“Juliet & Romeo: a New Musical” reviewed by Amy Menzel (Milwaukee)

**** The way I see it, you have two options. Either you head right on over to smtmke.org and buy you tickets to see the world premiere of the new musical Juliet and Romeo now and then come back and read all about why, or you continue reading, then realize you must see this show, and quickly log onto smtmke.org while hoping there are still tickets remaining. It’s your call.

Of course, there is a chance, albeit slim, that you might not enjoy this show, but only if (a) you don’t like to laugh, (b) you don’t appreciate clever adaptations, or (c) plot twists annoy you. Otherwise, you’re in for a real treat. You don’t even need to know anything about Shakespeare, Juliet, or Romeo! Bloom (Frankie Zabilka), a community theater director and not-so-quiet critic of The Bard, breaks the fourth wall often to share his perspectives. That, plus his conversations with an imaginary Shakespeare (Allie Babich) are enough to enlighten all audience members. Jamie Mercado returns to the Skylight stage to play Rachel/Juliet and Mason Hanizeski makes his Skylight debut as Romeo.

The show starts with the final scene of Romeo and Juliet where (spoiler alert?) they both die. Bloom, who is directing the play, runs in to yell cut because…well, he hates the ending. Cue his long-time imaginary friend, Shakespeare, who, insulted by Bloom’s criticism, whisks him away on a time-traveling venture. Bloom and Shakespeare’s characters bounce between the 14th and 20th centuries for the rest of the show and, as an audience, we’re along for the ride.

The musical consists of 23 numbers, none of which are lengthy, and many of which will make you laugh out loud (unless, again, you don’t like to laugh). They might even cause you to bop your head along to the song, which I witnessed one theater-goer doing during “Boy Meets Girl.” Witty and sometimes sassy lyrics abound, most notably in “Ann-Margret in a Sweater,” “To Be or Not To Be,” and “Crap Ending (Reprise).” This production uses recorded music, but the performers bring it to life with strong voices.

Zabilka is a solid and charming lead. Babich and Mercado shine. Babich has terrific comedic timing and plays Shakespeare with a hint of Kate McKinnon. Mercado strikes the right balance between innocence and playfulness to pull off distinctly delightful dual characters, adding the ol’ Clark Kent glasses trick to distinguish between the two. Her musical contributions are outstanding.

This show, with its humor and humanity, is exactly what I needed right now. If you need a laugh, need to feel a little love, or just need to see or experience something new, Juliet and Romeo is what you need, too.

★★★★

Juliet and Romeo plays at the Skylight’s Musical Theatre’s Cabot Theatre and runs through February 2.

Thursday, January 30 – 7:30 p.m., ASL-Interpreted Performance
Fridays – 7:30 p.m.
Saturdays – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday,  – 2 p.m.
Sundays – 2 p.m.

Juliet and Romeo is recommended for audience members 11 years old and up. It contains mature language and atmospheric effects, including theatrical haze.

The performance runs approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes without intermission.

Tickets start at $48 and can be purchased at smtmke.org or via phone at (414) 291-7800. The Skylight Music Theatre box office is located 158 N. Broadway and is open from noon until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.