Get Ready to 'Roar': Broadway Hit '& Juliet' Sets Manila Premiere in 2027

Manila, Philippines—Full House Theater Company (FHTC) has officially announced it will stage the Broadway and West End “greatest hits” jukebox musical “& Juliet” as part of its 2027 season.

Over the past few years, Manila has rapidly solidified its status as a premier hub for world-class musical theater, with a slew of original works and imported musical productions. Bringing a show as fresh, high-voltage, and progressively inclusive as the nine-time Tony-nominated “& Juliet” to local shores is a testament to the theatergoing public’s appetite for Contemporary Stage hits.

In “& Juliet,” Juliet of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” did not stab herself to death and, ultimately, ran away from her selfish and conservative parents.  Looking for a fresh start, sans the now-dead Romeo, Juliet finds herself on a road trip to Paris, together with her besties April and May (who is non-binary), and her loyal second mother, the Nurse, Angelique.

The musical also attempts to rewrite Shakespeare’s original ending with the prodding of Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, along with a chock-full of hits by songwriter-producer Max Martin, such as “I Want it That Way,” “…Baby One More Time,” “Oops!... I Did it Again,” “Roar,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” among others.

“& Juliet” made its world premiere at the Manchester Opera House in September 2019 and transferred to the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End in November 2019. It opened on Broadway in November 2022, where it has been playing to packed houses and has broken box office records at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, previously held by “Beautiful, The Carole King Musical.”

The show’s original creative team includes David West Read (book), Max Martin (music and lyrics), Luke Sheppard (direction), Jennifer Weber (choreography), Bill Sherman (musical supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements), Soutra Gilmour (scenic design), Paloma Young (costume design), Howard Hudson (lighting design), Gareth Owen (sound design) and Andrzej Goulding (video and projection design).

Presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), this new staging continues FHTC’s commitment to delivering top-tier theatrical experiences. FHTC—the in-house production arm of Travellers Group (operators of Newport World Resorts and Westside Resort)—has previously presented celebrated productions such as “The Sound of Music,” “The King and I,” and “Shrek The Musical,” the latter of which garnered multiple accolades at the Gawad Buhay Awards.

To get the latest announcements, such as show dates, casting calls, and ticket release dates, follow FHTC on Facebook and Instagram.

Photo: Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade, Matthew Murphy