Review: & JULIET at Broadway In Tucson

& JULIET, playing at Broadway in Tucson, is a lively jukebox musical stuffed to the brim with charm. Shakespeare and his wife Anne have a little disagreement over the ending of ROMEO AND JULIET. Finally he agrees to work with her to create a new ending where Juliet survives the events of the play and carves out her own destiny. With music and lyrics by Max Martin and friends and a book by David West Read, & JULIET is a sugary sweet concoction easily enjoyed by all audience members. The songs are well-known and catchy with some fun arrangements and the book is very witty.

From Verona to Paris and beyond, & JULIET is a delightful journey into a whimsical world. Infused with toe-tapping pop songs (many from the 90's and early 2000's), the soundtrack is full of wacky energy. The arrangements are excellent and actually tie in really well to the plot and dialogue. For instance, when Shakespeare insists on HIS ending to ROMEO AND JULIET, the music segues into "I Want It That Way." Director Luke Sheppard deftly balances multiple characters and locations to create a kaleidoscope of emotions that leaves the audience grinning from ear to ear.

The creative team really outdid themselves on the production design. At various points in the show actors will attach themselves to various objects (such as a moon or chandelier) mid-song and ascend to the heavens to sing from above. It's a cool effect which (at times) made me question the narrative reason, but because the visuals are so impressive it's easy to not care about their purpose. The video and projection design by Andrzej Goulding perfectly compliments the onstage action to highlight visual cues. I appreciated the cityscape projections on the walls of the theatre upon entrance as well as the confetti that sprinkled onto the audience during "Roar."

The best way to describe & JULIET is that it's like "one big party." I do feel that it would be tighter as a one act, and sometimes the story dragged a little, but the songs buoyed up the action and kept things moving every time they appeared. Choreography by Jennifer Weber added exclamation points to the musical numbers, which were conducted with precision by Andre Cerullo. A few times the singers and musicians were not perfectly in sync, with one ahead or behind of the other, but artists were able to get the sound back on track quickly. Costumes are appropriately Shakespearian and beautifully designed by Paloma Young. Lighting design by Howard Hudson was one of the most complex I've seen, with many intelligent lights and strobes which heightened the excitement. 

Fabiola Caraballo Quijada is incredible in her first touring role as Juliet! Vocals and movement are both very strong. "Since You've Been Gone", which is already one of my favorite songs, was a standout in this show. Ensemble singing perfectly accompanied the solo numbers and had excellent blend. Paul-Jordan Jansen's Lance was one of my favorite characters in the show. His classical legit voice worked quite well for the character and I loved his sass in this role! Harmonies with other characters were very juicy.

Crystal Kellogg lights up the stage as Anne. She is a true triple-threat, moving with grace across the stage and singing golden musical phrases full of expression and sincerity. We get a lot of Anne and it still isn't enough. What a great character! Likewise, CJ Eldred steals the show as Shakespeare. He is tremendously funny and charismatic, with great stage presence and a strong belt. His chemistry with Kellogg is electric.

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