& Juliet
Bushnell Center for Performing Arts
Hartford
May 7, 2026
Do you ever wonder what that character from your favorite TV show or movie would be up to if they hadn’t died? Say the Terminator at the end of T2, or Mufasa in The Lion King. What would they do next? & Juliet, the latest musical extravaganza at the Bushnell, answers that question for one Juliet Capulet.
& Juliet is a story within a story. It starts with William Shakespeare (CJ Eldred) celebrating the completion of his latest work, Romeo and Juliet. As performers gather to stage the play, his wife Anne Hathaway (Crystal Kellogg) laments Juliet’s death, asking why she must kill herself simply because Romeo mistakenly did the same. She asks Shakespeare to let her rewrite the ending, and he finally relents. In Hathaway’s version, Juliet (Fabiola Caraballo Quijada) lives, and sets off on an adventure as a newly single woman.
I’ll stop there with my summary because spoilers are a disservice to this production. & Juliet doesn’t rest for a moment, hurling Juliet and a zany, constantly growing cast of characters into one plot machination after another.
Despite the constant swirl of action, & Juliet never feels overwhelming. The plot threads are simple and effective, making it easy to follow what each character is after and how it clashes with the others. They constantly surprise and delight, combining twists and turns with musical spectacle that transforms the play into a thrill ride.
And oh yes, the music. & Juliet features an outstanding mix of original music and greatest hits from the Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Brittany Spears and the '90s and '00s. & Juliet makes great use of the jukebox format, using favorite songs not only to convey the character’s emotions and the play’s mood, but also in playful and unexpected ways. For example, as Shakespeare and Hathaway argue about Juliet’s fate, the cast breaks out into a rendition of I Want it That Way– with both using the lyrics to justify their creative decisions.
Of course, the best music is nothing without the right people to perform it. Thankfully, the cast of & Juliet is spectacular from top to bottom. Fabiola Caraballo Quijada is absolutely radiant as Juliet, a tiny powerhouse that commands the stage whether she’s singing, dancing or bringing Juliet to life as more than a star-crossed lover. She maintains Juliet’s youthful curiosity and hopefulness, while giving her a sassy edge that doesn’t detract from her earnestness.
CJ Eldred’s Shakespeare is equal parts charming and arrogant, but in a playful way that makes light of the bard’s status in English literature today, while Crystal Kellogg’s enthusiasm as Hathaway and desire to be more than a housewife doesn’t swamp her own hilarious buffoonery. Kathryn Allison’s turn as Nurse Angelique was another stand out performance, and her powerful voice was a great contrast to the other styles.
One of the biggest surprises of the night, for me at least, was former NSYNC member Joey Fatone’s turn as Lance. I had no idea that he was in the production, and he looked and sounded great. Fatone looked like he was born to be on Broadway. He matched the energy and skill of the other performers perfectly. There are so many great performances that I could write about, but that would be getting into spoiler territory. Suffice to say, everyone brought their A++ game.
I’ve run out of superlative adjectives to describe & Juliet, so I’ll just say go see it before it wraps on May 10. It’s the sequel that Shakespeare deserves, told only as his wife could.
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& Juliet is running at the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts through May 10.
Jamil goes to see Circus Fire. Seriously. I have my tickets and everything.
