"& Juliet"
Fisher Theatre
Detroit, Mich.
Through April 12
If you read my theater reviews, you know I’m skeptical of jukebox musicals and tend to favor shows with original music. That being said – if you like the source music, there’s a good chance you’ll like the show, and that was the case for “& Juliet,” now playing at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre. The high energy comedy is the Millennial dream of jukebox musicals, with a soundtrack of pop hits largely from the late 1990s and early 2000s and a book by Emmy-winning “Schitt’s Creek” writer David West Read. It features music from Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande and a mix of our beloved boy bands that were written by legendary, Grammy-winning songwriter Max Martin.
The story isn’t too bad either. “& Juliet” is a female-empowering alternate ending of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” After sharing his plans for “Romeo and Juliet’s” tragic double suicide ending, William Shakespeare’s wife – actually named Anne Hathaway – challenges her husband to write a different, reclaimed ending for Juliet based on strength and agency. Instead of giving up her life for a playboy she’d known for four days, Hathaway and Shakespeare fight for the quill as they send Juliet on a different journey of independence and self-discovery, joined by her gay best friend May, other best friend April (“April, May and Juliet”), and her Nurse. The four travel to Paris and attend a Renaissance Ball where they encounter new and old love interests and a series of plot twists. The story is both bizarre and fabulous; it constantly keeps you in stitches.
Despite the often clunky nature of jukebox musicals, where we do our best (sometimes not best) to retroactively fit songs into a story, the music selection moves the plot along surprisingly well. And there’s a wonderful sense of humor, excitement and joy that comes from hearing the first few notes of your favorite childhood songs presented in a new way; you can’t help but dance along in the audience. I recommend going in blind and not peeking at the song list so each one brings a full sense of surprise and delight.
The fantastic leads are supported by a high energy dance ensemble. Their moves don’t have the technical difficulty you’d find in something like “Newsies,” but they match the style of the music era from which they come, even including a nod to the Gangnam Style dance craze of 2012.
The production features colorful, funky costumes that mix Renaissance and modern details, paired with a vibrant set of bright, dynamic and sometimes exploding pieces that elevate the energy of the show.
With high octane pop music, humor, creative Renaissance revisioning and the theme of female empowerment, “& Juliet” is a great show for fans of “Six.” Those who enjoy “Mamma Mia” – with a theme of self discovery and music also written by Swedish pop artists – will likely love it as well.
“& Juliet” offers a fantastic blend of joy, humor and nostalgia. It’s light and fun with enough substance to keep it interesting. Millennial or not, it makes for a wonderful night at the theater.
