Review: & JULIET A Must-See At Broadway San Jose

What happens when you take the source material of none other than William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and reimagine it, set to the tunes of mega-hit songwriter and producer Max Martin's extensive music catalog? David West Read (he of Schitt's Creek fame) does just that, to spectacular effect, in his book for & Juliet, creating a bright and frothy Broadway musical confection if there ever was one. Read's chutzpah alone in taking on both bards, Will and Max, is worth the price of admission. But when you add in Jennifer Weber's propulsive signature pop-and-hip-hop dance moves fused seamlessly with classic Broadway choreography, you get a jukebox musical that "Roars" and truly feels "Larger than Life." Playing now through October 12 at Broadway San Jose, & Juliet is a much-needed confection of mayhem, laughter and empowerment all delivered by one of the most professional casts and creative teams I've seen in a long time.

The onstage jukebox comes primed with enough quarters to pump out no fewer than 30 of the biggest hits of the '90s and early 2Ks by Ariana Grande, Backstreet Boys, Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Celene Dion, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Kesa, and Pink. Whew! Max Martin's iconic boy-band anthems and radio-pop tunes, with their soaring choruses and thumping bass drumbeats, filled the theatre with energy and excitement, that rippled through the audience and compelled them to their feet for the finale. Everyone was having so much fun! The music molds perfectly to Read's book, which cleverly avoids the pitfall that often dogs jukebox musicals, shoehorning songs into the story. You never want an audience to feel that, and they don't in & Juliet. 

The conceit of the show is its cheeky, meta twist: the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet gets rewritten before our eyes when Shakespeare's long-suffering wife, Anne Hathaway (Crystal Kellogg), arrives from the country to discover that her husband (CJ Eldred) has written yet another play about a doomed couple. Clearly, she sees parallels in her own marriage to the bard and suggests that he rewrite the ending. When he refuses, she grabs his quill and begins to write herself.

First she saves Juliet (Fabiola Caraballo Quijada) from killing herself after Romeo (Joseph Torres) does himself in. Next she invents a funeral where Juliet learns that Romeo had a long list of former lovers, hardly the "first love" she believed him to be. Anne also writes herself into the story as April, one of Juliet's besties, alongside another friend named May (Nico Ochoa), who is non-binary. It's pointed out in the program that "May is very Shakespeare. The bard wrote plenty of characters outside the gender binary." 

Quijada is a vocal powerhouse as the young and newly widowed Juliet. In Anne's version of the story, you get the distinct impression that after her initial despair at losing "the love of her life" after only three days of knowing him, Juliet thinks that maybe she's dodged a bullet, or in her case, a dagger. Ready to embrace her freedom, she's quickly thwarted by parents (Jared Alexander and Cayla Primous) who are intent on sending her to a nunnery. So, accompanied by April, May, and her loyal nurse Angelique (Kathryn Allison), Juliet hatches a plan for an adventure in Paris. Hijinks ensue, especially when Shakespeare reclaims the quill from Anne and resurrects Romeo for Act II!

As mentioned, the cast is fantastic. They're far more than "extras": they're the beating heart of the show, dancing to high-energy beats and clearly having a blast while doing it. Vocals across the company are a joy and add immeasurably to the production. Paloma Young has costumed the leads and ensemble in a dazzling blend of Renaissance chic and '90s grunge that truly paints a picture, while Soutra Gilmour's set design spins that same aesthetic into the world around them. Lighting by Howard Hudson and Sound by Gareth Owen create their own kind of magic, while Andrzej Goulding's video and projection design surrounds the audience in a visually stunning ambiance.

At its core, & Juliet is more than a glittery jukebox romp, although it is that as well. It's a celebration of second chances, self-discovery, and rewriting your own story on your own terms, which is something that women have been trying to do for a very long time now. By marrying Shakespeare's most famous tragedy with the irresistible ear-worm hooks of Max Martin's pop catalog and the Read book, the show offers a comedic and empowering reminder that life doesn't have to follow the script. Bursting with humor, heart, and high-octaine hits, & Juliet is the kind of musical that sends you out of the theatre smiling, humming, and maybe even feeling just a little bit braver about grabbing your own quill.

San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)

16.6% of votes

2. THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)

9.3% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)

8.3% of votes

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