Shakespeare's Juliet takes a pop-tastic twist on love, self-discovery, and empowerment in this modern musical, & Juliet.
What if Juliet swapped out her tragic ending for a journey of self-discovery? & Juliet is a super fun, joyful, pop-tastic musical celebrating the greatest love story ever told. It rewrites the Shakespearean classic Romeo & Juliet in an uplifting story of self-discovery, empowerment and, above all else, love.
Throughout the show’s tour of West End, Broadway, and even in North America, & Juliet has broken box office records and played to standing room-only and sold-out crowds. It’s also been nominated for nine Tony Awards including Best Musical. Lucky for us, we caught a show in Sydney. Here’s a preview of what’s to come as & Juliet will be making its Asia premiere right here in Singapore from 21 September to 15 October 2023.
& Juliet: A reimagined musical of the celebrated Shakespearean classic
This isn’t just a musical that asks what if Juliet didn’t end it all, or what if the end was really the beginning of her life. No, this is a fierce celebration of chart-topping songs, featuring music from Max Martin and a story based on the book & Juliet. It’s created by award-winning writer, David West Read (Schitt’s Creek fame).
The tale traces our heroine Juliet who, on the day of Romeo’s funeral, comes to the harsh reality that her husband was quite the free-spirited lover. So she sets out on a journey to find love again – on her terms – with a little help from her friends.
A fantastic cast, head-bobbing music, and glitzy set and costume design
The Australian cast oozes talent and is proudly led by Aboriginal and South Sea Islander woman Lorinda May Merrypor in the role of Juliet. Meanwhile, veteran Rob Mills wows the audience as Shakespeare. You’ll be mesmerised by the stunning vocal range of Amy Lehpamer, who plays his on-stage wife Anne Hathaway.
Hold the phone, or rather, shine it brightly on the terrifically talented Blake Appelqvist as the romantic and dashing Romeo. We also can’t forget Casey Donovan as Angelique, Jesse Dutlow playing May, and Yashith Fernando as the sensitive Francois.
Swedish songwriter and five-time Grammy award-winning maestro Max Martin’s tunes have racked up a huge number of hits throughout his career. You’ll love the way & Juliet perfectly blends some of his top tracks into this pop-tastic celebration of love! Songs like “I Want It That Way”, “Since U Been Gone”, “Teenage Dream”, “Baby One More Time”, “Can’t Stop the Feeling”, and Juliet’s spine-tingling “Roar” are all the beating pulse of this joyful production. Standing ovations predicted!
Plus, past and present collide skillfully thanks to the set design of Soutra Gilmour who beautifully showcases Verona and Paris via the glitz of 1,204 lights backdropped with vibrant colour. The costumes perfectly blend 16th-century yesteryear with the on-trend pulse of today’s Gen Z thanks to the genius and flair of designer Paloma Young.
Psst: there are 36,480 crystals on stage, and over 16,000 of them are used in Juliet’s Roar Costume where every single crystal has been hand-sorted and applied. Oh, and look out for 1.6 seconds-long costume change – that’s speedy by anyone’s standards!
A poignant message beyond its sparkly facade
Who doesn’t love to dance away from a musical with a spring in their step and sing arm in arm with fellow theatre-goers? Well, & Juliet will have you do that (and more) all night long for a very inspiring reason. The message coming through loud and clear is that you don’t need a man (or person) to define who you are. Whatever you choose to do and whoever you choose to be with is ultimately not as important as being content with who you are. Word!
With chart-topping hits by Max Martin and a talented cast, & Juliet is a pop-tastic musical that reminds us to define ourselves on our terms. Get ready for an inspiring night of love and laughter!
& Juliet, 21 September – 5 October 2023, Sands Theatre, B1, Marina Bay Sands, 4 Bayfront Avenue, Singapore 018973