Since brevity is the soul of wit: & Juliet is a tremendously fun night at the theater. Director Luke Sheppard’s production is punchy, exciting, and brimming with exceptionally talented performances; it is so worth going to see. At this point in the show’s production history, it’s an incredibly polished package, too. Having garnered the highest critical accolades since its original performances in London in 2019, it has since had several international runs, including an ongoing stint on Broadway. This production at The Hippodrome in Baltimore kicks off its North American tour in a venue perfect for the story, at once modern and majestic, mixing the old and the new. As the show is taking all the right steps toward joining the canon of long-running musical theater successes, the only nagging question I can’t get out of my head is: is the lens of this Shakespearean remix nuanced enough to endure? What is its staying power as compared to its source material? Joomin Hwang, Rachel Webb, Bobby ‘Pocket’ Horner, Lorna Courtney, and Virgil Gadson in ‘& Juliet.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy. The story opens on a troupe of William Shakespeare’s players, learning their parts to the newly-written ending of Romeo & Juliet. But then Shakespeare’s frequently neglected wife, Anne Hathaway, bursts on the scene and proposes a novel idea: what if Juliet didn’t kill herself over Romeo? What if choosing to walk away from the tomb and to live is where her journey truly starts? Even better, Anne decides she’ll take part in writing and acting in this new version of the play. Can her husband handle co-authorship, and let newly-penned characters influence his famous young lovers’ destinies? The production itself is cleverly constructed, fresh and fun while still containing plenty of Shakespearen references for fans of the Bard. The opening troupe of traveling actors uses cue pages as props, recalling how actors in Shakespeare’s time would have rehearsed and learned lines (carrying pages with only their parts written and one cue line before them, rather than a whole script). The players build and change the set themselves, and often mimic each other’s initial choreography before the whole ensemble joins in, contributing to a feel that “this is on the fly,” we’re doing it live and anything could happen! And while famous lines of text are spoken throughout the night, they’re from a range of plays in Shakespeare’s work, often given to characters you wouldn’t expect to say them. (A particularly fun gem is a drum-beat patter scene between two players that is spoken in iambic pentameter — an enjoyable easter egg if you’re listening for it, and a heightened and exciting scene, even if you’re not.) The pairing of scenic design by Soutra Glimour and lighting design by Howard Hudson was electrifying, with equally creative and eye-popping costumes by Paloma Young. They lent a magical, larger-than-life quality to the stylish and athletic choreography of Jennifer Weber. Combined, these elements set the background for a pop-rock concert befitting the jukebox musical, which is perhaps the evening’s greatest twist: this story is told via pop music of the early 2000s. ‘& Juliet’ Company in ‘Blow.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy. This mashup of pop music and Romeo and Juliet is hilarious, surprising, and oddly Shakespearean; even though we know the words and the plot to these songs (just as we might with a famous scene from one of Shakespeare’s plays), it’s still refreshing and moving to hear them come from these characters at each given moment in the story. They feel specific and relevant, and the joy of hearing which song each character picks spurs much of the comedy throughout the night. It’s not easy to all be pop-rock stars, but the cast more than rose to the challenge, with the added bonus of grounded, genuine acting. Rachel Simone Webb as Juliet was perfect. She executed her performance with all-around excellence, delivering text with exquisite timing and ease and songs with a stunning voice (not to mention unwavering stamina). Other standout performances included Teal Wicks as Anne Hathaway, whose brilliant comic timing shone from her first moments onstage, and was rooted in commitment to the demands of the story. Kathyrn Allison was fabulously fun as Angelique (Juliet’s Nurse), with killer vocals and one of my favorite numbers of the night in her “Teenage Dream” duo with Paul-Jordan Jansen as the hilariously operatic Lance. Nick Drake brought the most heart to the production in their portrayal of May, delivering some of the most moving ballads with captivating stage presence. But in an evening so full of creative talent, I found myself questioning the durability of this storytelling focus. In the five years since this musical premiered, I’ve seen a lot of stories on stage about female empowerment, defying the patriarchy, and accepting gender nonbinary. Perhaps because of this, I wasn’t surprised by any of the arcs the story took, or relieved by what is, dare I say it, no longer a fresh plot take. I actually found myself challenging the premise that Romeo is a “douche” and Juliet took no agency in the story the way Shakespeare wrote it. Isn’t the reason we still read Romeo and Juliet because it is complicated and imperfect? In the same way Juliet didn’t have to kill herself over Romeo…didn’t Romeo also get hopelessly lost in his relationship with Juliet? Was he not worth saving in the same way? Art that raises questions will always outlive art that gives us answers. Ironically, my question in this was: okay, the female has the lead — what’s she going to do with it? Surely there is more to the feminine existence than bucking the patriarchy? But that’s also Juliet’s question, and not resolved in a single night. In an evening full of female leads and power ballads, audience habits still die hard — some of the fiercest bouts of applause were for Romeo’s entrance and an undoubtedly well-executed Boy Band sequence (to give the devils their due). The most interesting sections of the story to me were the more nuanced, complex conversations between Anne and Shakespeare. These revealed more about the human experience than any individual rock anthem, and were the only moments that tugged my heart. Perhaps, now that Juliet gets a chance to live and mature, her journey will evolve toward more moments like these. Running Time: Approximately two hours and 30 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. & Juliet plays through September 28, 2024, at the Hippodrome Theatre’s France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw Street, Baltimore, MD. Purchase tickets ($49–$269, including service fees) online or call 410.837.7400. Complete cast and creative credits for the touring company are here. COVID Safety: Masks are recommended but not required. The Hippodrome’s Health & Safety policy is here. & Juliet Book by David West Read Music and Lyrics by Max Martin and Friends Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Arrangements by Bill Sherman Choreography by Jennifer Weber Direction by Luke Sheppard Scenic Design by Soutra Gilmour Costume Design by Paloma Young Lighting Design by Howard Hudson Sound Design by Gareth Owen Video & Projections Design by Andrzej Goulding Hair/Wig & Makeup Design by J. Jared Janas Music Direction by Andre Cerullo Additional Orchestrations and Arrangements by Dominc Fallacaro Music Coordination by Michael Aarons CAST Juliet: Rachel Simone Webb Lance: Paul-Jordan Jansen Anne: Teal Wicks Shakespeare: Corey Mach May: Nick Drake Angelique: Kathryn Allison Romeo: Michael Canu Francois: Mateus Leite Cardoso Lady Capulet, Nell: Naima Alakham Judith: Camille Brooks Eleanor, Benvolio: Nella Cole Susanna: Lois Ellise Gregory: Ishmael Gonzalez Augustine: Kenneth Onesimus Goubran Lucy: Shelby Griswold Henry: Christopher Robert Hanford Lennox: Jourdan Ibe Richard: Josh Jordan Margaret: Nicole Lamb Dion: Yoshi Maysonet Lord Capulet, Sly: Usman Ali Mughal Kempe: Jaydon Nget Titania: Kyra Smith Cuthbert: Francisco Thurston