“& Juliet” at Playhouse Square Is a Splashy, Sparkly, Shakespearean Success

Corey Mach and the company of the North American tour of & Juliet Credit: Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy

“Light, tight, fun and done.” This, the character Anne reminds in the middle of “& Juliet,” is how the show is meant to be.

In the first few pages of “Romeo and Juliet,” we learn the fate of the titular characters. Not only are their deaths described in the prologue, they are foretold in the oft-shortened title of the play “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.” While Shakespeare is known for his cascading prose and complex plots, the man could really be quite blunt. Whether the underlying theme was explained in the prologue, title, or sweetly wrapped up by his recurring “fool” character types, Shakespeare told you what he was trying to accomplish.

It goes without saying that “& Juliet,” the jukebox musical that opened on Broadway in 2022, borrows heavily from the Bard: there’s gender-bending, meddling sidekicks, star-crossed lovers, disguises and betrayal. “& Juliet” also borrows Shakespeare’s propensity to know exactly what it is. The musical leans into being a splashy, light-hearted, unapologetic piece of toe-tapping escapism–and damn, is it successful.

Currently at Playhouse Square under the direction of Luke Sheppard, “& Juliet” explores a “what if?” scenario. Unhappy with the tragic ending of the play “Romeo and Juliet,” Anne Hathaway convinces her husband William Shakespeare to pen a happier ending. In this version of the tale, Juliet recognizes Romeo as a player (and not in the theatrical sense, but as “a whore but a man”). Instead of thrusting the dagger into her own breast, she tosses it aside, abandons her “O, speak again, bright angel” mentality, and begins a journey of self-discovery fueled by modern pop hits.

The musical trades the Bard’s iambic pentameter for witty, tongue-in-cheek dialogue written by David West Read of “Schitt’s Creek” and a catalog of songs written by Max Martin, such as “Fuckin’ Perfect,” “Roar,” “Since U Been Gone” and “Oops!…I Did It Again.”

Martin is described in the program as the music producer with the most number one hits of all time and dubbed the “Shakespeare of Pop.” It’s hard to debate this title when the man is responsible for so many popular hits that it would be near impossible to find someone alive who didn’t recognize his work. Martin and Friends use songs popularized by the Backstreet Boys, KeSha, P!ink, Katie Perry, Demi Lovato, Bon Jovi and Brittany Spears (only naming a few), to explore Juliet’s coming-of-age after Romeo.

The cast, containing five Baldwin Wallace Conservatory alumni, is an endearing troupe of talent. Leading the narrative is the ultra-likable, sometimes naive, but always enchanting, Juliet, played by Rachel Simone Webb who is a star in her own right.

Corey Mach, who deftly navigates the pop-y demands of “& Juliet” without sounding too boy-bandish, is effortlessly charming and charismatic as William Shakespeare. Teal Wicks as Shakespeare’s wife, Anne Hathaway, is a magnetic powerhouse, both in vocals and stage presence.

Juliet’s new amour, the shy François, is well embodied by a sweet Mateus Leite Cardoso. A talented Nick Drake portrays the non-binary character, May, who is a compelling addition to the “Romeo and Juliet” cast of characters. The scenes between Francois’ father and Juliet’s nurse, a boisterous Paul-Jordan Jansen and Kathryn Allison, are sure crowd-pleasers.

The diverse ensemble members are bright-eyed and energetic, delivering an enthusiastic air expected of a pop concert; however, when paired with a hyper saturation of light and sound and movement, it can sometimes lead to sensory overload.

The costume design by Paloma Young is an artistic amalgamation of 90s and Shakespearian staples, with bustles and backpacks and cargo pants and codpieces. Soutra Gilmour’s scenic design is a similar successful hybrid of styles that blends the two by fours of a backstage setting with a myriad of colorful furniture pieces that, alongside Andrzej Goulding’s multi-layered video and projection design, effectively set the time and place. Jennifer Weber’s choreography is unquestionably inspired by TikTok dances and pop music. Altogether, the creatives have crafted a Millennial and Gen Z’s fever dream.

While some of the songs are performed as if you’re attending a concert, complete with confetti cannons, swiveling grids of spotlights by lighting designer Howard Hudson and reverberating vocals from sound designer Gareth Owen, many are deployed in unexpected and often hilarious ways. It does this well when it splices songs that we recognize as solos into duets that lend to conversations rather than soliloquies. As enjoyable as they are, there are 29 songs packed into this show, which is one–or ten–too many.

While it can be easy to look down on pop music, “& Juliet” does a wonderful job of showing that when they are boiled down to their lyrical bones, these songs that topped the charts in the ’90s and aughts are inherently human. Sure, they’re aided by catchy tunes that worm their way into your subconscious–deftly accomplished in “& Juliet” by music supervisor Bill Sherman–but at their most basic, these pop songs are a fun medium to express lust, regret, self-discovery, empowerment, yearning and rebellion. All of this lends easily to the storytelling needed for a successful jukebox musical.

Make no mistake, “& Juliet” can be downright ridiculous; Shakespeare pedaling a plastic pony rickshaw from Verona to Paris while singing “Show Me Love” is one of the more tame examples. It makes fun of itself, sometimes poking at the repetitiveness or absurdity of its own lyrics. It throws punches at Shakespeare and his young, barely tween protagonists who married and then killed themselves because of a love fostered over three whopping days. Yet, “& Juliet” isn’t trying to grip you by the throat with its plot, it’s trying to dazzle you. And dazzle it does.

Light, tight and fun, indeed.

“& Juliet” runs through March 23 at Playhouse Square,1501 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Visit playhousesquare.org or call (216) 241-6000 for tickets, $49-$139

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