Review: &JULIET is 'Larger Than Life' at Broadway Sacramento

The national tour of &Juliet is celebrating the beginning of its second year on the road at Broadway Sacramento, and it’s a party that’s unmatched. In 2023, it was nominated for nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It continues to be a fan favorite, and rightfully so. A fresh adaptation of one of the Bard’s most famous works set to a soundtrack of Max Martin’s 90’s and 2000’s pop hits? Yes, please.

David West Read’s book cleverly incorporates the lyrics of millennial favorites like “Roar” and “Oops!...I Did it Again” with feminist ideals and a storyline that lets the women of Shakespeare’s time have a say in what happens. It also checks all the boxes of contemporary audiences’ requirements for flashy, upbeat, and escapist entertainment. Urban choreography by Jennifer Weber, spectacular set design by Soutra Gilmour, and Paloma Young’s modernized Renaissance costumes are unforgettable.

Empowerment, independence, and individuality are celebrated in this re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s little-mentioned wife, Anne Hathaway, takes center stage after reading her husband’s original version of the story. What if Juliet didn’t die? Shakespeare reluctantly relinquishes his quill to Anne’s creativity, and a new story emerges, one in which Juliet finds herself following her own path. Secondary plots centered around Juliet’s nurse, Angelique, and Best Friend, May, skillfully add heartwarming feel-good aspects to the show.

This touring cast is just as good as the group I saw on Broadway. Crystal Kellogg’s Anne is utterly charming. She’s got a natural, quick wit and engaging persona, like she’s letting us all in on a fun secret at the expense of Shakespeare. CJ Eldred is her husband, who is lovingly knocked down a peg but takes it with grace. What can a man expect when he only leaves his wife his second-best bed? Kathryn Allison plays Juliet’s nurse, Angelique, and is a perfect complement in voice, attitude, and motherly concern to Fabiola Caraballo Quijada’s Juliet. Quijada is astonishing. Her performance belies her age; it’s hard to reconcile that level of talent with being a recent high school graduate. Her Best Friend, May, is sweetly portrayed by Nico Ochoa, delightfully contrasting with Joseph Torres’ hilariously narcissistic Romeo. Paul-Jordan Jansen and Noah Marlowe are father/son duo Lance and Francois -- polar opposites and perfectly cast. The entire company is full of energy, and numbers like “Larger Than Life,” “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” and the crowd-pleasing closer, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” make this show an entire experience. Once won’t be enough. You’ll want to see it “Baby One More Time.”

&Juliet plays at Broadway Sacramento through October 5th. Tickets may be purchased online at BroadwaySacramento.com, by phone at (916) 557-1999, or at the Box Office at 1419 H Street in Sacramento.

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