& JULIET On Broadway - Reviews & News Thread- Page 12

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/29/22 at 9:39am

dadaguza said: "I also don't understand how folks who hated Moulin Rouge loved this. IMHO Moulin Rouge was better."

FWIW, I enjoyed Moulin Rouge! a lot, but I think & Juliet is far superior when it comes to comparing the two. The later is more original and the songs don't feel shoehorned into the plot at all (at least to me they didn't). Moulin Rouge! also has a huge lull from about halfway through the first act up to the act 1 finale. I thought that the pacing of the show just stopped dead in its tracks and went super low-energy for a while. With & Juliet, I was engaged throughout the entire show and found the pacing to be energetic and exciting throughout the entire show. Just my thoughts.

 

[inception]

Posted: 11/29/22 at 9:54am

Ok, I'm glad I'm nit the only one who felt this way after seeing this video.

The costumes are just tatty.   Also they probably should not use a song made famous by The Weeknd if they can't find anyone who can sing it as well.  That was seriously hurting.

[ElephantLoveMedley]

Posted: 11/29/22 at 10:10am

bwayphreak234 said: "dadaguza said: "I also don't understand how folks who hated Moulin Rouge loved this. IMHO Moulin Rouge was better."

FWIW, I enjoyed Moulin Rouge! a lot, but I think & Juliet is far superior when it comes to comparing the two. The later is more original and the songs don't feel shoehorned into the plot at all (at least to me they didn't). Moulin Rouge! also has a huge lull from about halfway through the first act up to the act 1 finale. I thought that the pacing of the show just stopped dead in its tracks and went super low-energy for a while. With & Juliet, I was engaged throughout the entire show and found the pacing to be energetic and exciting throughout the entire show. Just my thoughts."

Totally agreed! As you can tell by my username, I am a big, big fan of Moulin Rouge!. For me, both shows are pretty comparable in terms of obviously being a jukebox musical with fun, easily recognizable music, and also production value. Everyone knows Rouge! is going to be sumptuous and gorgeous to look at from the moment you walk into the Hirschfeld, but I was also pretty blown away by the vibrant, gigantic size and feel of & Juliet as well.

What separates the two, however, is that & Juliet easily takes the cake on the quality of the show's book. As big a Rouge! fan as I am, there are definitely some sections of the show (albeit short sections) that are a little tedious to get through and some one-liners that are cringe-inducing. I thought & Juliet was razor-sharp in its wittiness and comedy from top to bottom, and never really let you go from the moment the show started.

[EllieRose2]

Posted: 11/29/22 at 1:18pm

The costumes are just tatty. Also they probably should not use a song made famous by The Weeknd if they can't find anyone who can sing it as well. That was seriously hurting."

The costumes and the performers are both phenomenal during that number if you've actually seen the show. 

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 11/29/22 at 1:35pm

The understudy for Romeo was a million times better vocally.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/29/22 at 1:48pm

I strongly disagree. I saw it in previews and the principal Romeo was adorable, hilarious and sang beautifully. You have to see the show to really appreciate it, that late show performance wasn't amazing. 

[windowwaving]

Posted: 11/29/22 at 9:05pm

ElephantLoveMedley said: "bwayphreak234 said: "dadaguza said: "I also don't understand how folks who hated Moulin Rouge loved this. IMHO Moulin Rouge was better."

FWIW, I enjoyed Moulin Rouge! a lot, but I think & Juliet is far superior when it comes to comparing the two. The later is more original and the songs don't feel shoehorned into the plot at all (at least to me they didn't). Moulin Rouge! also has a huge lull from about halfway through the first act up to the act 1 finale. I thought that the pacing of the show just stopped dead in its tracks and went super low-energy for a while. With & Juliet, I was engaged throughout the entire show and found the pacing to be energetic and exciting throughout the entire show. Just my thoughts."

Totally agreed! As you can tell by my username, I am a big, big fan ofMoulin Rouge!. For me, both shows are pretty comparable in terms of obviously being a jukebox musical with fun, easily recognizable music, and also production value. Everyone knowsRouge!is going to be sumptuous and gorgeous to look at from the moment you walk into the Hirschfeld, but I was also pretty blown away by the vibrant, gigantic size and feel of & Juliet as well.

What separates the two, however, is that& Julieteasily takes the cake on the quality of the show's book. As big aRouge!fan as I am, there are definitely some sections of the show (albeit short sections) that are a little tedious to get through and some one-liners that are cringe-inducing. I thought & Julietwas razor-sharp in its wittiness and comedy from top to bottom, and never really let you go from the moment the show started."

I agree with the sentiments of all of this. I want to love Moulin Rouge but I always feel slightly disappointed every time. Don't get me wrong, I love the show I've seen it several times, but I always come in hoping for something and I only get that in some numbers - and the ending has never worked for me. 

