For one of the few times ever, I have not even one negative thing to say! We loved every second of & Juliet<\/em>. It just may be the most fun musical ever<\/em>!<\/p>\n Photo by Matthew Murphy, as is the one above.<\/p><\/div>\n There’s actually sooooo much to take notice of on stage that you may have to see it several times. That’s what I<\/em> definitely want to do. (And we SoCal denizens are lucky enough to have many chances to do just that\u2014when it leaves L.A.\u2019s venerable Ahmanson Theatre it will move on to the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa.)<\/p>\n All I knew about & Juliet<\/em> going in was that Simon Cowell had declared it to be \u201cthe best musical I have ever seen.\u201d But I couldn\u2019t really get a handle on what that meant, coming from a self-described musicals-hater.<\/p>\n And then I recently found-out that it features all known<\/em> hit songs, (which makes it what is referred to as a \u201cjukebox musical,\u201d) as opposed to original<\/em> music. (But I think there is one<\/em> that was written expressly for this show.)\u00a0And then when I did my research when we got home from opening night, (and actually, for the next three days\u2014I\u2019m obsessed over this finding!,) I discovered something mind-blowing. And that is\u2026all these famous songs come from one<\/em> composer, Max Martin! (He had a collaborator or two on most of them, but still\u2026I mean, come on.) The music is\u00a0across all genres and by disparate artists, such as Backstreet Boys and Katy Perry, (both of whose multiple hits the audience went nuts over, along with the most upbeat closer ever, Justin Timberlake\u2019s Can\u2019t Stop the Feeling<\/em>.) How is that even possible??? Mr. X is still<\/em> \u201cflabbergasted\u201d by it. [Note: There are<\/em> a handful whose origin I couldn\u2019t confirm, but I believe that Max was at least a part of them. The official credit in the program reads \u201cMusic and Lyrics by Max Martin and Friends.\u201d Smart.]<\/p>\n If you\u2019re asking how I could not have been aware of that music situation, the answer is that I don\u2019t read anything about an entertainment before I see it in order to form my own unvarnished opinions. So now that I know about Max Martin\u2019s prolificness, color me impressed! (I detest cliches\u2014as I\u2019ll detail in an upcoming column\u2014but I love colors<\/em>, so I\u2019m giving myself a pass on this one.) Adding to our astonishment is that when Mr. X and I were gushing about the show on the way home, with both of us saying that a lot of work went into the entirety of the production, from inception to stage, I even said, \u201cJust getting the rights to all the various artists\u2019 songs must have been hard enough! How did they do that?!\u201d Little did I realize they\u2019re all from the same genius!<\/p>\n Corey Mach in the center, as Shakespeare. (Note the jukebox on the left, perhaps to remind us that this is a jukebox musical!) Photo by Matthew Murphy.<\/p><\/div>\n Actually, I believe that using his songs to create a Broadway musical was the impetus for & Juliet<\/em> to begin with. (But please do your own research on that topic\u2014I\u2019m exhausted.)<\/p>\n There were a few numbers I didn\u2019t recognize, but it really didn’t matter. The audience chuckled at the beginning of each song because of their familiarity with the lyrics, and getting how it was fitting into that situation. (But, sadly for Mr. X, I\u2019ve been alternating between belting-out Since You\u2019ve Been Gone<\/em> and Everybody (Backstreet\u2019s Back)<\/em> all day every day since we saw the show! And my singing is worse than that of a Miss America contestant!)<\/p>\n As to the incredibly witty and well-written script, even though I had never seen the TV series Schitt\u2019s Creek<\/em>, just knowing that this musical was written by David West Read, a writer and producer on that popular sitcom, I knew it would be funny. (And David and I have the commonality of having lived in New York, Toronto, and here in LA, so I had faith in him.) And it\u2019s even better than I had expected\u2014it\u2019s a riot!<\/p>\n The basic plot is that Shakespeare\u2019s wife, the original Anne Hathaway, wants to re-write Romeo and Juliet<\/em> to make Juliet not die with Romeo at the end. (That\u2019s why it\u2019s titled & Juliet,<\/em> with no \u201cRomeo. I love that!) And then we see Anne\u2019s new script play out, with her including herself as a character. And the whole thing is absolutely hilarious. You know I rarely say that. The audience was roaring the whole time. And I was not only hitting Mr. X during especially amusing segments, but the guys next to me, as well! (I\u2019m sure I was not the only one who was doing that.) It\u2019s a very clever (and involved) premise and an even more clever execution.