Come on, Mr. Shakespeare. Did Juliet really have to die in that tragic play of yours?
A new musical that envisions a not-quite-so-star-crossed scenario for one of drama’s most famous young lovers is coming to Broadway.
“& Juliet” — the title a play on “Romeo and Juliet” — features pop songs by the Swedish hitmaker Max Martin, best known for his collaborations with Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys and Katy Perry.
The musical began its life in Manchester, England, in 2019, and then transferred to London, where reviews were mixed but audiences enthused, and it is still going strong. A North American production is now running in Toronto, and will transfer to Broadway, where it is scheduled to start previews Oct. 28 and open Nov. 17 at the Stephen Sondheim Theater.
The score consists of pop songs, many of them quite famous, including “Since U Been Gone,” “Roar,” “ … Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life,” “That’s the Way It Is” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
The show’s comedic book, featuring a variety of romantic entanglements, is by David West Read (“Schitt’s Creek”); the director is Luke Sheppard. Martin, in addition to writing the songs, leads the producing team, which also includes Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page, Jenny Petersson (Martin’s wife), Martin Dodd and Eva Price.
The cast will feature Lorna Courtney as Juliet; Stark Sands (a two-time Tony nominee, for “Journey’s End” and “Kinky Boots”) will play Shakespeare; Betsy Wolfe will play his wife, Anne Hathaway; and Paulo Szot (a Tony winner for “South Pacific”) will play a character named Lance.