Meanwhile, &Juliet was a non-stop riot. It was so much fun from the very beginning and the energy never stops. And as many others have said here, it is just so incredibly witty. 

 

[Lauren2]

Posted: 11/29/22 at 10:15pm

I totally agree with you. Although the Romeo is super nice and is acting in the role is really good, his voice just doesn’t mesh well with this role especially in Problem and certain moments of It’s My Life. I think the main understudy is much stronger in the role and I’m not sure why he wasn’t offered it in the first place. 

[MadsonMelo]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 5:27pm

I believe Brandon Antonio is the first U/S for Romeo, right? I saw when he was at the ensemble and that abs was offensive!!!

But I am in love with Ben Walker in the same way I was when I saw Jordan Luke Gage in the role, it's so fun and ''It's My Life'' has to be one of the best numbers on Broadway right now.

Also, this performance on the Late Night is no't even close to what they are doing at the theatre right now. I mean, this medley maybe the best staged number and it didn't translated well without the rotating stage and the lights.

 

As you can I see, I LOVED the Broadway production, this cast is INSANE (Stark is SO GOOD as Shakespeare), and Betsy Wolfe has to be the favorite for the Tony, the definition of a scene-stealer and that VOICE!

I just felt the energy was high, the book is very clever and they have a chance to tell a story very honest and the songs fits perfectly. I couldn't believe when ''Since U Been Gone'' started because I was like ''no way this is a jukebox musical'', feels like the songs were written for the show, not the other way around.

It's clear to me that will be the biggest hit of the season, and it's sad it's not a original score, but it's my favorite jukebox musical, without a doubt.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 7:13pm

inception said: "Ok, I'm glad I'm nit the only one who felt this way after seeing this video.

The costumes are just tatty. Also they probably should not use a song made famous by The Weeknd if they can't find anyone who can sing it as well. That was seriously hurting."

Yeah, I was very underwhelmed by this performance. The show, in theory, sounds like alot of dumb fun, and I'm a sucker for big voices singing pop songs, but this was..... awkward? There isn't a single production number in Moulin Rouge, for example, that didnt do something really inventive/exciting with the underlying earworm. But this was a pretty pedestrian mashup.

Surprised they chose this number, assuming the others come across so much better.

[seaweedjstubbs]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 7:48pm

PipingHotPiccolo said: "inception said: "Ok, I'm glad I'm nit the only one who felt this way after seeing this video.

The costumes are just tatty. Also they probably should not use a song made famous by The Weeknd if they can't find anyone who can sing it as well. That was seriously hurting."

Yeah, I was very underwhelmed by this performance. The show, in theory, sounds like alot of dumb fun, and I'm a sucker for big voices singing pop songs, but this was..... awkward? There isn't a single production number in Moulin Rouge, for example, that didnt do something really inventive/exciting with the underlying earworm. But this was a pretty pedestrian mashup.

Surprised they chose this number, assuming the others come across so much better."

I really enjoyed & JULIET, but that number was my least favorite in the show by far. I don’t even feel like the two songs mash up very well. I think “Since You’ve Been Gone” would’ve been a much better choice to perform. Don’t judge the whole show on this one performance!

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 7:48pm

Just like with the Tony Awards, the performances worked so much better when they were filmed in their theater and shown. I wish talk shows would have the cast there but show a pre-filmed edited clip done like those. It would be so much better for everyone. 

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 7:58pm

Woof! That Fallon performance was not great.  As someone who has hesitated on buying tickets this sure didn't encourage me.  I love a good fun time juke box musical...I think Moulin Rouge is a blast.  I'm worried that &Juliet is going to feel like the cheaper version of that. Paulo Szot just might get me to spend the money tho

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 8:36pm

Bill...is GREAT? No. Is it FUN? Nearly the entire night. I thought it was well worth the price!

[Bwayfan12092]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 9:17pm

SEMI SPOILER

On a new topic(ish), does anyone remember Juliet's line right before "Roar"? Would love it for a quote!! Thanks. 

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 9:25pm

dramamama611 said: "Bill...is GREAT? No. Is it FUN? Nearly the entire night. I thought it was well worth the price!"

Ok ok. I'm holding you to this questionable sales pitch...hahaha

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 9:27pm

Bwayfan12092 said: "SEMI SPOILER

On a new topic(ish), does anyone remember Juliet's line right before "Roar"? Would love it for a quote!! Thanks."

I don't really think it's a spoiler, but it's this...

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"I know who I am, and where I'm from, and what I've done, and I really love me."

 

[Bwayfan12092]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 9:41pm

TaffyDavenport said: "Bwayfan12092 said: "SEMI SPOILER

On a new topic(ish), does anyone remember Juliet's line right before "Roar"? Would love it for a quote!! Thanks."

