Theater Review – November 5, 2025

BROADWAY MUSICAL “& JULIET” BOASTS A SILLY PLOT TWIST ON SHAKESPEARE BUT DOES IT ENTERTAININGLY

“& Juliet”
Broadway Across America – Arizona, ASU Gammage
Tempe, AZ

By Chris Curcio
Theater Critic

The jukebox musical “& Juliet” asks a simple question according to show publicity.  What if Juliet hadn’t committed suicide in the Shakespeare masterpiece, “Romeo and Juliet”?  The theme is tackled with a bouncingly attractive score of contemporary tunes crafted by Swedish pop songsmith Max Martin and a jazzy, upbeat book by David West Read that adds a few pithy plot tangles to the well-worn story.

The very modern Luke Sheppard staging and Jennifer Weber’s constantly moving and extremely current choreography give the show a welcome contemporary look while always acknowledging the play’s historical origins.  The show premiered in 2019 in Manchester before a quick move to London’s West End and then to Broadway in 2022.  The touring production began in 2024 and arrived at ASU Gammage this week.

The tour duplicates the New York and English productions and it is a rock ‘n rollin’ jubilant affair with a top-notch cast while the New York staging still graces Broadway today.  The show earned several Tony nominations including for Best Musical, but failed to win any New York awards.

The story has Shakespeare’s wife, Anne, suggesting to the Bard a different plot where Juliet lives and several characters have very diverse dealings that are nothing like the original.  Juliet’s parents plan to send her to a convent, something Juliet deplores so she travels to Paris and becomes part of a new play.  But Shakespeare doesn’t like the ending so the musical demonstrates the struggle between husband and wife while Anne strives for a joyous conclusion to the new piece.

“& Juliet” is far from a probing or penetrating story but it entertains mightily and is a sparkling musical to watch unfolding. Unfortunately, like so many touring Broadway shows that stop at ASU Gammage, dialogue evaporates into the hall’s messy acoustics which causes many amusing lines to get lost. There’s a nice pre-show that introduces the characters in an entertaining manner and bland ASU Gammage had its walls decorated with show-related art projections.

On opening night, understudy Lois Ellise played Juliet and after a weak start, she warmed up to sing gloriously.  CJ Eldred was a stalwart Shakespeare, Crystal Kellogg a feisty Anne, Joseph Torres a doubting Romeo, Nico Ochoa an effete May, and Paul Jordan Jansen a rule-toting Lance.  A spirited ensemble brought the songs to swinging life and sets conveyed the various story locales and historic flavored costumes created a nice visual appearance.

“& Juliet” is a light-hearted but entertaining charmer with a slight story but a marvelously inventive production that delights.  “& Juliet” continues through Sunday, November 9. To order tickets, call the ASU Gammage box office at 480-965-3434 or order tickets online at www.asugammage.com.

Grade: A