedy?) along with her decidedly twenty first century sensibility aimed toward rebooting his late sixteenth century male perspective.

This results in a newly alive Juliet who pivots from Verona to Paris seeking subsequent adventures. It’s additionally a visit of self-evaluation as a 13-year-old searches for what her greatest future emotional path is likely to be.

As Juliet, Rachel Simone Webb manifests an outsize presence by way of very assured appearing. Her voice is equally at house and in management in the course of the introspective lament “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely,”  the crowd-pleasing “Oops!… I Did It Again” and a extra amplified and commanding association of Perry’s model of “Roar.”

Overall, her efficiency blares Broadway royalty on the rise. Webb’s stay theater trajectory does seem true north, scheduled subsequent in October to Minneapolis for a lead position within the Broadway-aimed stay adaptation of the Prince film “Purple Rain.”

Corey Mach and Teal Wicks are an animated, well-positioned pair because the surprising battling playwright duo of Mr. and Mrs. Shakespeare (although if you already know what is nice for you, she is fiercely “Anne,” fairly uninterested in her muted voice as a sublimated mother within the sticks of Stratford whereas Will will get to strut his ego round because the principal playwright in London city).

The duo are the lynchpin forces behind a contested rewrite of R&J, although a part of the enjoyment of Read’s telling is how characters get to have minds of their very own.

Will values the supremacy of his voice on the growing expense of his marital partnership and within the isniping between the 2 over what path “Romeo and Juliet” ought to take, hers emerges because the slyer wit, one which wins assist from the viewers.

Romeo — it takes some time for him to point out up — is a suitably impactful Ben Jackson Walker, who originated the position on Broadway. Walker will get maybe essentially the most dramatic entrance of all, being lowered to the stage because the lead voice within the Act 1 ending ensemble energy anthem “It’s My Life.”

There are notable pairings amongst a few of the secondary characters. Kathryn Allison fleshes out the position of Angelique, Juliet’s nurse, to be extra than simply saucy and her protecting solicitousness to Juliet’s wants feels very felt.

Allison will get to reunite with a misplaced love — Lance, a successful Paul-Jordan Jansen, equally stern and strict and teddy-bear smooth as known as for — have a terrific first act duet, “Teenage Dream/Break Free.”

There can be playful intrigue and confusion within the ambiguity of May — Nick Drake — and Francois — Mateus Leite Cardoso – of their coming-to-togetherness, properly navigated in “Whataya Want From Me.”

Encompassing director Luke Sheppard’s satisfying imaginative and prescient of the present’s nuances, the manufacturing sparks with unflagging, gratifying energies.

An enormous forged slides out and in of scenes and songs with an natural rightness and Jennifer Weber’s hip-hop choreography organizes fizzy ensemble strikes because the present requires them.

The trappings are a confectionary delight with Soutra (Gilmour’s playful, but utilitarian set offering vivid design touches (even earlier than the primary notice is heard the curtain-less stage sports activities a jukebox, heralding the jukebox musical to come back).

Howard Hudson’s brightly coloured lighting — pastels ahead — and Andrzej Goulding’s supplementary video and projection design by no means dwarfs the motion, however definitely amps it up at moments the place it’s known as for.

The confetti drop on the finish isn’t a rarity, however this present is so intent on exuberance it even doubles down on that, too.

Running a good second to Shakespeare as bard is Shakespeare as sage, nonetheless essentially the most quoted author ever.

For occasion, 425 or so years upfront of this present, the true Will neatly sums one of many underlying takeaways in ‘& Juliet,” advising in “All’s Well That Ends Well,”  to “Get thee a good husband, and use him as he uses thee.”

‘& Juliet’

Rating: 4 stars (out of a potential 4)

Where: Ahmanson Theatre, 135. N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles

When: Through Sept. 7. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 2 and eight p.m. Saturdays, 1 and seven p.m., Sundays

Tickets: $51.75-$276.00

Information: 213-628-2772; centertheatergroup.org

Where: Segerstrom Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

When: Sept. 9-21. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and seven:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1 and 6:30  p.m., Sundays

Tickets: $44.00-$169,00

Information: 949-556-2787; scfta.org

 

Originally Published: August 18, 2025 at 9:33 AM PDT