I’ve seen a lot of shows, but I can’t remember the last time I left a theatre this happy. “& Juliet” asks the question: what if Juliet didn’t end it all, and decided to write her own story instead?
What follows is high-energy, funny, and full of heart.
The voices are what really got me. Every performer on that stage has incredible range and power, and the harmonies gave me goosebumps more than once. Every number feels fresh, like you’re hearing a song you’ve known for years in a whole new way.
And the music is the secret weapon. The score is built on the hits of Max Martin, the songwriter and producer behind so many of the songs that defined pop radio, so it’s basically a greatest-hits playlist with a story woven through it. As a lifelong Backstreet Boys fan, I loved how much of their catalogue made it into the show! Hearing those songs belted out in a theatre, with a full audience singing along under their breath (and sometimes not so under their breath – *cough* me *cough*), was pure nostalgia in the best way.
If you’re a millennial who grew up on boy bands, pop princesses, and mixtapes, this show was made for you. It’s joyful, a little cheeky, and unapologetically fun. I walked out humming and I’d definitely watch it again in a heartbeat.
“& Juliet” just wrapped its Vancouver run at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, presented by Broadway Across Canada. If the North American tour comes to a city near you, don’t miss it!
