& Juliet reimagines Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as a vibrant coming-of-age story, asking: what if Juliet had lived and written her own future?

William Shakespeare and his wife, Anne Hathaway, appear on stage and begin rewriting the ending based on Anne’s wishes. She’s tired of her husband’s endless tragedies. She doesn’t care that Romeo died—that was fine—but she questions why a girl should die after just one boyfriend. When Juliet learns that Romeo had multiple relationships—with both women and men—using the same famous balcony lines, she gets furious. Her parents want to send her to a nunnery, but she decides to run away.

She sets off for Paris with her nurse, her nonbinary friend May, and a mysterious new companion named April—who turns out to be Anne Hathaway herself. As Anne says, “April, May, and July–et.” They travel 600 miles in a bicycle-powered carriage driven by Shakespeare. The group sneaks into a party hosted by François Du Bois, who must marry someone or be sent to the army by his father. He meets Juliet and introduces himself as François. She responds, “Frankie.” “Du Bois?” “The Boy.” The joke recurs, and Juliet continues to call him Frankie until the end, showing her absent-minded and immature side. This choice makes her growth later on more striking—when she discovers her voice and learns to assert herself, the shift feels earned.

But Frankie soon realizes his true feelings are for May. Meanwhile, the nurse reconnects with Lance, Frankie’s father, whom she once dated behind his wife’s back.

Shakespeare becomes frustrated with Anne’s version of the story and intervenes—resurrecting Romeo, who appears with the fanfare of “It’s My Life,” closing Act I. Act II builds on this tension as Romeo, resurrected with the anthem “It’s My Life,” travels to Paris only to find Juliet ready to move on. He speaks to her sincerely, dropping the poetic language of Shakespeare’s original text. Their love reignites, but Juliet is unsure what to do.

Anne, seeing the story heading back toward tragedy, breaks Shakespeare’s quill—symbolically stopping the rewriting process. She’s tired of seeing all of his married couples end in misery. Shakespeare replies that he’s planning a happy one next—Macbeth. At the wedding, Frankie confesses his love for May, and Lance accepts it. Juliet announces to her parents that she will live her own life. Anne and William decide to leave the ending open. Juliet gives Romeo another chance—but this time it’s “Juliet and Romeo,” because she matters too.

At first, I was unsure about the premise. Rewriting Shakespeare felt unnecessary. But about fifteen minutes in, I saw that the show wasn’t trying to “fix” the original—it was offering a modern-day fantasy, a carefree parallel universe. Everything felt slightly off-key on purpose, as if history had been rewritten with pop music and casual logic. Even the threats of being sent to a nunnery or the army felt tongue-in-cheek, like they could turn into Sister Act or a boy-band boot camp.

I actually realized it was a jukebox musical when the house music played familiar hits before the curtain rose. Once the first numbers, “Larger than Life” and “I Want It That Way,” began, I fully recognized the format. Familiar hits by Max Martin—like “Oops!... I Did It Again,” “It’s My Life,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”—gave me a roadmap to relax and enjoy, instead of decoding new lyrics in real time. When the songs started, I couldn’t help but feel the beat. I even sang along quietly to “It’s My Life” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”—I refrained for the rest.

The production made clever use of the stage. The central turntables were used efficiently for entrances, exits, and the carriage ride. At one point, the turntable even elevated with lighting underneath—it looked like a flying saucer. A rectangular trapdoor at the front center transformed into an elevated platform during Juliet’s “Roar” performance. Costumes balanced old and new: a minimal take on Italian or French historical dress, with frequent changes into modern outfits decorated with just hints of lace or trim. Many props were hand-carried, emphasizing that this isn’t a heavily mechanized production. This minimal yet inventive approach matched the musical’s playful rewriting of history.

I usually read the synopsis and listen to the cast recording before going to a show, but this time I didn’t. That may have helped. Without expectations, I was able to enjoy the show for what it was—a light, funny, and heartfelt musical that doesn’t ask too much of the audience. Juliet’s nurse carried the emotional weight of the story through her songs, while she and Lance provided comic relief. Shakespeare kept referring to himself; his most famous lines are so deeply part of English-speaking culture that they came across naturally. I liked the pun where “I Want It That Way” becomes “I Want It Anne Hathaway.” The audience groaned—but it was a moment of truth for him.

Joey Fatone of NSYNC took on the role of Lance, earning a big cheer when he appeared. As Juliet, Gianna Harris delivered a feisty performance, singing with clarity and dancing with confidence.

Even if you don’t usually like classic stories being rewritten, this one earns its leeway. It may not be Much Ado Without Nothing, but it’s a bright, witty comedy worth a night on Broadway.

& Juliet — Co-produced by Seoul-based Library Company on Broadway (2022–), featuring Joomin Hwang as François. I did not see his performance, but his casting itself is significant: he became the first Korean actor in a non-Asian principal role on Broadway. This milestone signals a new level of Korean involvement in international musical theater and opens the possibility of a future Korean staging.