I don't really think it's a spoiler, but it's this...

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"I know who I am, and where I'm from, and what I've done, and I really love me."

"

Thanks so much! Was there anything preceding this? Just wanted to capture as much of as it as I can. Thanks though, this is great! So empowering!!  

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 11/30/22 at 9:52pm

Bwayfan12092 said: "TaffyDavenport said: "Bwayfan12092 said: "SEMI SPOILER

On a new topic(ish), does anyone remember Juliet's line right before "Roar"? Would love it for a quote!! Thanks."

I don't really think it's a spoiler, but it's this...

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"I know who I am, and where I'm from, and what I've done, and I really love me."

"

Thanks so much! Was there anything preceding this? Just wanted to capture as much of as it as I can. Thanks though, this is great! So empowering!!"

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

"In fact, from this point forward, I vow to be confident.

I vow to not let anybody tell me what I'm gonna do about my destiny.

I'm gonna make decisions based on what I want, and not what I'm afraid of.

I believe there is something hanging in the stars, but if this is it, I gotta say the stars are full of ****.

I know who I am, and where I'm from, and what I've done, and I really love me."

 

[broadfan327]

Posted: 12/2/22 at 1:05am

dadaguza said: "GiantsInTheSky2 said: "That performance was…something.


For those who know/have seen the show (not me, other than knowing and liking all of the songs covered in the show) - what numbers would you say are the strongest and should be performed on a show like this? It just seems like an odd Pitch Perfect (although far from it) performance with period style costumes. I was hoping to be excited and enticed to buy tickets but this was a swing and a miss for me in terms of promotion. I hear great things from friends so I want to like this."

I honestly couldn't get into it until "It's My Life."

The other standout numbers for me personally were probably "That's the Way It Is" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)."

I'm also in the minority here and was not blown away by this show. I guess I had such high expectations going after reading all the rave reviews but I left a bit underwhelmed. I also agree with a previous poster it was too preachy with the 'woke' stuff. At one point I turned to my friend and was like, ok we get it. It almost felt like the show was created for that purpose.
But it did have it's fun, entertaining moments for sure. If you want a fun and light hearted time at the theater this is definitely it.
I also don't understand how folks who hated Moulin Rouge loved this. IMHO Moulin Rouge was better."

I saw the show tonight, and enjoyed it a lot.  I grew up on this music, so I might be biased.  I don't think the show was that preachy, compared to a show like Jagged Little Pill which tried to solve every social problem that exists.  I thought the staging was excellent, and it had a very good use of projections.  The Fallon clip does not give the show any justice at all.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 1/20/23 at 5:54pm

Saw the show last night and count me as one of those who were totally underwhelmed by this show. 

And this coming from someone who saw Head Over Heels multiple times, and even walked out of Diana with a smile on his face. 

The jokes fell flat, the chorus was fully behind the music at some points (Domino and Since You've Been Gone), accents all over the place, the leads had 0 chemistry, a meandering book that pulled from Shakespeare when it was convenient and totally ignored the original piece when necessary, songs that were picked because the first line was a punchline and after that totally petered out, and truly some of the ugliest/most in-cohesive design work I have ever seen on Broadway stage.       

I walked way asking... What was this show trying to say?

I know that Betsy Wolfe as Anne (a bright star in an other wise dull night) says it's about Juliet getting make her own choice. 

So her choice is to go back to Romeo, but it's ok, even though we just spent the last 2 hours talking how awful he is, because she wants to now?

Yeah give me Head Over Heels or Moulin Rouge any day.   

Updated On: 1/20/23 at 05:54 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 1/20/23 at 6:07pm

And this is where I thought Jesse Green was spot-on in his review: Juliet tries to own her choices by apparently not making any. 

This show might get a little old and stale quicker than we think. Do I think it is a great show, and do I see it lasting longer than a year or two? No, and possibly not — but we will see.

But it's a nice, peppy 150 minutes if you don't pay too much attention to the plot. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 1/23/23 at 8:44am

PRO: The whole show. I do agree the book could use some work, but overall I found myself enjoying the show more than critiquing it! 

CON: Audience behavior....it has gone WAY downhill. I don't get it. 

[Bill Snibson]

Posted: 1/23/23 at 12:37pm

I was a total skeptic going into this but overall had a really great time.  Don't look too deep into the book but it is really clever and very funny.  The introduction of songs is very well-done.  My only issue was that after awhile the songs all start to sound the same, for obvious reasons, and I didn't think we needed to hear every song in its entirety.  This is the area where I fell like Moulin Rouge is more successful. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 1/24/23 at 9:03am

Also---Betsy Wolfe seems to be having the time of her life. I hope she's nominated whenever those are announced!!