\u00a0 And it\u2019s all a joy.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t even need to know a lot about Shakespeare or these hit songs to enjoy the show. However, even a slight acquaintance with them definitely enhances the experience.<\/p>\n Teal Wicks and Rachel Webb. Photo by Matthew Murphy.<\/p><\/div>\n The entire cast has extraordinary voices. At intermission I said to Mr. X, \u201cGreat voices!” And he replied with an admiring and definitive, \u201cYeah!!!\u201d They are all so perfect, in fact, that I hate to single anyone out. But Mr. X was the most impressed with the pipes on wonderfully-monikered Teal Wicks as Shakespeare\u2019s wife, and I adored the adorable Rachel Webb as Juliet herself. I predict that we will see Rachel starring in many productions for years to come. With a Tony or two to her name!<\/p>\n Mr. X is still raving about it all, with the spot-on observation that it\u2019s \u201cenergetic throughout.\u201d Being a krump dancer himself, he (and I, as well,) appreciated Jennifer Weber\u2019s choreography, which is basically all very creative hip-hop. And I kept wondering how such unbelievable hip-hop dancers<\/em> are also able to sing<\/em> so well. I don’t understand having so much talent in one body. (Or, in my<\/em> case, any<\/em> talent in one body.) As fun as & Juliet<\/em> is to watch<\/em>, it looks that way to be a part of<\/em>, as well. These performers must love doing this show!<\/p>\n Mr. X said that the music \u201cis so tight and clean that I actually thought it was recorded<\/em>,\u201d until the musicians took their on-stage bows at the end! I love that they came out to receive their kudos during the curtain call instead of just being pointed to in the pit, as happens in most<\/em> musicals.<\/p>\n There are a lot of complicated Paloma Young-designed costumes, with some fun surprises. The stand-out for me is Juliet\u2019s fabulous second act blue sort-of jumpsuit. I wish I had it to wear for myself, (along with Rachel Webb\u2019s perfect body as my own in which to rock the outfit!)<\/p>\n Rachel Webb in the center, in that blue costume I love! Photo by Matthew Murphy.<\/p><\/div>\n I don\u2019t want to ruin any surprises, but when confetti rained down on the audience at one point, Mr. X and I whispered to each other at the same time, \u201cNow I know what it feels like to get the Golden Buzzer,\u201d [on AGT<\/em>!] And it was a wonderful feeling.<\/p>\n Speaking of not ruining it for you, that\u2019s why I never give you the whole synopsis; you can always read it elsewhere. So, in regard to & Juliet<\/em>, I say simply: see it for the music, the dancing, the humor, the talent, and the spectacle. You can\u2019t go wrong with this one. And get to your seats early so that you don’t miss the bit of fun on stage that precedes the actual start of the show.<\/p>\n It just occurred to me how to impart to you exactly how excellent & Juliet\u00a0is<\/em>: a couple of photogs took pix of Mr. X and me as we were entering the theatre, and I was panicking because I had gone out with my natural wavy hair that night, hoping that no one would notice. It was all I could think about, even as we took our seats. But the second the show began, I forgot all about that shallowness, and it stayed away for three days<\/em>! Any presentation that can knock that<\/em> nonsense out of me is a winner!<\/p>\n Finally, getting back to my beginning premise, that \u201cthis is not your parents\u2019 musical,\u201d I was thinking that perhaps my own classic-musical-loving late \u2018rents wouldn\u2019t have been into it. But then I remembered that my English teacher mother used Beatles lyrics as lessons, and they both enjoyed Shakespeare and clever writing, so now I believe even they<\/em> would have loved & Juliet<\/em>! So it is at least my<\/em> parents\u2019 musical, after all.<\/p>\n & Juliet<\/em>\u00a0running through September 7, 2025<\/strong> And then:<\/strong><\/p>\n & Juliet\u00a0running September 9 to 21, 2025<\/strong> & JULIET This is not your parents\u2019 musical! But it is your hip cousin\u2019s! And Mr. X and mine, as well! For one of the few times ever, I have not even one negative thing to say! We loved every second of & Juliet. It just may be the most fun musical ever! There’s actually<\/p>\n![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-19-at-12.23.00\u202fPM-e1755631519648.png\")
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>
\n Ahmanson Theatre 135 N. Grand Avenue<\/strong>
\n \u2028213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\n Segerstrom Center for the Arts<\/strong>
\n 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa<\/strong>
\n 714-556-2787 www.scfta.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"