What if Juliet didin't die? That should almost be the start of the play! & Juliet is a multi-generational story of self-discovery, empowerment and love, imagining what would happen next if Juliet hadn't ended it all over Romeo, and got a second chance at life and love - on her terms. Juliet's new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, all written by Max Martin and his collaborators. The musical features a book by David West Read, direction by Luke Sheppard and choreography by Jennifer Weber.
Luke Sheppard's direction of his actors effectively showcases many of the more appealing quirks in Read's characters. When Read's book turns conventional with the nonbinary May, Sheppard turns on the automatic pilot to strand Sullivan in a swamp of schmaltz. Unfortunately, that sticky morass claims many more victims in Act 2. Why do sophisticated TV and film writers resort to hackneyed tropes when they write for the musical stage? Rather than continuing to lampoon the treacly bombast of most new musicals, writers like Read and Cameron Crowe ('Almost Famous') fall prey to it. Even the Hathaway character turns into a Celine Dion manqué, right down to the Vegas echo-chamber amplification to deliver 'That's the Way It Is' as some kind of anthem of oppression.
That may be why & Juliet, though often entertaining, also feels pretty disposable. The show-within-a-show framework doesn’t make a lot of sense if you think about it too much (or at all); aside from a plot strand involving the proto-trans May, who sings “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” the stakes are not sharp enough to drive the story into solid ground. Directed by Luke Sheppard, the musical exists in an elaborately unreal world: Soutra Gilmour’s scenic design and Paloma Young’s costumes are delightfully creative transhistorical mix-and-matches that float the show in a swirl of unfixed fantasy. It all feels comfortingly familiar and indistinct—there’s not much narrative thrust to Jennifer Weber’s synchronized hip-hop choreography, which mostly suggests energetic background dancing at a concert—and the ideal place for it might be the high school auditoriums where it will surely enjoy a rich afterlife someday. But there’s no denying the relentless effectiveness of Martin’s earworm craftsmanship. & Juliet gives audiences what they want from it: all those hits, baby, one more time.
Digital Rush:
Price: $39
Where: todaytix.com
When: Tickets for that day's performance will be available on the TodayTix app at 9 a.m. each day on a first-come, first-served basis.
Limit: Two per customer
Information: Tickets are subject to availability.
Price: $45
Where: Standing room tickets are available in person at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre box office only.
Information: Standing room tickets will only be offered for sold-out performances and are subject to availability.
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