**** Have you ever asked yourself “What would have happened if Juliet did not kill herself over Romeo?” That is the question that is posed in the book by David West Read with music by Max Martin & freinds called ” & Juliet” now on the stage at The Cadillac Palace Theatre as part of Broadway In Chicago’s season. This musical is filled with mirth and songs that will make you think about relationships, from teens to adults. To love lost and love found and what if the story was changed?
In this rousing, wild musical we have Will (Shakespeare) played to perfection by Corey Mach and his wife, Anne Hathaway ( a delightful portrayal by Teal Wicks) arguing over the way the original was written and Anne taking the quill in hand to give young Juliet ( a dynamic performance by Rachel Simone Webb) a new life. What a glorious tale as she comes to life and the new story unfolds. We leave Verona and go to Paris where she meets Francois (Mateus Leite Cardosa) the only son of Lance ( perfectly played by Paul Jordan Jansen, who many Chicagoans will recognize from his many roles in Chicago area theaters). They plan to wed, and Lance finds that her Juliet’s nurse, Angelique ( the feisty Kathryn Allison) was at one time his secret love.
There is more to the story in that Juliet’s friend May ( Nick Drake is hysterical) also finds true love in Paris, and this is where I will try to hold back some of the surprises in this wonderful story, but will tell you that the love of May’s life is also that of Juliet. Make no mistake, Anne and Will bicker back and forth over how the story should go. Can a young girl know what her heart holds? But along the way, Will finds a way to truly get the story off the book ( so to speak) and we get Romeo (Michael Canu) coming alive and admitting his errors.
From this point on, we get a wedding planned, a wedding gone astray and several lovers telling us about their confusion. The musical numbers are storytelling and probably will not be remembered by most audience members, but certain songs are standouts, such as “I Kissed A Girl”, “Show Me Your Love”, “One More Try” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling”. There are a great many more and while there are times you might feel that you are watching a rock opera ( like “Six”, which was a concert) this is indeed a true musical that is funny as well as sincere and in many ways honest.
The powerful ensemble makes this performance work and the musicians who are backstage are right on! While it deals with many topics, the ones that stand out are those of love, caring, youth, daring and of most importance, everyone finding their own self! If you are a lover of Shakespeare, you will find the use of the Bard’s words perfect, and if you are not a Shakespeare person, perhaps this is the way to get you to understand the great work of same.
” & Juliet” will continue thru Dec 15th , with performances as follows:
Fri, Dec 6:7:30pm
To purchase tickets visit any Broadway In Chicago Theater box office of visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com
The Cadillac Palace Theater is located at 151 West Randolph Street ( between Wells and LaSalle Streets
To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.comww, go to Review Round-Up and click at “& Juliet”
Here is what Paul has to say:
REVIEW: & Juliet
By: Paul Lisnek, “Behind the Curtain,” WGNRadio.com
****/4
& Juliet is Witty, Smart, and a Whole lot of Fun!
Imagine if the legendary and classic love story by Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet ended a bit differently. Instead of Juliet meeting her demise at the end of the play, she actually lives on to give Love a second chance! That’s the premise of this incredibly fun jukebox musical (which is far better than most in that genre and we can confirm that it IS a jukebox musical because a jukebox often joins the set elements), and add the energy and brightness of “Six,” and you have an over the top evening that will have you leaving the theater singing, dancing, and with a huge smile on your face
The idea of changing the ending comes not from Shakespeare himself, who is a leading character in this work and played authentically by Corey Mach, but from his incredibly strong wife, Anne Hathaway (perfectly captured by Teal Wicks) who makes it clear that this revised work is going to show the strength of women! Not sure how that would have gone over circa 1600, but in 2024, audiences are all in! And a strong Juliet, powerfully portrayed and vocalized by Rachel Simone Webb.
Indeed ALL of the voices in this production are powerful individually and blend together for a stunning chorus that bring new life to the iconic playlist written by Max Martin (and his various partners). Half the fun is seeing where classic songs like “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” Baby One More Time,” and others get placed to add support and sometimes whimsy to the moment.
The sets, lights and even bursts of confetti make this a party!
& Juliet may be a story from 1600, but it thrives in 2024 and will have you leave the theater asking, “Why isn’t this classic known as “Juliet & Romeo?” Indeed, women have earned top billing and this show gives it to them royally.
& Juliet is NOT to be missed but you have only until December 15th to see it at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at: www.BroadwayinChicago.com
New Podcast: meet the stars of & Juliet! I chat with performers Corey Mach (who plays William Shakespeare) and Mike Canu (“Romeo”) about the incredibly high energy and fun jukebox musical “& Juliet” here for a short run. Utilizing the music of Max Martin with songs you will know very well (‘Since You Been Gone’ ‘Baby One More Time”, ‘Larger than Life’, and so much more), this high energy cast and lit up stage will have you singing along and dancing in your seat! Lots of plot surprises and you do NOT have to know anything about Shakespeare or the play (though knowing some basics enhances the laughs). Presented by Broadway In Chicago
The Link:
Paul M. Lisnek, J.D., Ph.D.
More Stories
Teatro ZinZanni Chicago “Love Chaos and Dinner”.
“A Bright Room Called Day”
“The Totality of All Things” reviewed by Frank Meccia