By JESSICA NEU
“To be or not to be” a Shakespeare historian… “that is the question.”
Regardless of your Shakespeare knowledge, you can conjure up a general synopsis of Romeo and Juliet. Star-crossed teens from rival gangs meet and nearly instantly fall in love. They fight to see each other despite their families opposing their romance. This unresolved conflict results in a double death by suicide after a short-lived torrent love affair. The plot has been reimagined numerous times (West Side Story) and remade for modern audiences (Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes).
However, what would have happened if Juliet had not died by suicide? Would she find love elsewhere? Or, what would happen if both Romeo and Juliet had somehow lived?
The 2019 hit musical & JULIET explores this exact question. This coming-of-age jukebox musical includes a career-defining discography from Swedish pop music producer phenom Max Martin. David West Read crafted his script around Martin’s songs to create a fictional tale that re-writes Shakespeare’s historical work.
After previews in 2019, & JULIET in the West End later that year. Nominated for 9 Laurence Olivier Awards and winning 3, the show transferred to Toronto in 2022 before opening on Broadway in the fall of 2022. After receiving nine Tony Award nominations, & JULIET is still currently on Broadway. Pittsburgh theater goers can “break free” and see this “larger than life” show when the national tour comes to Pittsburgh next week as this season’s second show in the 2024-25 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh series.
& JULIET features songs from pop music icons Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Ke$ha and many more. The show highlights Martin’s genius as a writer and producer. It explores a well-known “what if” tale with a modern feminist twist, leaving audiences saying they “want it that way.” & JULIET provides a space to find your power, be “confident,” vulnerable, and never stop pursuing your own happily ever after.
The show begins as William Shakespeare is set to debut his new work, Romeo & Juliet. However, his wife, Anne Hathaway, has also come to the premiere and questions how the story would differ if Juliet had not died by suicide. Shakespeare protests the inquiry but inevitably acquiesces to his wife’s idea and develops an alternative ending, placing Juliet at Romeo’s funeral. During this time, Juliet discovers some unsettling truths about Romeo’s past. Juliet’s family also learns of her forbidden love affair with Romeo. From there, multiple other characters become involved. Anne Hathaway writes herself into the story, and delightful chaos and reverie ensue, all to the tune of Swedish-American pop music. & Juliet flips the script on traditional Shakespearean theater and brings this classic tale into the 21st Century. With themes of telling your truth, third-wave feminism, and romanticism, & Juliet is as flashy as Moulin Rouge: The Musical, with the cheekiness of Mamma Mia! and the diva femininity of Six!
Audiences “can’t stop the feeling” in this clever re-telling of a beloved classic story.
TICKETS AND DETAILS
PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh presents & JULIET at the Benedum Center October 29th- November 3rd, 2024. For tickets visit https://trustarts.org/production/94985/and-juliet
PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh is a project of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Show Previews
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