& Juliet Review
National American Tour / Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Director: Luke Sheppard
Music & Lyrics: Max Martin & Friends
Book: David West Read
Run Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes + 20 Minute Intermission
Review by Destiny Lynn
A Remixed Take on a Historical Classic
“What is it that you want, Romeo?”
“Well, that isn’t up to me to decide, isn’t it?”
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet were two star-crossed lovers who made the ultimate sacrifice to stay together. Or did they? What if Juliet decided not to die for Romeo? David West Read’s & Juliet was not another adaptation of the classic tale; instead, this contemporary jukebox musical delivered a revisionist tale that introduces a new ending: what would have happened if Juliet had never taken the lethal poison.
In this new story, Juliet embarked on a journey to Paris, guided not by Romeo’s absence but by the possibility of her own identity. The play unfolded in dialogue with two meta-narrators, William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway. As an interactive experience, the audience witnessed competing visions that framed the story’s central question: Who controlled the narrative of a woman’s life?
Bold, Fierce, Independent Characters
As a reimagined tale, the actors contemporized their roles by removing the accents and “Old English” and allowing today’s societal expectations to drive their character development. While the songs were a familiar favorite and excelled at explaining the emotions, they often leaned heavier into a concert rather than a theater performance.
Starring Lois Ellise, she immediately transformed Juliet into an independent woman who was adamant about experiencing what life could be like outside of a traditional marriage. This consistency created an acceptance of unconventional lifestyles from her and the supporting characters during Shakespeare’s life. At times, though, her journey felt too quick. Instead of slowly growing into her independence, Ellise played Juliet as self-assured from the start, which took away some of the dramatic tension.
Nick Drake, as May, delivered a standout performance whose heartfelt ballads gave the audience a genuine emotional anchor. Their performance made the show’s message about identity and self-acceptance feel deeply personal.
And let’s talk about Kathryn Allison as Angelique (formerly “Juliet’s Nurse), who delivered a strong performance by humanizing this unnamed character through numerous hats: motherly figure, comedic relief for the audience, and a wild life outside a typical nurse role. As a supporting character, Allison made a leading impact through balanced maternal warmth and razor-sharp comedy that echoed Read’s television work on Schitt’s Creek. Every punch line landed, often cutting the tension in moments that could have felt heavy.
Credit: Broadway World
Shakespeare Meets Modern Pop
If you have ever wondered what it would feel like to watch Shakespeare with strobe lights encouraging audience members to dance to Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” & Juliet has you covered. Director Luke Sheppard, in collaboration with Lyricist Max Martin and Writer David West Read, integrated two stories simultaneously on stage. One between Shakespeare and Hathaway on how to rewrite the ending and next chapter of Romeo and Juliet. This point of contention provided a clever cliffhanger at the end of Act I. Meanwhile, the second story emphasized the scenes that actually unfolded on Juliet’s Parisian adventure. It does take mental time adjusting to the switches as the narrators inserted themselves into the scenes, which slightly made the story disjointed.
However, the driving force behind the show was the pop music that modernized the story by providing a concert appeal. Bridging historical and contemporary, Read surrounded his story around a modern score by the Shakespeare of Pop, Max Martin, who was the architect behind acclaimed singers Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande as a producer and songwriter. As such, Max Martin’s extensive pop catalog drove the production in an exhilarating fashion. On the one hand, the music was not without consequences, with the numbers often pushing character development into the background. On the other hand, Max Martin’s catalog is deeply embedded in our collective memory and made the audience audibly thrilled every time another hit started. Ultimately, this jukebox musical combined a familiar historical tale with modern pop music influences that made for an interactive, reflective piece.
Some Glitter, Some Lace
Whether hanging from a chandelier or getting lifted up with the moon, the set pieces and costume design fused historical and modern elements. The costumes walked a playful line between historical nods and modern flair with crowns and waistcoats that mixed with contemporary silhouettes and bold colors. Add Howard Hudson’s lighting design, which blasts the stage into full concert mode, and the show often feels like a time-traveling music video.
It’s My Life
& Juliet is a loud, fun, and definitely modern show that celebrates women (and men) who want to break the rules and write their own endings. If you seek Shakespearean accuracy, you will be disappointed. But if you want an evening of pop nostalgia wrapped around a feminist fairy tale, this is your show. Ultimately, & Juliet transforms a traditional story, and that is well-suited across generations.
Destiny Lynn is a writer and reviewer with a passion for exploring the intersection of history, identity, and storytelling through musical theatre and novels adapted to screen.
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